This Time Around (Maybe #2)(12)

“Yeah, not going to happen.”

“I know. I just thought I’d tell you. You’d get pissed at me if I didn’t,” he says, watching me closely. I roll my eyes. I’m not going to have a breakdown at any moment, if that’s what he’s waiting for.

“Heard you’re going to the club with my girl?” I say, changing what is a very touchy subject for the both of us.

“Your girl?” he repeats, grinning. The tension in the room evaporates just like that.

“I believe in positive thinking,” I tell him, sitting back down in the chair. It creaks as it accepts my weight. Reid looks at me, as if seeing the truth under my cockiness.

“Taiya’s a good girl.”

“I know she is.”

“You need to talk to her about what happened that night,” he says, walking over to me and affectionately squeezing my shoulder. A lot happened that night. If I could have a do-over, it would make my life much easier. So many misconceptions and some seriously wrong timing. In the end, I did screw up, especially by not going after her and explaining. Just not as bad as Taiya thinks. She and I were high school sweethearts. We were each other’s firsts, and I was hoping lasts. When I proposed at twenty-one, and she accepted, it was the best day of my life. We had a small wedding, with just our close family and friends. Taiya’s sister, Claire, was her maid of honour, and Reid was my best man. Everyone said we shouldn’t get married, tried to advise us against it, but we didn’t listen. We were in love. More than in love. We were head over f*cking heels, obsessed, couldn’t keep our hands off each other in love. I still feel the same way about her. If anything, absence has made the heart fonder and I crave her more than ever. Back then, we spent as much time as we could together, and we just got each other. I let her in—more than any other person—other than Reid. It’s true I kept her protected from a few things in my life, a few things from my past, but that was because I didn’t want to taint her with my shit. She was too good for that.

Everything was perfect.

Until I messed up.

After having an argument, I gave Taiya time to calm down, while I gathered my thoughts. I went back the next day, hoping that I could explain everything to her. Except when I went to her mum’s house, she informed me that Taiya had left. Left as in, left the country. She had packed a bag, and run to South Africa, where I knew she had family. She did leave me a note. I still have that note, even though I can remember it word for word.

That note broke my damn heart. The words run through my mind of their own accord…



Ryan,

All the best days of my life had you in them. Or maybe they were the best days of my life because you were in them. Either way, everywhere I look, I see you.

You are everywhere.

And everywhere hurts.

That’s why I need to leave. Because one look at you and I’ll want to forget. Forget what I saw, forget that you took my heart and stomped on it. That you broke me.

I don’t know who I am anymore, and that just pisses me off. There is no good way this can end. We both just need to move on with our lives, find out what we want. Well, find out what you want. I knew what I wanted. I just didn’t know how to keep it. Move on without me, because I’ll be doing the same.

Taiya



“Don’t worry, I have a plan,” I tell my brother, pushing her words out of my mind. If, not leaving her alone and grovelling, could be considered a plan, well, then, yeah, I had a plan.

“Just be yourself,” he jokes, trying to keep a serious face but barely managing. I chuckle at his sage advice, closing my laptop and shoving all the papers in the top drawer.

“Have you spoken to her?” I ask him. Reid and Taiya used to be pretty good friends.

“Well, the first time I saw her she was too busy slapping you across the face,” he says, his lip twitching and his eyes alight with amusement.

“Good times,” I add dryly.

“The second time I ran into her with Summer, we spoke for a few minutes. It was mainly Summer trying to get Taiya to go out with her. She can be very persuasive when she wants to be,” he says, pride evident by the glint in his eyes.

“Yeah, she’s a firecracker, that one.”

He lifts his shoulder in a shrug. “I thought I’d tag along with them, keep an eye out. Even though I don’t fight anymore, you never know what kind of grudges those douchebags could still be holding.”

“Shit, I never even thought of that,” I mutter, scowling. Reid used to fight in underground MMA, and in the past, things have gotten out of hand with other fighters. Fights have broken out. Once, a fighter made lewd comments about Summer, wanting to start shit; there was no stopping Reid.

“I don’t think anything will happen, but you know me, I’d rather be wherever Summer is.”

“And you’re obviously man enough to admit it,” I say, grinning widely.

Reid flexes his ripped biceps. “Anyone have anything to say about it?” he mock threats, showing off.

“I could take you.”

He grins, all teeth. “It’s adorable that you think so, baby brother.”

“Baby? By like, a minute.” If that.

“Still counts,” he taunts, grinning.

“Are you two done?” came an amused voice at the door. Reid turns around, and I look behind him to see Summer standing in the doorway, her eyes twinkling at our enlightening conversation.