Maybe This Time, page 12
“Our cocks are equally large,” Ryan answers, chuckling.
“Did you think I was a virgin?” I ask Ryan.
He laughs harder. “No way, not with the way you move on the dance floor. Hips don’t lie.”
I blink twice, and then crack up laughing. Reid shakes his head at our antics, but I can see the smile on his lips that he can’t stop from forming.
“Nothing is sacred in this house,” I muse, finishing off my breakfast. Reid walks past me, gently tugging at a lock of my hair, before grabbing a plate and piling it with food.
“If you think you’re going to get away with that as an apology, you have another thing coming, Reid Knox,” I tell him, washing my plate and putting it in the dishwasher. I do the same for the other few plates and cutlery left in the sink. I spin around to find him leaning against the table, eating a piece of bacon with a smirk etched on his face.
“What’s with the smirk?” I ask. I look around to see Ryan has left the kitchen.
“You’re fucking hot when you’re angry,” he says, licking his finger.
“The way you act sometimes, you better get used to it.”
“Ditto.”
“I’m going home, I’ll see you later,” I say, walking past him. Before I can get out of his reach, he pulls me back by the belt loop on my jeans. My back crushes against his chest, and my heart flutters as he pushes my hair to one side so my neck is bared and vulnerable.
“I’m sorry. Last night was perfect, okay? I didn’t mean to ruin it,” he whispers, nuzzling my neck.
“Hmm,” I sigh.
“Do you forgive me, beauty?” he says, his stubble tickling my neck.
“I suppose,” I say ungracefully.
“I’ll make it up to you,” he says, and then proceeds to whisper exactly what he will do to me in my ear.
“Forgiven!”
Reid laughs at my eagerness. “Okay, drive safe and text me when you get home. I’ll pick you up before the fight.” Shit, how did I almost forget about that?
“Okay,” I say, not sure how I feel about the fight.
“You don’t have faith in your man?” he asks in disbelief.
“I do. I’ll see you tonight,” I say, kissing him on the cheek. He slaps my butt as I pass.
Men.
*****
I walk into the house to find an unhappy looking Xander standing in the kitchen, his arms crossed against his head.
“What’s wrong?” I ask, putting my bag down on the table.
“You weren’t here so I haven’t eaten any breakfast,” he says, sulking.
I purse my lips. “What did you do before I moved in?”
“Well, there were usually girls lying about so one of them…”
“You guys are disgusting!"
“Or we had leftover pizza, or something,” he says, shrugging.
“Fine, I’ll cook you breakfast but you’re washing up.” I point my finger at him and pull out some eggs.
Xander hugs me. “Thank you.”
My heart melts. I love my baby brother. “You’re welcome.”
“I need to talk to you about something.” The hesitance in his voice has me glancing at him.
“What is it?”
“I was thinking about getting in the ring sometime,” he says.
“You wanna fight?” I say, enunciating each word.
“Yeah, I don’t want you to get all upset, but I’m a pretty good fighter, and I wanna do this,” he explains.
“Okay. Why are you telling me this?”
“Dad said I needed to...” he clears his throat. “Run it by you.”
I can’t help it when laughter bubbles out of my mouth. “Dad said you needed my permission?” I say through bouts of laughter.
“You done?” Xander growls, not looking impressed.
“Baby bro. Do I wish you wouldn’t fight? Yes. But it’s your life and I’ll be there for you no matter what.”
He looks at me with a softness in his eyes that makes me believe in the saying ‘everything happens for a reason’.
“Right back at ya, Summer,” he says. I smile and face the stove, cracking eggs into the frying pan.
After I finish Xander’s breakfast, I get changed, tidy up the house and then drive to the library. Grabbing my assignment file, I walk inside and take my usual table.
“You’re back,” a deep voice says. I lift my head and stare into the eyes of the mysterious guy who sat next to me the last time I was here.
“You stalking me?” I tease. His lip curves as he sits opposite me, same as last time. He pulls out a thick text book, and I read it upside down.
“You’re studying law?”
“Guilty.”
I wince. “Looks painful.”
“Trust me, it is. How about you?” he asks, gesturing to my folder.
“Nursing at Tafe.” He tilts his head and smiles. I return to my assignment, wanting to get at least a quarter of it finished today. My phone vibrates and I pull it out of my pocket to see a text from Reid. I realize I never texted him saying I was home safe, so I send a quick reply saying I’m studying at the library.
“Boyfriend?” the stranger asks.
“You ever going to tell me your name?” I counter.
He grins cheekily. “Silas.”
“Nice to meet you, Silas, I’m Summer, and yes, that was my boyfriend.”
“All the good ones really are taken,” he answers, but he doesn’t look let down in the slightest, so I know he’s just teasing. We spend the rest of the time in silence, until it’s time for me to leave.
“Bye, Silas,” I say as I pick up my folder.
“Bye, Summer,” he says, not looking up.
By the time I get home I have an hour until Reid comes to pick me up. I jump into the shower, and then walk to my room with dripping wet hair. Wrapping a towel over my head, I stand naked in the corner of my room, staring at my wardrobe. What am I meant to wear? I settle for a pair of low riding skinny jeans and a tight black sweater. I put on my favourite pair of battered combat boots, because they're comfortable and flat, and they look pretty badass too. I blow-dry my hair and iron it so it’s dead straight. A little mascara, powder and bronzer and I’m done.
“Summer!” Xander calls through the door.
“Yeah, come in.”
He opens the door, looking excited and dressed casually in jeans and a white T-shirt. His shoulder length hair is pulled back at the nape of his neck. “You ready?”
“Yeah,” I say, smoothing my hair with my fingers.
“You look fine. Reid’s on his way,” he says, bouncing on his feet.
“I’m glad someone’s excited,” I say as I dab some lip balm on my lips. I grab my phone and slide it into my bra, ready to go. Reid arrives ten minutes later, not looking his usual self. He looks like Reid when I first met him, tightly wound and brooding.
“You okay?” I ask him, wrapping my arms around his torso.
“Yeah, I get a little anxious before a fight,” he says, which is understandable, I guess. Xander takes his own car, and I jump into Reid’s.
“Summer,” says a feminine voice from the back seat. My head spins around faster than the chick from The Exorcist, as I turn and see Jade.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, surprised.
“I’ve never missed a fight before, you think I’m gonna miss one just because you’re in Reid’s life?” she says, staring down at her manicured nails. Fucking Reid. A little warning would be nice. Reid slides into the driver’s seat, and obviously feels the tension because he snaps, “Not today, alright.”
The ride is silent and tense, and I stare out the window the entire time. Is he always like this before a fight? If so, I’d rather stay at home and watch Catfish. We arrive at a different location than the last fight, and it looks more crowded this time around. Reid steps out the car, and walks around to my door, opening it for me. He’s dressed in a pair of shorts and a hoodie, which I assume will be coming off when he enters the ring.
“You okay?” I ask him softly. Jade opens her own car door, huffing about something or the other.
“Yeah, I’ll be fine. Just… just stay with your brother, Ryan, and your dad, and stay where I can see you, okay?”
“Okay,” I say, clutching my jacket and pulling it tighter.
“I’m serious, Summer, I want you in my line of sight.”
“Okay.”
We walk up to the entrance, and the man standing at the door lets us through, jumping the line. I ignore the looks a few of the women give me when Reid puts his hand on the small of my back and leads me in. When I see the huge caged octagon, I swallow hard. This place looks scarier than the last one.
I look at Reid to find him already looking at me, taking in my reaction. I attempt a smile but I’m sure it comes out more as a grimace than anything. He takes my hand in his, threading our fingers together. I take comfort in the gesture. Surprisingly, Jade steps up next to me, flanking my other side.
I spot my dad, my brother, Dash, and Ryan standing in a group, talking amongst each other. Reid squeezes my hand as we approach them. Dad immediately comes over and kisses me on the top of my head, and then pulls Reid aside, for what I assume is a pep talk. Another man walks up and joins them.
“Who’s that?” I ask Jade.
“Reid’s trainer,” she answers. I notice her eye Xander, which makes me bristle.
“Don’t even think about it,” I say in a sing-song voice, my eyes still on Reid.
“I’d think you’d be happy, at least I’d back off Reid,” she says.
I tilt my head to look at her. “Reid sees you like a sister. And as I’m sure you know, Xander is my brother.”
Who I’m not willing to share with you, either.
I hear a few cheers so I look to see what the commotion is about. A bulky man dressed in a pair of shorts stands on the other side of us, a small posse surrounding him.
“That’s who he’s fighting?” I drawl.
“Yep. Daniel “Devil” Lanchester, in the flesh. He’s kinda cute, huh,” Jade says, nudging me with her elbow.
“What’s with the nickname thing? Kinda silly, isn’t it?”
Jade shrugs. “I don’t know who started it but everyone has one. Maybe it’s safer not to use a real name, not like these are sanctioned fights.”
“Yeah except you still know the guy's real name,” I say, shaking my head in confusion.
Jade shrugs, her attention going back to Xander. Yeah, like that’s gonna happen. “Oh, look. Your real competition's here. Haven’t seen her here in a long ass time,” she says sweetly, looking out into the crowd.
“What?” I have no idea what she’s on about.
“Hey, sis, you ready?” Xander asks as he steps up next to me. Dash comes up behind me and wraps his arms around me.
“Ready as I’ll ever be. Hey, Dash.”
“Hey. You smell good,” he says, sniffing me again.
“Hey, Ry.”
“Hey, babe, come stand next to me, and don’t move, okay?” he says, looking serious. His lips are pursed and stare unwavering.
I grin. “Did Reid threaten you?”
“He needs to be focused so we needa do our part on this end,” he says.
“Well, don’t worry about me, I’m not going anywhere,” I say as I stare out at the crowd. The warehouse is filling up with even more people, and I start to feel a little anxious. I see Reid approach and run into his arms.
“Beauty,” he murmurs, I can hear the smile in his voice.
“You gotta head up there, Reid,” Ryan says, rubbing the back of his neck. Reid nods sharply, and takes a step back so he can remove his hoodie. Underneath is a white singlet, which he pulls off as well, leaving him bare-chested, and left in nothing but a pair of low slung shorts. No wonder people pay so much money to watch these fights. He wraps his wrists and hands, smiling up at me once he's done.
“Plenty of time for that later, Summer,” he says, amused at my obvious ogling.
“Looking forward to it.”
“Stay-"
“With Ryan, I get it. I’ll be right here, okay. Just concentrate on the fight.”
“That’s my girl,” he says approvingly, giving me a quick kiss before he heads to the centre of the Octagon. A man introduces Reid and his opponent, which is met with alternate cheers and boos. I start to wring my hands as I watch them both warm up a little, jumping up and down and stretching.
“He’s gonna be fine,” Ryan tells me.
“Summer, stop fidgeting,” Jade says. She looks calm and collected, then again, she’s been coming to fights with Reid since he started this whole thing. Dad and Xander move in even closer, close enough that they can talk to Reid if need be. I’m happier being further back. I see Dash shifting on his feet, anticipating what’s to come, and Ryan’s intense gaze on his brother. I look back to see Reid and Daniel face one another, as the referee stands between them, talking. After a few moments of this, he knocks their gloves against each other twice and they both take a step back.
Then it begins.
The cheers are so loud that I wince, trying to block them out. As I catch a glimpse of Reid’s expression, I can tell he’s in the zone. His face is blank, and his eyes are hard, calculating. Apparently that doesn’t stop his gaze from darting to where I’m standing, if only for a second. Ryan curses when he sees it, and takes a step closer to me so he’s directly behind me. I know he doesn’t want Reid to worry, even though I think they're all over reacting. I walked through the last fight, alone and in a pair of stilettos and I managed just fine.
Lost in my thoughts, I don’t even pay attention to the fight, and a sudden cheer makes me snap to attention. Reid throws a punch to Daniel’s head, and I turn to look at Ryan. Ryan grabs my shoulders and spins me back so I’m watching the fight. Reid and his opponent are now hugging each other, or at least that’s what it looks like to me. Reid brings up his knee with force and throws a few more punches. How long does this go for, exactly? When Daniel gets in a kick to Reid’s stomach, I reach back for Ryan’s hand and dig my nails into his palm. Ryan brings me closer, and puts his arm on my shoulder.
I look around for a few seconds, watching people cheering, screaming, and jumping up and down. They're all so excited, so blood thirsty, when all I want to do is cry. I look back just in time to see Reid take him down to the floor, and I hear Ryan say something about a takedown. Reid practically straddles him and pounds into his face. When I see blood flowing from the other man’s mouth, I start to feel a little nauseous. I face Ryan, not wanting to watch anymore.
“It’s almost over,” Ryan says, putting his hands on my shoulders.
Well, thank goodness for that.
What feels like thirty minutes later, the cheering turns to roars and they hail Reid the winner. My dad runs up to Reid, and checks him over for any injuries. Ryan leads me closer as Reid exits the Octagon. Forcing my feet to move, I watch his every step until he reaches me. I lift my hand to his cheek, frowning at the cut on his eyebrow. A few drops of blood drip down, but other than that he doesn’t look too banged up. His chest heaves with his heavy breathing and I put my hand over his heart.
“Hey,” I say.
His lip twitches. “Hey, beautiful.”
“Let’s take you to a doctor.”
“No need, I’m fine.”
“Your eyebrow!”
“You’re gonna be a nurse, you can stitch it up,” he says, grinning. He smells like sweat mixed with his spicy cologne. Surprisingly, it doesn’t smell bad at all.
“I’m still on the theory work!” I say, my voice going a little higher. No way could I stitch that up.
Reid chuckles at the look on my face.
“Reid!” I hear my dad call. “Doc will stitch you up.”
“Who’s your Doc?” I ask, looking around.
He winces, the poor man must be in pain. “Not one. Doctors we have on call for the fights. Why don’t you go wait with Ryan and I’ll meet you out front?”
“Nice fight, Reid,” Jade says, walking up to us.
Reid nods. “Almost there.”
“Almost there,” she whispers back, exhaling deeply.
“I’m gonna get a doc to fix me up,” Reid says, kissing me on my head. He gives Jade an undecipherable look as he walks off. Jade is scowling, her eyes following Reid.
“What is it?” I ask her, knowing something is up.
“Nothing,” she says shortly. “Come on, let’s go.”
“Summer! Let’s go!” Xander calls out. I follow the group outside, wondering what the hell is going on right now.
“You coming home with me?” Xander asks.
“No, I’ll wait for Reid with Jade,” I say.
“Ryan, you waiting here with them?” Xander asks him.
“Of course,” Ryan replies, a scowl appearing on his handsome face.
“Okay, I’ll see you at home then,” he says, kissing me on the cheek. “Look after her. Precious cargo right here,” Xander says before walking to his car.
I can see my dad smiling, looking proud. I roll my eyes.
“Dad, come over tomorrow for dinner,” I say when he comes over to say bye.
“What are you cooking?” he asks, his eyes flaring with interest.
“Whatever you want,” I reply, smiling.
“You know me, I’ll always want meat and potatoes.”
“Meat and potatoes it is.”
“See you tomorrow, baby girl,” he says, pulling me in for a warm hug. I turn to see Jade watching us interact, a wistful look on her face.
“I better be invited,” Ryan adds, leaning on his car. The wind keeps blowing his hair into his face.
“Of course you are. Jade, you can come too,” I tell her. She’s not so bad after all, when she tones down the melodramatics. Jade looks surprised at the invite, hell, I surprised myself.
I look up from my phone, seeing Reid walk out towards us. His steps are hurried, and I can see his fists are clenched. What the hell happened? He pins me with his gaze, now close enough that I can see his eyes. They soften as they rest on me. “Let’s go home, beauty.”
