This Time Around (Maybe #2)(46)

“Why don’t you just move in with him? I won’t be upset. You’re hardly here anyway. Oh, hey, maybe Sephie will move in,” Isis says.

I sigh. “I know. I think that’s probably a good idea.”

“We can still see each other. It’s still in the same building,” she says, obviously noting my sad expression.

I nod twice. “Yeah, you’re right.” I walk into the living room and flop down onto the couch. “How’s everything anyway?”

She sits down next to me. “Work, uni, you know how it goes. All work and no play.”

I raise an eyebrow at her.

“Okay, well, some play.” We both burst out laughing.

“Tag?”

She pouts. “Uninterested apparently.”

I change the subject. “You want to go out for dinner tonight? Just us?” I ask her. I miss Isis, and I feel bad that I haven’t spent much time with her.

Her pale eyes light up. “Sounds good. And I know just the place. We should see a movie too.”

“Sounds good. I’m going to go start packing up my room,” I tell her, standing up and walking to my room. I open the door and stare at all my stuff. No time like the present. I start pulling out my clothes, imagining the look on Ryan’s face when I tell him I’m officially moving in.





Chapter Twenty-Six

Ryan

Taiya tells me to come to her apartment. The door is unlocked, causing me to frown at the thought of anyone who could just walk in. I call out Taiya’s name, walking into her room to find her standing there, smiling at me.

“Hey beautiful,” I say, looking around her room in confusion. It is empty. “What’s going on?” I ask her, my brows scrunching. Is she moving?

“Surprise,” she says, closing the space between us and throwing her arms over my shoulders. “I’m all yours.”

My eyes widen as I realise what she’s telling me. “You’re moving in with me? Officially?”

“Yep,” she says, making me the happiest man on the planet. She starts kissing me and making little moaning noises that go straight to my cock. I look around, finding no surface I can make love to her on besides the floor and the wall. She jumps up and wraps her legs around me, pushing her body against mine.

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 f*cking 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 f*ck 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.