Maybe This Time(67)

“I found out the day after the fight,” I say softly.

“Can’t trust anyone these days, can you? My brother was fucking my girlfriend behind my back, and my girl knew and she didn’t even tell me,” he says bitterly. Salty tears drop down my cheeks.

“I love you, Reid, I’m sorry. I know you love River; I didn’t want to be the one to break your heart,” I say.

“Yeah, well, you just did break my heart, Summer.”

“Reid...” I plead.

“I’m done,” he says, and he hangs up on me.

He’s never hung up on me before.

I quickly call Ryan.

“You knew?” is his answer.

Wow, Reid was quick to tell him that.

“Yeah, I found out the day after the fight,” I say.

“This has fucked him up, Summer,” he says, sounding worried and a little frantic.

“I’m coming over,” I say as I hear a crash in the background.

“Come soon,” Ryan pleads softly.

“I’m coming,” I say before I hang up. I shove on some track pants under Reid’s T-shirt I was sleeping in, and slip my feet into my flats. Grabbing my keys and bag, I drive as quickly as I can while staying under the speed limit. When I get to their apartment and I don’t see Reid’s bike, I curse. He’s driven off somewhere, angry and hurt.

I walk up to their apartment and see their door left wide open. I run through, to find Ryan sitting there at their dining table, his head in his hands.

“Ry?”

He turns to me, and I see the pain in his eyes. I rush over and wrap my arms around him. “Where did he go?”

“I don’t know, he just drove off.”

“He'll be alright,” I try to convince the both of us.

“You didn’t see his face, babe.” And I don’t think I’d want to.

Ryan and I fall asleep on the couch, waiting for him to return.

But he doesn’t.





Chapter Twenty Three


I’m on my way to work when I get an unusual call from Ryan.

“Have you left yet?”

“I’m on my way, why?”

“Well, it’s kinda dead here right now, so you don’t needa come in,” he says. From his tone alone, I can tell that he’s lying.

“Okay, I’ll see you tomorrow.”

The relief is his voice is palpable. “Bye, babe.”

I keep driving, wanting to know what the hell is going on. After Reid left that night he hasn’t been back to town. It’s been a month. He called Ryan twice, and that’s about it.

He didn’t ring me at all.

My confrontation with Mia wasn’t a pleasant one. She came into the bar, looking for Reid. I punched her in the face. Is there underground fighting for women? I may have a career there.

When I see the bar car park full of cars, I scowl. Definitely lying to me. That’s when I see it.

Reid’s bike.

I park my car and run into the bar. As soon as I walk through the doors, I know why Ryan didn’t want me here, and I love him for it.

I wish I'd listened.

Reid is sitting there, with a girl on his lap, straddling him. His hands are on her ass, and his lips are attached to hers. They're basically attacking each other, putting on a big show. His hair is longer, shaggier, and he obviously hasn’t shaved since he left.

I look away as I feel tears start to pool in my eyes.

Ryan and Tag both spot me. Ryan’s face looks pale, almost as if he can feel my pain. Tag looks straight out pissed off, throwing looks of anger in Reid’s direction. What feels like an hour, but has only been a few seconds, pass, and I turn around and leave, needing to get the fuck out of there.

Is this what he’s been doing for the last month?

While I’ve been worrying about him every day?

Instead of going home I go for a drive to clear my head. After driving for an hour, I realise where I'm unconsciously heading.

To my home town.

I message my dad, Xander and Ryan, so they won’t worry about where the hell I am. I know I’m going to lose reception soon because a lot of the drive is going through nothing but farm land and bush. I message my friend Sandra, too, to let her know I’ll be dropping in. She’s gonna love it. I put my favourite car CD in, and continue to enjoy the drive.





Reid


“What do you mean she’s gone?” I ask, rubbing my eyes. I sit up on the bed, ignoring the pain in my head. Definitely drank too much last night.

After spending the last month driving from town to town on my bike, living like a drifter, trying to get my mind straight, I decided to come home. I can’t hide and run forever. It’s time to face the facts.

River isn’t mine, but he is my brother’s.

There's a piece of Reece left on this earth, and no matter how he came about, I still love and adore River. He shouldn’t have to pay for the sins of his parents.