The sincerity in his voice is hard for me to remain upset and I realize he’s a good guy to have on your side. I’ve always wanted to know a police officer—retired or not.
“Well, that may be but it was not nice of you to impersonate a land inspector.”
“Not nice, but necessary in my line of work. And it looks like the end result is good.” He motions between Reed and me.
I grin at him because I can’t argue his point. “Yeah, I guess you can say that.”
The waitress comes over and we order our lunch. While waiting for our drinks, Trey pulls out a few files and a notebook. I look at Reed confused but he shakes his head. Once the waitress puts our drinks in front of us and leaves, Reed talks.
“Ari, I’ve hired Trey to look into what happened to us in college.”
“Wha-wha-what? Wh-wh-why?” I stutter, looking between the men.
“Baby, I need to know. It’s bothered me since you told me about what happened.”
“Reed, I think we should leave it alone. Nothing good can come out of it.”
“I can’t.”
“Please, I don’t even want to talk about it. And how would he even find them?”
“Ari, the world of technology is a wonder. Everything is online now. All I need from you is a description of the girls that approached you. There is an online community with the alumni, sororities, cheerleaders, and then Facebook can help. That’s just scratching the surface.” Trey answers.
The way he and Reed are looking at me, tells me there is no arguing about this. I sigh and settle back in my chair. Our food arrives and I pick at mine as I go over the details I can remember about that day. The girls that spoke to me are etched in my brain, but I can’t recall many details about Bailey’s posse. Reed touches me several times in encouragement, but I don’t return the sentiment.
I finish lunch and tell the men I need to get back to work. Now my mind is completely frazzled and I’m not sure what use I will be for the rest of the day.
Reed walks me to my car, but I barely look at him. He notices the tension.
“Angel, don’t be upset.”
“Why, Reed? Huh? Because you say so? Because you NEED this? What about me? I lived with it and it almost destroyed me. I finally moved on—finally! Then you show up and turn my world upside down again. Did you even stop to think what you’re going to do if we find these girls? They’re women now. Maybe married with kids of their own. Are we going to arrange a bitch slap bash? Track them down and call them bullies? What are we possibly going to do about it now?” I’m yelling by the time I’m done with my rant. Then I notice several bank employees at a nearby restaurant watching through a window.
Reed’s reaction is not what I expected. He pulls me into him and slams his lips against mine. I resist at first, but he coaxes my mouth open and then pushes me against my car. I try to step back, but he holds my neck and continues to kiss me until dizziness sets in. Releasing me a little bit, he kisses along my jawline to my ear. Obviously, he doesn’t care that we are in a very public parking lot.
“That is why I need to know, Ari, that kiss, that magnetism, the way your body fits to mine. Someone took that away and I have to at least know why. Three nights ago, you told me you loved me and fucking finally my life made sense. I was put on this earth to love you and you finally gave yourself back to me. No bitch slap bash, no name calling. You’ve moved on, but the only way for me to…is to know who was responsible,” he tells me softly.
His eyes have darkened to a deep shade of blue and are pleading with me to understand. “Okay, I can understand that, but why couldn’t you have told me this and discussed it? I was blindsided in there today with Trey.”
“Would you have agreed?”
“Probably not, but I should be given the option.”
“You need to get back to work baby?” He successfully changes the subject.
“Shit! Yes, I need to go.”
“Okay, give me another kiss.”
“No! I’m mad at you. I have to pretend to pay attention for the rest of the day. Then I’m going to have Sophie and Katy come over tonight to dissect this whole situation. Maybe a bottle of Cabernet will help explain how six weeks back in my life you’ve managed to twist it around. I think it’s a good idea for you to stay at your place tonight.”
“Not a fucking chance in hell.” He growls. “I get I caught you off-guard but one little indiscretion does not take you out of my bed at night.”
I open my mouth to argue, but really need to go. “I’ll call you later.”
“No, Ari, I’ll see you later and don’t forget my mom gets here tomorrow afternoon. You two are staying with me for the weekend.” He kisses me quickly, squeezes my ass, and walks away.
Exasperated, I get into the car and go back to work.
“Are you looking for reasons for the two of you not to work?” Sophie takes a sip of her wine and raises her eyebrows at me.
“Not at all. Don’t you understand how this would upset me?”
“Not really. I think it’s hot. Especially after what I think happened this weekend. He’s already declared his undying love and devotion to you. Reed’s always been intense. His protective nature comes out when it has to do with his family. Look what he did when he found out about his sister’s miscarriage—he hid his own child to shield her from the hurt and wanted to beat the dad up.”
“I agree with Sophie, dear, you’ve got to pick your battles and this doesn’t seem like a good one.” Katy pats my shoulder.
“You guys are no help! Whose side are you on?”
“I didn’t realize there were sides. Your protective, head over heels boyfriend wants to get to the bottom of a deception that took something precious away from him. If Luke were here, he’d be saying the same thing. Give up some of the fucking control and bend a little.”
“Jesus, Soph, have I pissed you off? This is the second time you have jumped my ass when it comes to Reed.”
“No, you just don’t understand. I need you to try for this. Don’t let it be one-sided. I love you like a sister and when you lost your parents, we were just kids. I watched you grieve but Katy was there. You were resilient and amazed everyone around you with your ability to pick up the pieces.”
Tears fill her eyes and she shares a glance with Grandma Katy I can’t understand. “But, Ari, with Reed it was different. I won’t relive the situation, but you shut down completely. The resilience I once saw was gone and I was really scared. It was a different kind of grief and it didn’t go away. I prayed every single day that you would be okay. Once Davis was here and healthy, I prayed for you to move on and not let the misery pour into your lives. You are an amazing mother and friend, but I still knew something was missing. I was scared you would never tell Davis about his dad and he was conceived out of love. No matter who you went out with, there was never a spark in your eyes. But the day you saw Reed on the beach, I could hear it in your voice. It was back. The tinge of hope I had you would be okay blossomed. Then I prayed for the ultimate love story for you. I know I’m a sap and believe in the happily ever after that hardly happens. But I want that for you. Now every time we talk, you are on some kick about his actions pissing you off. Can’t you at least try and see where he’s coming from?”
Grandma sniffs beside me and there is a lump in my throat I can’t get rid of. “That’s the most selfless thing anyone has ever told me.” I croak.
“She’s right, sweetie. Sophie’s shared this with me and I agree. A glimmer of hope of you returning came when Reed showed up.” Katy pats my hand.
“Holy hell! How did this happen?” I cry not even hiding the tears falling down my face.
“Babe, it happened when you fell back in love. You and Reed have a cosmic connection, and you need to support him. I imagine he will need to be reeled in during your lifetime together because men can be idiots. But this is not one of those times. Go with this.”
“Okay, but I’m scared. Not only about finding these girls b
ut also about everything. We have a lot of hurdles to jump. Not just our careers, but our whole relationship is different.”
“Arianna, have I ever told you about me and your grandfather and the obstacles we faced in the beginning?” Katy asks softly reaching for my hand.
I shake my head because even as much as I know about my grandparents, I thought their life together was perfect.
“Well, we met when I was very young, sixteen I think. He was eighteen and completely off limits. He was from a very good family but my parents wouldn’t budge because of the age issue. I wasn’t allowed to date him. My brother and sister helped me hide our relationship, always covering for me and vouching I was with them. Sean decided to enlist after high school in the Navy. Back then, things were much different. But his patriotism was not lost on my parents. After weeks of begging, my parents finally agreed to let me go to the last school dance with him, it’s called prom nowadays. We had to double date with my brother, but we didn’t care.
It was the most magical night ever, each dance he would hold me close and sing in my ear. I had never felt so safe and special. We declared our love that night and promised to wait for each other. I had two years of school remaining and Sean had no idea where the Navy would send him. But that wasn’t going to stop us. I felt confident enough in our love that we would make it.” She pauses and takes a sip of her wine before continuing.
“Even the strongest confidence falters. My parents feared I was too hung up on him. We had to communicate through letters for years. One day his letters stopped. I didn’t hear from him for six months. I was devastated. No one could get me out of my depression. Finally I snapped. I had just turned eighteen, and I was legally an adult. I packed a bag and took off on a bus to his last known base. I had no clue what I was doing, but I was naïve, young, and deeply in love. It was the biggest risk of my life because I didn’t know what I would find when I got there.”
“Oh my God, my stomach is in knots. What if he was with another woman?” Sophie asks, basically taking the words right out of my mouth.
“Sophie, I was prepared to take that chance. I had to know and see for myself. I couldn’t believe the feelings we had were gone. So when I got off that bus near the base, I found a diner. The waitress was a cute little thing about my age and was very friendly. We got to talking and I told her my story. She quickly explained I couldn’t just walk up to a naval base and ask for Sean Williams. But as fate would have it, her boyfriend was also in the Navy. We took out the last letter I received from Sean and she wrote down all the information. I stayed in that diner until her boyfriend came to pick her up and she showed him Sean’s information. He wasn’t familiar with the exact housing but he knew the ship. He drove us out to the base as his guests. When we got to the ship, a few guys were walking our way and he asked about Sean’s whereabouts. These guys weren’t forthcoming but when they saw me, one of them smiled widely. He said something in his walkie-talkie and then stood back. A few minutes later Sean ran out and stopped dead in his tracks when he saw me. I burst into tears because the look on his face was full of confusion and hurt. I ran straight to him and he held me tight. He was shaking as well and I knew he was crying into my shoulder. It took us a few minutes to calm down and when I stepped back, we both said ‘why’ at the same time. In that moment, I knew something was very wrong. Without another word though, Sean picked me up and kissed me. It was a searing kiss that sent waves of electricity through my body. Our audience started cheering but I didn’t let him go. I kissed him with every ounce of love I had.
“Well, as the story goes, my father had intercepted all of our correspondence back and forth. Sean had stopped receiving my letters as well. We spent the next two days together, and when I left, our future was mapped out. Only my brother and sister knew where I was and they finally broke down and told my parents. When I got home, I was so angry with my dad but didn’t expect what came next. He and my mother were waiting for me on the couch and the tension in the room was unbearable. They gave me an ultimatum. Breakup with Sean or lose their support. We had a huge fight and I packed my things to live with my brother in town. I was graduating in two months and I was going to sleep on his couch. That’s exactly what I did too. Sean got leave and was there for my high school graduation along with my sister and brother. My parents never showed.”
“That’s so hurtful. Didn’t they see how in love you were? And grandpa was an amazing man.” I tell her.
“Yes, he was. That’s why I chose him. That night, after the ceremony and a small celebration my sister put together, Sean asked me to marry him. We wed six weeks later at the courthouse with his family and my siblings there. Then I moved to Virginia to be with him. Things were hard, I never regretted my decision, but I missed my parents. I enrolled in the nursing program at the nearby college and worked toward my degree. One year later, Sean was deployed for six months. I was so lonely and sad, but I kept going to school and made friends with the other wives. Out of the blue, I received a package. When I opened it, I cried. There was the bundle of letters that Sean had written me that my father had confiscated. Along with it were my letters as well. I wasn’t sure if this was an apology or not. I called my parents and we cried through the conversation. We made plans for me to visit as soon as Sean got home.
We went to see them eight months later, and I was newly pregnant with your father. We never mentioned the betrayal again because I was so happy and in love, I forgave them. They saw how good Sean was to me and wanted to be a part of our lives especially once the baby came. So you see, we had a very rocky start as well, but there was never any doubt Sean was the love of my life. I see the same thing with you and Reed.”
“All I see in my head is The Notebook.” Sophie sighs.
“I guess it was my own version. Back then, parents had a lot more control over their children’s lives and they took advantage of it. But in the end, I believe love wins out. I saw it with Sean and me. I saw it with Ari’s parents, and I see it now with Ari and Reed.”
“So jumping the hurdles will be worth it?” I ask.
“Absolutely, in the end it is all worth it.”
“Thank you, Grandma.”
“Anytime, baby. Now I think it’s time we pay this bill and get you home to your guys.”
Chapter 18
Reed
Shit! It’s eight fifteen and she’s still not home. I guess I really fucked up. I knew she was upset, but figured she would cool off once she met the girls for drinks. When she texted me to ask if I would get Davis and stay with him so she could go out for a while, I thought it would be an hour or two.
The doorknob jiggles and my body relaxes. When I see her face, I know she’s no longer mad. “Hey, babe.”
“Hi.” She stands in the doorway and stares at me.
“You’re a little far away to give me a kiss don’t you think?”
She doesn’t move so I go to her. When I reach her, I slip her bag off her shoulder and lay her keys on the entry table. Then I lean down and run my lips against hers.
“Reed, we need to talk,” she mumbles.
I stand back up, lead her to the sofa, and sit her on my lap. “What about?”
“Well, um, I talked to Grandma and Sophie tonight, and they helped me see some things clearly.”
“How clearly?”
“Crystal clearly. I’m still scared, but I am willing to give this thing between us all I’ve got. There’s a part of me that has been thinking this was a wonderful reunion, but we would never work in the long run. But I want it to work. And I was protecting myself because of the obstacles we face.”
“Angel, the largest obstacles in the world wouldn’t deter me from what I have planned. I told you, you’re mine. We have some decisions to make, but nothing right now. Right now, we enjoy reuniting and raising our son. Day by day, we’ll get to the place where we decide our future.”
“I need to know you hear me when I talk. I want to have a voice in our relationship.”
; “I’m not sure what you’re saying. I listen to you. As a matter of fact your voice is my undoing.”
“An example is today. You took me by surprise with Trey and didn’t discuss it with me beforehand. I would have objected to your plan, but you didn’t even give me a chance. You made the decision without me.”
“You’re right and I’ll admit I went about things with Trey the wrong way. From now on, I’ll try to include you in—”
“Don’t try, do!” she interrupts me.
“Arianna, do you remember me telling you that in some things you are on a need to know basis?”
“Is this about your silly ‘Operation’?”
“Dear woman, there is nothing silly about Operation Matthews. And I promise you in the end you will love it.” I nip lightly on her ear and she melts into me. I move to lift her shirt but she stops me.
“I’m serious, Reed, include me.”
“You got it, babe, right now though I want to be inside you.”
“Nuh uh. I want to hear about your night and then we’ll go to bed.”
Deflated, I lean back and take her with me. She lays her head on my chest as I tell her about the afternoon. I took Davis to the grocery and he helped me get everything I needed for my house this weekend. After we unloaded the groceries, I let him run around on the beach for a while. I leave out the part about the three ladies that blatantly hit on me. Then I brought him home, cooked us dinner, bathed him, and put him to bed.
“Do you want to take him out of school on Friday to spend the day with you and your mom? I wasn’t sure if you wanted alone time with her or not so I didn’t mention it to his teacher.”
“I’d love to have him. Do you think you could skate out at half a day and join us on the beach?”
“Yeah, probably.”
“Perfect, now can we get back to the good stuff? The part that includes us in bed?”
Reed's Reckoning Page 15
