by Shane Morgan
Surprised and excited all at once, I turn and meet her gaze. She has no idea how much that question tickles my stomach. Having Reign inside my place makes me feel like a kid on Christmas morning.
I swallow my sudden burst of nerves and say calmly, “Sure. I’ll head out first and unlock the door so you can run in after.”
She waits for me to do just that, dashing through the rain and inside the building. I lead her up the stairs to the third floor, and let her inside my spot. She looks around, taking it in.
“I like the layout,” she says, glancing back at me.
“Yeah, it’s all right,” I say, shutting the door. I consider locking it and hold her my prisoner for the night.
“Want something to drink? Water? Soda?” I ask, walking over to the kitchenette.
“Oh, water, please.”
I open the refrigerator and take out two bottles of water, bringing one over to her. She takes the cap off, gulping down a few drops before going back to check out the place.
“You know, if you do leave in August, I could take this off your hands,” she suggests. Facing me again, she adds, “Did you have to sign a lease or anything?”
“Yeah, for the three months, but I’m considering extending it now,” I tell her, gesturing for her to have a seat.
“So, you’re staying in Newport then?” she asks, drinking some more as she sits down on the couch.
I sit across from her in the armchair. “I said I’m considering it, haven’t made up my mind as of yet.”
She bobs her head slowly. “Okay. Well, I’m glad you like it here enough to consider staying.”
“Yeah, I have you to thank for that,” I say.
“It’s the least I can do for a friend.”
Friend? As much as I hate that word, I have no choice if it’s all she wants to be. I know once I’m in that zone there’s no coming out of it though. But yeah, she has a boyfriend. Jeez that’s hard to remember, especially when she’s smiling at me like that.
I look around and swallow hard, trying to bury the lust from taking over because, shit we’re so alone. This is the perfect opportunity to continue what started Monday night. But yeah, she has that boyfriend of hers.
“What are you thinking about?” Reign asks.
“Hmm? Oh…” I snap out of my dirty thoughts and stand up. “You should probably get going. It’s really coming down out there.”
“Oh wow, Micah, you sure want to get rid of me,” she jokes, getting off the couch. “Was it something I said?”
It’s just you. You’re so damn hot. It’s killing me that I can’t touch you.
“Not at all,” I reply. Frustrated, I comb my hand through my hair as I add, “I’m worried about you driving in this weather.”
She smiles and starts for the door. I walk over, opening it for her.
“Well, see you at work,” she says softly before stepping into the doorway.
“See you,” I tell her, waving as she heads for the stairs.
“Oh hey,” I stop her.
Reign swivels. “Yeah?”
I step out and walk up to her. “I was thinking, maybe we could run together in the mornings?”
“Oh…”
“I mean, it’s something we both like doing and I find it even more motivating when I’m running with someone else…you know, like friends.”
She nods. “Sure.”
“Also, can I get your number? Friends do that too, you know.” I laugh.
“Silly, of course I’ll give you my number. No need to justify every little thing, Micah.”
Taking her phone out of her pocket, Reign hands it to me and I punch in my number. She calls my phone so I can save hers then she proceeds on her way, waving at me with a sweet smile as she saunters down the stairs and out of sight.
God! Why can’t this girl be mine?
TWENTY
Reign
JUNE FLEW BY so fast. Now we’re in July, and I’m starting to reconsider going on that trip to Florida with Claudia at the end of the month. I wonder if that has anything to do with Micah.
We’ve been running together for two weeks now before starting work in the mornings. We’d meet up near the beach, jog for half a mile, and then make our way back to the starting point as day breaks.
I’ve been noticing his muscles more than ever, especially since he runs without a shirt some days. Summer’s getting hotter and so is he. I can’t stop myself from watching every stream of sweat course down his chiseled chest, as we collapse on the sand to catch our breaths and quench our thirsts.
His Adam’s apple bobs as he chugs down the rest of his water, falling backwards right after with his hands behind his head. His chest rises and falls heavily as he closes his eyes and tries to recuperate himself. I sit there beside him, regarding his masculine features. Even when sweaty and out of breath Micah still looks hot.
He opens his eyes and squints up at me with a smirk playing at his thin lips. I look away fast and continue to drink my water. I suspect he’s been trying to seduce me but maybe I’m thinking too much.
Shortly after, he sits up, observing the surfers that are now arriving to catch the morning waves. He bumps my shoulder and springs to his feet.
“Let’s go for a swim. We’ll cool down faster.”
I wave him off. “You go, I’ll wait here.”
Dropping his head to one side, Micah regards me with narrowed eyes. “Are you afraid of swimming or something?” he asks, looking back at the ocean. “You never want to go.”
I glance down at the sand and dig my sneakers into it. And before I can change my mind I hear myself tell him finally, “My sister drowned when she was thirteen.”
“Oh, wow. I’m so sorry Reign.” He sinks down in front of me, lightly touching my arm. It stirs up a sensation I never knew I could experience. “What was her name?” he asks.
I stare at his hand, shaken so much by his touch I’m finding it hard to speak. Seeing my nervous reaction, Micah moves it away.
“Mary,” I breathe out. “I was eleven when it happened. I didn’t even scream for help. I saw her drowning and I didn’t do anything until it was too late.” It’s like I have diarrhea of the mouth. I opened the floodgates and now I can’t stop spilling everything.
Micah squeezes my shoulder, comforting me, “It’s not your fault. You were a kid. You were in shock.”
“They don’t talk about her,” I go on. “After Mary died they took down her pictures, put her stuff in boxes, and then piled them inside the garage. It’s like she never existed.”
“Cause that was their way of coping,” he tells me.
I turn my head and meet his gaze. Micah gently wipes a single tear from my cheek with his thumb.
“Oh, jeez,” I glide my face away from him, suppressing the rest of my tears. “I’m sorry I’m being dramatic now.”
“You’re not, don’t apologize. And it shouldn’t be like that for your family,” he says. “You shouldn’t try to forget Mary. You should hold on to the memories of her and work on moving from the pain while keeping her in your hearts. She’d want you to.”
He lowers his eyes to the sand. I wonder how much of what he said refers to his own life. “Tell me about your family,” I say. “Surely they must miss you. Do you have any brothers or sisters back in Colorado?” It hits me that he’s barely said anything about himself since he’s been here.
Micah stares out at the ocean, watching the surfers attempt to ride waves. They aren’t doing so good out there.
“I only had my grams,” he whispers. “My dad came around now and then but finally he stopped after I turned seventeen. So, no parents. I don’t have any siblings, either.”
He seems so far in his thoughts. I wish I could reach him there.
My mind repeats what Micah said, that he had a grandmother, but no one else.
“I’m sorry about your loss,” I mutter, hoping he’ll tell me more since I just shared losing my sister and the guilt I feel over her drowning.
/> After a brief pause, he mutters in a low tone, “She wasn’t doing too well for a while and then something happened…” his voice trails. I can tell by the look on his face that he’s hesitant to say more. “Anyway, Grams died. And she was the only one I had so since then I’ve pretty much been alone.”
“You’re not alone,” I utter, placing a hand at his back. “You have a friend.”
Micah looks at me for a passing moment, disappointment in his eyes as he hops to his feet and pulls me up on mine. In no time there’s a wide grin on his face again as if he didn’t say anything at all.
“Promise me something.”
“What?”
“That you’ll go swimming with me before summer ends.”
I consider this long and hard. It’ll take a lot of courage to walk into the water and not freak out, but Micah’s right. It’s time to let it go.
“Okay,” I say. “I promise.”
Nate’s leaning against his Porsche when I head outside. He has his arms folded tightly at the chest and he’s glaring at me.
“What’s going on?” he asks as I draw close.
“What do you mean?”
Unfolding his arms, he straightens and steps up to me, stroking my cheek. “Babe, you’ve been so cold for the past few days. You don’t want to hang out and you’ve been missing my calls. What’s up with you?”
I shrug. “It’s not that I don’t want to hang out, I’ve just been busy with work.” Truth is, I have been contemplating hard about the future of our relationship, if it even has one.
“That’s always your excuse,” he hisses. Eyeing the restaurant over my shoulder, he asks, “Aren’t you gonna stop working now, like you promised? What about the trip to Miami?”
I don’t know why he’s bringing that up when it’s just me and Claudia who decided to go. Nate already said he wasn’t going because of other plans, which kind of has me baffled since he didn’t go on our graduation trip to the Bahamas, claiming that he stayed behind for me.
I don’t believe that anymore.
“I’m still thinking about it, my mom could use my help around here,” I tell him. “Business is unpredictable, especially since that other seafood restaurant opened.”
Annoyed, he cuts his eyes away from me. “Gosh, your mom needs a thicker skin if she wants to stay in this business.”
I look at him open-mouthed, stunned by his remark. But Nate doesn’t stop sharing his opinion. With no regards for my feelings, he continues, “She should come up with ways to attract more customers and improve that boring menu of hers, not complain about competitors. There are plenty more restaurants around here, so she should suck it up and raise the bar if she wants to be in with the big boys.”
Backing up a few steps, I drop my hands to my side and snap at him, “Excuse me!”
Nate narrows his eyes, staring at me with a blank expression, as if he didn’t say anything wrong.
“What?”
“What? Nate, you just bashed my mother’s business skills and you don’t seem to care about the fact that you’re being rude and out of line.”
He throws his hands over his head. “That’s not out of line. I meant it in the nicest way possible. She seriously needs to consider upgrading the restaurant.”
Noticing that I’m still upset with him, Nate reaches out to touch my arm. I move away.
“Babe,” he snorts. “You’re not mad, are you?”
I spin on my heels and start for my car. Just then Micah comes out of the restaurant. He avoids looking at us as he slows down at his bike, getting it ready to ride home.
Nate hurries up to me, grasps my arms, and turns me to face him. “What’s really going on here?”
“What are you talking about?” I hiss.
“I’m talking about you being all distant ever since that night. Even though I said its fine and that we can wait, you’re still acting as if I’m pressuring you about sex.”
I flick over to Micah, thinking he might have heard that. He shakes his head in amazement and starts to leave, walking off with his bike instead of riding away.
Wringing out of Nate’s grip, I unlock the car and open the door. He pushes it shut and leans against it.
“Tell me what’s bothering you so we can fix it, because obviously you’re upset with me for whatever reason.”
I say in a calm tone, “Nate, can you move please? I’m tired and I don’t feel like talking. I just want to go home.”
His eyes widen in irritation. They appear icy as he looks at me. “No. We need to talk right now, Reign. If you don’t tell me what’s on your mind then you might lose me completely. And not too many guys can tolerate your hot and cold personality, so you might end up alone for the rest of your life if you let me go.”
“Hey man!”
We both glance behind and see Micah, he’s standing there appalled. He lowers his bike to the ground and walks over slowly, glaring at Nate. “Why don’t you save her the trouble and take yourself out of her life, because she can obviously do better.”
I quickly reach for Nate’s arm as he turns to face Micah. By the look of the bulging veins on his neck, I know this situation is getting intense and they might end up fighting…over me.
A part of me can’t help getting a rush from that, but the sensible part knows not to let this continue.
“Who the hell do you think you are?” Nate fires at him. “Why don’t you mind your damn business, get on your little bicycle, and ride along.”
Micah chuckles in return. “Oh, actually, I don’t have to do that, since your girlfriend loves driving me.” Nate glances back at me fast, a combination of anger and jealousy etched on his face.
His eyes glide away from me when Micah adds, “Who can blame her when she has a boyfriend like you.”
Nate brushes off my hand and marches over to Micah. I hurry behind him. He pushes up into his face and grunts his next words.
“I’ve been noticing the way you hang around Reign, trying to weasel your piece of shit self into her life. Well, listen good, stay the fuck away from my girlfriend, or I’ll make your life a living hell.”
Laughing it off with his usual carefree self, Micah glances at me then looks back at Nate, saying confidently, “Open your eyes dude, she doesn’t want me to stay away from her.”
I hurry to squeeze in between the guys as Nate grabs for Micah’s shirt. I press my hand against his chest and ease him back, looking from one to the other. “Both of you stop it.” Then I focus on Micah, telling him calmly, “Please go.”
He gazes at me confused, like he was expecting me to say that to Nate instead. I can’t. Nate’s my boyfriend. Not Micah. I have to remember that. I need to.
I turn away to avoid the disappointed look in his eyes. The next thing I hear is his bike taking off, and Nate scoffing, “What a loser. He can’t even afford a damn car.”
“Why does that make him a loser?” I counter, defending Micah.
Nate looks at me hard, jealously still present in his eyes. “Why were you driving him home, anyways? Is that why you couldn’t hang out with me after work because you were busy playing chauffer to that…loser?”
“That’s enough!” I yell. “I wasn’t hanging out with you because you’re always hounding me for sex.”
“Oh stop being so dramatic,” he fires back. “If I wanted sex that bad I could get any other girl to give it up to me—”
“Wow! The truth comes out.” I tread past him towards my car, hoping this time he’ll let me leave.
Only he starts to follow me again. “Reign, wait.”
Sliding onto the seat, I slam the car door shut; turn the key in the ignition, then put on my seatbelt.
Nate bends down at the window, tapping on it. I keep it up more than halfway so he can’t stick his hand inside to try and turn the car off.
“C’mon, don’t be like this,” he snaps.
“Is it true?” I finally ask.
He throws his hands up. “Is what true?”
�
��That you cheated on me?”
His face drops, and he backs away from the car, twitching his mouth. Nate goes completely quiet, and that alone answers my question.
Silence is admission.
Before pulling out of the parking lot, I ask him, “Do I know her?”
He keeps his eyes on the ground, unable to meet my gaze. “It was a mistake,” he tells me. “I was drunk…she was there…” He looks up again as he says, “I’m sorry, Reign.”
I drive off, leaving Nate standing in the parking lot of Captain’s Choice, with his hands on his head, fuming in spot.
He doesn’t jump into his Porsche and follow me home, and he’s not the one texting me an hour later, as I lie in bed and think about our relationship from the day it started till now, wondering why I ever decided to go out with him. He’s also not the one outside my bedroom window now, hoping I’ll come down.
Micah is. He showed up ten minutes after I texted him my address.
TWENTY-ONE
Micah
“THIS IS NICE,” Reign says in a breathy tone, as we sit on a grassy hilltop looking down at Newport harbor. I really wasn’t expecting her to come out with me tonight, since she was upset with me earlier for saying all that stuff to Nate.
But when I glimpsed the look in her eyes as she snuck out her front door and hurried over to me, I knew I was in the clear. I even got her to hop up on my bike so I could ride her out to this spot.
“I didn’t even know about this,” she tells me, smiling as she meets my gaze.
“That’s an ego boost for me,” I grin. “It’s cool knowing something about Newport that you don’t.”
We resume staring at the ocean, and then at the same time glance up at the stars. Not too many to look at tonight though.
“I’m sorry,” I tell her. “I shouldn’t have said anything. I shouldn’t have gotten involved.”
When she drops her head and looks at me, I add, “I’m sorry I caused trouble for your relationship.”