Page 88 of How Not to Date a Griffin

Reid watched them walk off, unable to slow the galloping pace of his heart. It’s just Frogger. It could be anyone. It didn’t mean anything—

Reid dropped the broom and startled as it clacked against the concrete like a gunshot, but didn’t bother picking it up before he took off. His boots pounded against the sidewalk as he darted through the crowds of bored teenagers and winter shoppers.

“Sorry, excuse me,” he called out as he cut through a larger group. The arcade came into sight, the bright blue letters of the sign like a beacon. He almost broke out into a run.

There was no proof it was Nolan. But who else would hog the only game in the arcade that Nolan was good at? It couldn’t just be a coincidence.

He entered the building, and had to come to a stop to let his eyes adjust to the darkened interior. It was empty. Which was normal, he supposed, for the midday hour. The tacky carpet blurred as he stepped inside, rounding the corner to—

Nolan’s familiar head of dark hair was bent over the game machine, single-minded focus and intensity in the line of his shoulders.

Reid froze, unable to take another step, unable to believe that Nolan was here. After all this fucking time.

He still looked good as ever, even bundled up in what looked like a patterned collared shirt and a coordinating sweater. God, what a dork.

Reid fucking loved him; his chest was about to burst with it.

My dork, he thought, shaking himself and finally gathering the courage to approach him over the frog jumping noise.

“D’you think you should let someone else have a turn?” he asked softly.

Nolan stiffened, head jerking over his shoulder so fast Reid feared he’d put a crick in his neck.

“Reid!” he said, voice cracking in his mix of disbelief and excitement.

The frog on the screen got run over by a car, and the ending music blared from the ancient box. The highest score rankings came up, and every single line was filled with NOL.

“You can’t be here! I don’t have enough tickets yet,” Nolan practically whined, finally turning around to face him.

Reid’s lips twitched, despite the desperation he felt to toss Nolan against the side of the game and kiss him. Suddenly, he was in range, too; he hadn’t even realized his feet were carrying him toward Nolan. “Oh. Well, okay then,” he said, turning on his heel and pretending to leave.

Nolan’s hand gripped his bicep and spun him back around. “Don’t leave!”

“Okay,” Reid agreed again. Before he could convince his brain to get with the program, a bored man about their age in a polo bearing the arcade’s logo came up, one arm tucked behind his back.

“Listen, man. That’s the third group of kids you’ve scared off today, and look, just—“ He pulled the banana shark out from behind his back and shoved it at Nolan. “Take the damn stuffie and leave. I’m keeping your tickets and we’ll call it even.”

Nolan gaped. “But I’m only seven hundred away—”

“I know. That’s why I’m cutting our losses. You’ve spent more than enough on Frogger to make up for the cost of the fucking shark. Leave.”

Before Nolan could refute again because of his pride, Reid reached out and swiped the banana shark from the man. “Thank you. We’ll be happy to get out of your hair.”

“But Reid—” Nolan began. Reid interrupted by grabbing his hand, threading their fingers together and pulling him away, toward the back exit he knew each of these buildings had, but didn’t use.

It was like no time had passed at all as they squeezed their hands together, like Nolan had never left and like Reid hadn’t been waiting for this day for months.

The sunshine was bright as fuck, and Reid stumbled to a stop just as they breached the doors. Nolan crowded into his back and took advantage of the movement, burying his head in the back of Reid’s neck, wrapping an arm around his waist.

It made Reid’s breath stutter, his heart slamming against the cage of his ribs.

“Hi,” Nolan whispered softly, and Reid melted.

“Hi,” he said. “Fancy meeting you here.” Reid laid his hands on Nolan’s arms.

“I was going to surprise you.”

Spinning in Nolan’s arms, Reid held up the banana shark between them. “Nolan, you’re here. I’d say that’s a pretty fucking awesome surprise.”