This Time Around(52)
The wall it is.
We make love for the last time ever in her apartment.
*****
I don’t think words can express my happiness that Taiya finally moved in. I grin to myself, as I get on my bike to go for a ride. I haven’t done this in ages, ride just for the sake of it, to enjoy the freedom. Two hours later, I end up at the gym. I see Reid standing there, looking a mixture of bored and agitated, an older man standing next to him talking animatedly. I quickly head to the change room and remove my shoes, jeans and T-shirt, sliding on some sweats instead and leaving my chest bare. When I walk back towards the octagon, Reid spots me but his expression doesn’t change.
“What’s going on?” I ask him as I approach.
The other man, who looks to be in his forties but in good shape, replies, “He’s a good fighter.”
My eyes flit back to Reid. “I know he is. Who are you?”
“MMA scout,” Reid replies, not looking happy about it.
The scout takes a step closer. “I have an eye for talent. Trust me, you could be the best.”
“I don’t fight anymore,” Reid replies, stepping away from the man and walking to pick up his water bottle.
“Yeah and what a fucking waste,” the scout mutters under his breath.
“I don’t think that’s any of your business,” I snap, losing my composure. “If my brother wants to contact you, he will.”
“If you don’t fight anymore, what are you doing here? Still practising every day. Don’t you dare try and tell me you don’t love it, because the proof is right here,” he calls out to Reid, his arms motioning around the gym. With that, walks off and exits the gym. Reid shrugs his shoulders in a ‘what the fuck can you do’ kind of way. I shake my head at him, and start shaking my limbs and bouncing on my toes, needing to warm up. I want to ask Reid what’s going on in that head of his, but I don’t for two reasons. One, he will talk to me when he wants to, and two, if he says he wants to fight and Summer tries to ask me about it… yeah I’d rather stay out of that.
“Come on, bro, I’ll go easy on you,” I say, trying to lighten up his mood.
He gives me a crooked smile, so like my own. “Let’s see what you got.”
*****
“That’s everything unpacked,” I say, unable to contain my smile. I pick up the last few boxes and put them in a stack in the corner of the living room. “There’s no escaping now.”
Taiya laughs, taking her mug and putting it into the sink. “It feels right.”
“I’m glad you think so,” I say, walking up and taking her in my arms. “Do you want to go out for dinner?”
“Yeah, then maybe we could go and see how Isis is handling her first shift at the bar,” she says. Isis wanted a job, and I could always use some extra help. I don’t really need to work as much as I do, but I like being productive and keeping busy. It’s basically family and friends that work there, so we end up laughing as much as we do work.
“Okay.”
“Did you ever think we would be like this again?” she asks, her stunning green eyes looking up at me. I feel a pang in my chest, like I do every time she looks at me.
“Together?”
She nods. “Yeah. Back together, stronger than ever.”
I pull her into me. “I dreamed about it, but I wasn’t sure it would ever happen.” And that thought was what drove me into casual sex. I wanted the connection, but knew there was never going to be anyone that I’d love as much as I love Taiya. I realise now what an idiot I was. I should have fought harder instead of feeling sorry for myself and letting my pride get in the way. However, if I had to go through all of that again to be here now, in this moment, then I’d do it.
She sighs softly, burying her face into my chest, almost like she would crawl inside me if she could. She grips her fingers into the material of my T-shirt, pulling down a little. “We have dinner with my mum tomorrow.”
“Sounds good.” I love Rita. She’s a great woman and raised two amazing girls. “Have you spoken to Claire recently?” I ask, referring to Taiya’s sister.
“Yeah, we had a video chat the other day. She said she will try and come to visit us at the end of the year.” Claire moved overseas just after Taiya and I got married. “I hope she does.”
“Maybe we could go and see her if she can’t make it?” I say.
She lifts her head from my chest to look me in the eye. “Really?”
“Sure. Reid’s here to manage the bar, so why not. We could go anywhere you wanted to go.” I want to take her everywhere, spoil the shit out of her. I’ve always wanted to take her to the Maldive Islands, which I know is where she wanted to go on our honeymoon, but we couldn’t afford it back then. Now, I can give her everything she deserves and more.