Maybe This Time(24)

When the sobs subside, my father and I talk, for what feels like the first time. We listen to each other, and we get to know each other.

And it’s perfect.

“Xander tells me you have eyes for Reid.” He doesn't look too happy about it.

“I had eyes for Reid.” My heart hurts at the mere mention of him.

“He’s a complicated kid, but a good one,” my dad says, watching me carefully.

“He doesn’t want me,” I say, feeling sorry for myself.

“You are the most beautiful girl in the world, of course he wants you,” he says, sounding defensive on my behalf.

“You have to think that, I’m your only daughter,” I say, my lip twitching.

“Doesn’t mean it’s not the truth. I’ve known Reid for years, you know that? I was friends with his parents, before...”

“Before his mother died?” I add when he doesn’t continue.

“Right. He’s got a good heart, he loves his brothers more than anything,” he says.

“Brothers?”

“Yeah, he had another brother. Younger. Reece. He passed away two years back,” he says sadly.

“What?” I whisper. Reid lost his mother, and his baby brother? And his dad’s in jail?

Shit. That’s a lot of heart ache right there.

I scrub my face with my hand.

“You care about him a lot, don’t you?” my dad asks, running his fingers through his beard.

“It doesn’t matter.”

“It does,” he huffs.

“He needs to be willing to fight for me, dad, but he doesn’t want to,” I say, shrugging.

“I think he’s doing enough fighting for other people, Sum, maybe he needs someone to fight for him,” he says, a knowing look entering his eyes.

“You’re supposed to be on my side,” I complain, rolling my eyes.

“I’m always on your side, but if you had to pick a man, you could do a lot worse than Reid Knox.”

“Is that so?” I mutter.

“Don’t get me wrong, he hurts you, and he’s dead,” he says, an evil glint entering his eyes.

I sigh. “I don’t know what’s gonna happen with us, to be honest.”

“So, you don’t like Tina, huh?” he asks, changing the subject.

I shake my head.

I never see Tina again.





Chapter Nine


I try to school my features, contain my surprise when I see Reid at the bar when I walk in. Guess he couldn’t avoid me anymore. I nod my head at him in welcome, and put my bag in the office. When I don’t see Ryan or Tag, I groan out loud. Looks like it’s just Reid and me tonight. Well, hell. It’s been a week since I saw Reid at his apartment, but he hasn’t been far from my mind. When I got asked out on a date last night at work, I actually said yes. I need to move on, and I miss having Reid around.

“How have you been?” I ask him, noticing the dark circles under his eyes. He looks tired.

“Okay, you?” he asks me, throwing down the tea towel he was wiping the glasses with.

“I’m okay, I miss you, though,” I blurt out, needing to be honest with him.

His face softens. “God, I miss you, too,” he says quietly. So quietly I almost didn’t hear it.

“Can we just be friends? Stop avoiding each other?” I ask him, putting myself out on a limb.

“Friends?” he repeats, a strange look flashing in his eyes.

“Sure, I mean. It has to be better than this, right?” I gesture with my hand between us. I hate the constant avoiding of each other and the awkwardness and him feeling so distant.

He nods once, but doesn’t look too happy about it. “Where's Ryan?” I ask. Ryan has become one of my best friends. He looks out for me, and we always have fun together.

“He’s out with his new girl of the week,” Reid answers, watching my face carefully. I know what he’s looking for, any signs of jealousy. He isn’t going to find any though, cos Ryan and I are friends and nothing more.

“She’s a babe,” I say with a smirk, thinking back on last night when I met her for the first time. The chick was a knock out. I ended up high-fiving Ryan in congratulations, because he did well for himself.

“Are we okay?” Reid asks suddenly, his mood shifting.

“Sure,” I say, the side of my lip quirking. What else can I say?

“I haven’t seen you at the gym,” he says. God, his eyes are so blue. Are they bluer than Ryan’s? They seem so.

“I went once more with Xander but that’s about it. I think I’m gonna stick to doing Zumba at home.” I start stacking glasses.

“I’m gonna pretend I know what that is,” he says.

“It’s like a dance workout thing.”