I race over and try to place my body between them, putting a hand on each of their chests, hoping to push them apart, but it barely does any good. The two men are so much stronger. My eyes flick to Glenn, and an evil grin spreads across his bloody face. I’m surprised that he’s still conscious and still putting up a fight, especially since he’s lost a lot of blood. Desperately trying to separate them, I try to wrap my arms around Luke’s neck, and instead get a hard elbow right in the jaw. Everything happens so fast when the contact sends me flying.
As soon as I hit the ground, Luke hovers over in me a panic. “What happened?” I can’t answer. I can’t even move my jaw, but I’m thankful for the distraction. I lift my lashes to meet his concerned gaze. “Are you hurt?” He looks me over carefully. “Did I hurt you?” He was in such a trance that he didn’t even know who hit me. If I told him it was his father, it would defeat the whole purpose.
“I’m okay, really. You didn’t mean to,” my words barely audible with my jaw already starting to swell.
“You should really be more careful, son,” Glenn’s voice says in the distance. “She could have been seriously injured.”
“Shut up,” Luke yells, not looking back. “Nobody asked you.” Moving my eyes to Glenn’s bloody features, I can see he’s unrecognizable. It’s obvious he needs a hospital, but he doesn’t seem like the type. I look back to Luke as he lightly brushes his thumb over my jaw.
“I should be going,” Glenn says. Luke and I ignore him. “I think I’ll have to decline on the dinner invitation. Maybe another time,” his voice is wistful. “I’ll be in touch.” I could feel his gaze on me, but wouldn’t return it. I just wanted to focus on the man kneeling in front of me, his eyes now filled with pain.
Luke scoops me up in his arms and carries me inside. I feel like a baby as he walks me down the hall into my bedroom. “Luke, I’m fine. It really isn’t that bad, and you’re bleeding.” I watch a stream of blood trickle down his temple. You can definitely tell he was in an altercation, but he didn’t look nearly as bad as his father.
“Lie down. I’ll be right back.” He places me gently on the bed, searching my face.
I can feel my jaw throbbing. “Stop staring at me like that. It’s not as bad as it looks. I swear.” He makes a face like he doesn’t believe me then strides down the hall. I hear banging on what I assume to be Gia’s door.
“Everything taken care of?” I hear Logan ask—there’s some kind of music playing in the background. A moment later I hear a loud pop and Gia screaming.
“What the hell was that for man?” Logan yells.
“I asked you to keep an eye on my girl! She’s sitting in there with a swollen jaw! Now you have one to match!”
“Shit! Is she okay?”
“Wait. What?” Gia asks.
“Mmm,” Luke growls back before Gia’s storms into my room.
“What happened to you?” She places her hands on her hips, narrowing her eyes. “Did someone punch you?”
“I tried to break them apart,” I say then wince because it hurts to talk. “I’ll give you the details later.” Luke walks in with an ice pack. The blood on his face has dried, and I notice it’s all over his shirt—most of it probably his father’s. “Luke, you’re a mess. Let me clean you up. I’m fine … really.” I reach for the ice pack, but he jerks it away, clenching his jaw like he’s irritated.
“Lay down. Your jaw looks worse,” he quietly says, then tucks me into bed, before he lightly presses the ice pack against my face. He strokes my hair with his other hand, furrowing his brows.
I attempt to smooth out the worry lines using my thumb. “It’s not your fault, Luke. I thought you were going to kill him. I was scared.” I pause, trying not to flinch from the pain my talking is bringing. I don’t want him to worry any more than he already is. “I purposely stepped between you two, trying to stop you from making a horrible mistake.”
“Would it have been?” he asks, watching me. His face is serious. “A mistake?” He presses his lips into a tight line. The fact he’s even asking this has me stunned silent. He looks down at his clothes and sighs. “I’m going to go clean up … do some thinking. I’ll be back.” He leans over and kisses me on the forehead. “Is there anything I can get you before I go?”
“What do you need to think about?” I reach out and grab his hand, spotting the blood on his knuckles. “You’re making this a bigger deal than it is. So what? I caught an elbow in the jaw. I’m used to this kind of stuff. Its pretty much part of my daily routine.” I give a weak smile.
He eyes me for a minute, then says, “It’s a lot bigger than you think, Reese.” Then he lets go of my hand and walks away, leaving me with nothing to say in response.
“Rise and shine beautiful.” I’m lying comfortably in my bed when Luke’s velvety voice awakes me from my slumber. We’re supposed to catch a movie this afternoon. From the sound of it, he’s in a good mood, which makes me happy. He’s been acting kind of funny the past few days. I’m pretty sure it’s related to everything that happened with his father. His hair tickles my face as he presses his soft lips to the crook of my neck, slowly kissing every spot.
“Good morning to you,” I murmur, doing my best to hold in my breath since I haven’t brushed my teeth yet. He smiles against my skin, bringing his lips to my eyes, then my nose, and around the line of my jaw. “Ow. Be careful,” I wince, instinctively blocking my face with both of my hands. It’s still feels tender, even though it has had a few days to heal.
“Shit! Did I hurt you?” He jerks away in a panic.
I reach up and grab his arm, focusing on his painful expression—one he’s been wearing for the past few days. I try to give him the best smile I can muster. “I’m okay. I sort of overreacted for a second. There are parts that are still a little sore, but it’s really not that bad,” I say, hoping to convince him.
When I stand, he places his hands on my hips and brings his forehead to mine, closing his eyes. “Sometimes I wonder if it would have been better for you if I never walked back into your life.” He clenches his jaw.
My heart drops into my stomach, and I back away from his grasp. “Why would you say that?” I ask him.
He looks deep into my eyes, not giving me an answer. He just watches me with the same intense expression for what seems like minutes. It makes me nervous, but it also makes me want to kiss him senseless. “Do you ever wonder?”
“Never. Not once has it crossed my mind,” I immediately reply. “Just stay right there,” I point. “This conversation is far from over, but I need to brush my teeth.” He presses his lips into a tight line then sits on the bed and waits for me. “You need to stop worrying. You’re really starting to make me nervous.”
“You make it sound so easy,” he replies sarcastically. “I’m going to go shower. I’ll leave the door unlocked. The movie starts in an hour.”
It’s been ten days since we’ve seen Luke’s father, and things are far from back to normal. Logan and I are on the couch, eating a bowl of popcorn, as we watch our favorite Supernatural episodes. In a few minutes, I’ll be making a phone call that could possibly change my life. I haven’t been able to stay still, and Logan keeps glancing at me out of the corner of his eye like I’m annoying him. Usually it’s the other way around.
“Are you on something?” he asks.
“Leave her alone, man. She’s nervous.” I turn and find Luke standing in the doorway in all of his glory. It still baffles me that this man is mine. His shirt fits a little tighter than what he usually wears, and his jeans are hanging low, but not too low. It looks perfect actually. I want to run my hands over the contours of his chest then press my lips against his belly—something I haven’t done yet, but have thought about many times. The corner of his mouth tips, as he stares at my face. I wonder if he knows what I’m thinking. Part of me doesn’t care. He already has me blushing with his intense gaze. “I see you’re both able to chew again.”
I throw a handful of popcorn toward h
im, and he flinches. “Is everything okay? You looked pretty stressed when you were on the phone. Who was that?”
“No one important.” His eyes flick to Logan then back to me—something he’s been doing a lot lately. “You ready?”
The butterflies I felt earlier swirl around in my stomach. I take a deep breath. “I’m ready.” I hop off the couch, and he leans down to give me a gentle kiss.
“It’ll be fine. I promise.” He kisses me again, this time as if it’s the last, and when he pulls away, I’m breathless. “Happy twenty-first birthday,” he says softly.
“Can you two do that somewhere else?” Logan asks, throwing another handful of popcorn. It hits us in the face, but we grin and kiss again because it’s fun to piss him off. Then we make our way down the hall.
“Make sure you clean that popcorn up,” I yell back.
“Yeah, yeah, I’ll clean up your mess,” he replies sarcastically.
I don’t know why I’m so nervous. It’s not like we haven’t spoken since he left my mother and me … and I handled it pretty well the time we saw each other at the restaurant. If I’m being honest, my pride has a little to do with it. He sought me out last time. Now I’m the one holding the phone in one hand and my father’s business card in another. “Where did you say you found this?” I ask. “I swear I threw it away.” I run my finger over the black lettering displaying my father’s name: Andrew Johnson.
“It was in the dryer. You probably washed it on accident,” Luke replies, sitting next to me on my bed. “Quit fidgeting,” he says, nudging me. “It’ll be fine. Call him.”
I bite my lip and press the talk button on the phone. “I don’t know if I’m ready to do this.” I swallow. “Maybe I need more time.”
He reaches over and tucks my hair behind my ear. “Do you want me to dial for you?”
“No!” I jerk the phone away. “I’ll do it.” I suck in a breath then slowly let it out. “I don’t need you doing my dirty work for me.”
“Good girl,” he replies, softly chuckling. “Do you want me to stay, or would you like me to leave you alone?” Although I’d love him to stay, it’s probably best I do this alone.
“You can go.”
He nods his head then leans in to give me a small peck. “Do you know how brave you are?” He brushes his thumb and finger along my jaw.
“I don’t feel brave. Not right now,” I murmur. “I feel like a scared little girl.” I give a weak smile.
“You were brave then, too.” He grins. “You’ve always been a fighter. It’s one of the things I love about you.” Did he mean that in a literal sense? The heat rises to my cheeks, and I know I’m visibly blushing, but his expression doesn’t change. “You sure you want to do this alone?”
I gaze deep into his eyes. “I’m sure.” After he walks away, I’m acutely aware that I’m on my own. So I stare at the numbers for what seems like forever, then finally give up and dial. When I get to the last number, it takes a couple beats for me to get my finger to press it, but I do. Then I clear my throat and nervously hold the phone to my ear.
A big part of me is hoping that he doesn’t answer. The other part just wants to get this over with. His voice answers on the third ring, and I become frozen, unable to speak.
“This is Andrew,” he says. I recognize the sound, but yet, it’s different. “Hello.”
My mouth drops then I stutter. “Hel … Hello … Dad?” I can’t believe I just called him that. I mean he is my dad, but he hasn’t been around for years. It’s an awkward situation, and when he answers, he seems happy to hear my voice.”
“Reese? Is that you? Are you okay?” From what I can tell, his concern is genuine. Without even a thought I try to ease his worry.
“I’m okay, Dad. Everything is fine,” I pause, as he sighs in relief. “I just wanted to tell you that I’ve thought about it, and I’m willing to give you a chance.” An unwanted tear rolls down my cheek. “Can we … can we take things slow?”
“So what made you decide to do it?” Gia asks me. I just got home from Luke’s. He cooked my favorite meal, and bought me several little presents, including the bottle of wine that Gia and I are sharing. The two of us are lying on our patio, in our jammies, gazing up at the stars. The weather is perfect tonight—right around seventy degrees, with a slight breeze that tickles our skin.
“That night with Luke’s father made me realize that there are some people in this world who make mistakes and truly regret them. Then there are others who are just plain evil.” I turn my head to the side so that I’m facing her, and she does the same. “My father regrets what he did.” I shrug. “About a week ago, I decided it was time to forgive him. Then I discussed it with Luke, and he encouraged me to give him a call, and the rest is history.”
“Wow! I’m amazed to hear you say that.” Her eyes widen. “Are you going to meet up with him?”
I purse my lips. “It’s possible. We’re going to start off taking things slow, but we did have a nice talk. He apologized for everything he put us through, and I apologized for the way I treated him at the restaurant.”
“I’m shocked. Seriously, I’m shocked!” She smiles. “Reese, I’m so proud of you.”
I roll my eyes embarrassed. “Whatever. It’s not a big deal.”
“Are you serious?” She sits up. “Do you realize how much you’ve changed this year? How much you’ve grown?”
I think about it, tilting my head. “Not really.”
“Then let me tell you. One,” she ticks off her fingers, “you stopped supporting your mom and let her take care of herself.”
“That wasn’t my choice, though,” I argued.
“But you’ve finally learned that she doesn’t need you helping her all the time. She isn’t dependent on you anymore, and that’s a good thing. She’s okay.” I sit up and take a sip of my wine when she adds, “Secondly, you’re dating. I never thought I’d see the day when that would happen.” She grins.
“Neither did I.” I smile back, feeling my cheeks heat, when just the thought of the person I’m dating enters my mind. Then I’m reminded of his recent behavior and the letter I found at his condo.
“And third,” she says, snapping me out of my thoughts. “You finally swallowed your pride and accepted a gift from someone who wanted to help you. A huge gift might I add. Like a house.” She chuckles.
“Very true.” I grin, shifting my gaze to the stars. “Gia.”
“Yes.”
“There’s something I’ve been wanting to talk to you about. It has to do with Luke.”
“Is he still being weird?” she mumbles.
I blow out a breath. “Yeah, but I think it’s more than that.”
“Okay. What is it?” She furrows her brows. “Did you finally have sex?”
“Ahem. No,” I choke, when my wine goes down the wrong pipe. “Not even close. We’re waiting.”
She frowns. “Waiting for what?”
“I don’t know. The right time I guess?” I shrug. “He says this way, it’ll be a new experience for both of us—the waiting for him and the sex for me.”
“Huh,” she says, bobbing her head. “That’s kind of cool. I bet it’s going to be really hard for you, though.” She giggles. “No pun intended.” I spit out my wine and laugh with her until we both have tears coming out of our eyes.
When I’m able to catch my breath, I say, “Back to what I was saying.”
“Oh yes,” she replies. “Sorry for interrupting.”
I circle the rim of my glass with my finger. “He’s gotten worse. Something’s really off.” I meet her eyes. “Have you noticed anything different when he and Logan are together?”
“Like what?”
I search my brain for several examples. “Whispering between them, secretive phone calls, looks, random mood swings. Little things like that?”
She twirls a piece of her hair, thinking. “Actually, I do remember them speaking quietly a few times, sort of off by themselves. I never thought anythin
g of it, until now that you said it.” She narrows her eyes. “What’s going on? Are you worried that they’re gay or something?”
I shake my head. “No. That’s not it at all.”
“Okay, then what?”
I lift my lashes. “Remember the other day, when Luke and I went to see that movie?”
She nods. “Yeah.”
“I found a letter lying open on the counter. He was in the shower. I wasn’t snooping or anything. I was getting a drink and just happened to glance that way. The words just sort of stood out to me, and I had to read the whole thing.”
“What did it say?” She frowns.
“It was from his agent or manager. He was offering Luke a large amount of money to go to Brazil and fight. It seems like a pretty big deal. They train there, live there, fight there—and from what I read, a whole team of American fighters are going.”
She tilts her head. “You’re thinking that’s why he hasn’t been himself?”
I shrug. “That’s what I’m wondering. The thing is, when he came out of his room, I was waiting for him on the couch. I got up to give him a hug, and the letter wasn’t there anymore. It was just gone. Now, it’s a few days later, and he still hasn’t mentioned, it. I’m beginning to wonder if he’s trying to hide it from me.”
“What would be the purpose in that?”
“I don’t know! But it’s really stressing me out,” I growl.
“Maybe his behavior has nothing to do with the letter. Maybe he just threw it away, and you’re turning it into something it isn’t. What if he doesn’t want to go at all?” she replies.
“Then why has he been acting so weird?”
“Could be P.M.S. Guys get it, too, you know.”
I roll my eyes. “Oh, I almost forgot. That same day, he said, sometimes he wonders if I’d be better off if he never came back into my life. Then he asked me, if I felt the same way. Do you think he’d tell me if he wanted to go?” I pause. “He wouldn’t keep that from me? Would he? What if he regrets his decision to stop fighting, and thinks I’m holding him back?”
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