“What’s wrong?” he asks, looking baffled.
“What’s wrong?” I repeat, sounding a little hysterical.
“Calm down, Summer,” Ryan demands.
Reid stands next to the window and knocks on it. “Open the door, Summer,” he says, sounding a little frantic.
“Reid has fucking lipstick all over his neck!” I say to Ryan, turning my back on Reid so I can’t see him.
“Reid would never cheat on you,” Ryan says confidently, trying to placate me.
“Yeah, so some bitch’s lips just fell on his neck?” I can hear Jade and Reid talking to each other in heated tones.
“Why don’t you just ask him? I’m sure there’s an explanation.”
“You driving me, or should I call a cab?” I ask him, my voice low.
“Fuck,” he curses. He gets out the car and says something quietly to Reid. Reid pushes Ryan out of the way and hops into the driver’s seat.
“For suck's sake, Summer, I didn’t kiss anyone,” he says, anger and worry flashing in his eyes.
“I’m pretty sure that speaks for itself,” I say, looking straight ahead.
“Summer, look. She wanted me, she tried. I told her I was with you, and it was serious.”
“That seems to be a common occurrence for you, right? Girls jumping at you while you remain the innocent victim,” I spit.
He rubs his hands down his face in frustration.
“Who was she?” I ask him through clenched teeth.
“The doctor. She’s kind of my ex. The one I broke up with just after Reece died,” he says. His voice is low and sad, but I can’t deal with both his pain and mine right now.
“So, you failed to mention that the doctor was your ex, your serious ex,” I say, hurt and confused.
“I haven’t seen her at one of these fights in a long ass time. This is the first one she’s been to one since Reece. I didn’t expect her to be here,” he explains, his gaze locked with mine. “Look, I have a lot of baggage in my life. I don’t wanna scare you away with all this shit. I want you to be happy, Summer, not have to worry about all this drama in my life. You’re a good girl, you don’t needa be around this shit. I wanted to keep you away from it, separate. So yes, I left a few things out,” he admits.
“Why did you break up?”
He clears his throat. “Reece died, she was the doctor at the fight.”
And she couldn’t save him. Surely he didn’t blame her for that?
“That wasn’t her fault,” I say quietly.
“I know that. I just pushed her away after that. We weren’t meant to be together anyway.”
“How do you know that?”
“I never felt for her even a quarter of what I feel for you. This intense, all-consuming need to be around you all the time, to protect you. I can’t stop thinking about you, even when I’m sleeping I dream about you. We never had anything like that.”
I look out the window, wanting a break from the conversation, to see Ryan and Jade have left in Reid’s car. I didn’t even hear the car drive off.
“Why is she still in there?” I ask, gesturing to the warehouse.
“There’s another fight going on.”
Well, that explains all the cars still in the parking lot.
“Can you take me home, please?” I look at him, and see that his eyebrow is nicely stitched. My gaze drops to his neck, where he's attempted to scrub off the lipstick but there are still smears of it where he missed a spot.
“Okay. Were you okay during the fight?” I can tell he’s treading very carefully, trying not to get me upset.
“Ryan looked after me,” is all I say. I look at his knuckles on the steering wheel, which are red and swollen.
“Will you come home with me?” he asks, sounding unsure.
“I think I’ll just go home,” I reply, shifting in my seat.
“You know I need to be near you after a fight,” he says, his voice pleading.
“Why don’t you stay at mine?” I offer.
He exhales in relief and nods twice. “Okay.” He rests his hand on my thigh, his long fingers spread out.
“I’ll stop by mine and grab some clothes,” he says.
“You sure you’re okay to drive?” I ask. I’m pretty sure I saw him take a few kicks to the stomach.
“I’m good.”
When we arrive at his apartment Reid parks and runs inside to get some clothes while I wait in the car. I drum my fingers on my thigh, thinking over everything that I’d learnt tonight. I don’t expect Reid to come without a past, without his own baggage, but this is getting a little ridiculous. One question is foremost in my mind.