Maybe This Time (Maybe #1)(42)

“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.

What else is Reid Knox hiding?

And does it matter? As long as he’s good to me, and faithful, can I take any curveball thrown my way? Reid enters the car, pulling me from my thoughts.

“You okay?” he asks, his hand on the keys.

“I’m fine,” I say a little shortly.

“Right.” He turns the key and starts the engine. He runs his other hand along his scar, looking like he wants to say something.

“I needa know you’re in this with me, no matter what. I know I’m gonna f*ck up sometimes, but I’ll always try and fix things. I’ll never hurt you intentionally, Summer. I just need to know you aren’t gonna run. You can’t run,” he says, and I watch his Adam’s apple bob as we swallows.

“Where am I gonna run to?”

His eyes dart to mine before he replies. “You know what I mean. If something happens you can’t handle, you’re gonna want to run from my bed, from me.”

“Reid-”

“I just need to know if you want this as much as I do,” he says. And there it is, the question I was just asking myself.

Apparently I take too long to answer.

“I see,” he grinds out.

“Reid-”

He makes a dismissive sound in his throat, and keeps his eyes on the road.

“Are you going to listen to me? Or just be a dickhead?” I snap, losing my patience.

He doesn’t reply, his jaw set.

“I want you. But you need to let me in more. You think I like finding out all of this shit from other people? Or from the lipstick on your neck? How would you feel if this situation was reversed? If I was caught with an ex of mine that you never even knew existed?”

I ignore the growl that escapes his lips and continue. “My point exactly.”

“Tell me about your exes,” he demands.

“Well, there are only two. I dated Liam for a couple of months, he was my first boyfriend. Then I dated Quinn for about a year. We broke up a month before I moved here.”

“Who did you lose your virginity to?” he asks boldly, earning a glare from my direction.

“Quinn, and he’s the only boy I’ve slept with other than you.”

“Not a boy, beauty,” he grumbles.