Reed's Reckoning

by Ahren Sanders

  The silence is killing me so I try to make casual conversation. “Where’s your new place?”

  “Right there,” he points to a grey and white shingled beach house.

  “Reed! You’re less than a mile from us.”

  “That’s the point.” He teases.

  I can’t help but grin. He probably paid a fortune for the place just to be close.

  “So, what are you and Davis doing today?”

  “I’m taking him to the fields in town.”

  “What’s going on there?”

  “Summer soccer sign-ups.”

  He stops walking and his face turns red. He’s trying to control his attitude but he’s failing. “Soccer! Really, Arianna? Isn’t there some sort of football camp he can go to?”

  “He likes soccer. It’s just a small league, but when he turns four, he can play on a team. It’s good to get him into organized sports.”

  “Football is an organized sport!”

  His hissy fit is hilarious and I laugh in his face.

  “This is not funny, I’m serious.”

  “So am I.”

  “I’m coming with you two.”

  I want to tell him no, but his face a few minutes ago comes to my mind. “Okay.”

  “Okay?”

  “Um hmm… Meet me at the house in an hour.” We’re at the edge of his property and I plan on dropping him off so I can run the rest of the way home.

  “I promised to get you home, we better get moving.” He says playfully and takes off in a sprint. I chase after him smiling and wondering if I just made a huge mistake.

  Reed

  My knee is fucking killing me. I overdid it this morning with the run, but it was worth it. My Jacuzzi should be delivered tomorrow and I can soak it then. Being with Arianna is worth any amount of pain.

  I can’t believe I lost my shit, but damn if it didn’t feel good to have her touch me. Even with just the feel of her fingertips, my body came alive. Seeing her after all these years, old feeling resurfaced. The raw pain I felt has been replaced with anger. Ari may not believe it, but my love never went away, I just buried it deep. I saw the hesitation in her face and her guard went up when I told her I wanted to get to know her again, but she doesn’t realize I was being soft. What I really wanted to say was, ‘you’re going to be in my bed again, and I’m never letting you go’. Baby steps.

  I walk to her house so she has no other option but for me to ride with her. If there is one thing I remember from pee-wee sports is all the dad’s around. Showing up with her is my way of making a statement.

  I ring the bell and hear shuffling inside. Davis opens the door and smiles up at me.

  “Hey, Mr. Reed.”

  His reference is like a kick to the gut. I smile down at him and ruffle his hair. “What’s up, little man?”

  “Nuttin’. Mama told me you was coming so I waited.”

  “You excited about going to the fields?”

  “Yep, Miles is going to be there.”

  “Miles your friend?”

  “Oh yes, they go to daycare together and are practically inseparable. He’s a sweet kid.” Ari walks in and my eyes bulge out of my head. Her black shorts are tight against her tone legs and her red tank top hugs her waist and chest. Her long brown hair hangs to the middle of her back in waves and her sandals wrap around her ankles. She’s a walking wet dream. I sit in the closest chair to try and hide the swell in my shorts.

  “Wow,” is all I can manage to say.

  “What?”

  “You look really hot.”

  Her face blushes and she looks away. “It’s just shorts and a tank.”

  “Maybe to some people, but on you, it’s sexy as hell.”

  Her eyes cut to me and then back to Davis who is trying to put his shoes on.

  ‘Sorry’ I mouth. Another thing I need to learn is not to cuss so much. She’ll kill me if our kid starts talking like a sailor.

  “You ready?” I ask him and he runs out the door. We follow him to Ari’s car. I notice immediately her car is old. The paint is faded and the inside is torn apart.

  She looks around for my car and I explain that I walked over. She nods and puts Davis in his seat.

  “So why exactly did you want to come today? It’s just a bunch of little boys running around while the parents fill out the paperwork and watch them.”

  “Well, I’d like to watch a bunch of boys running around. I also want to see what options are available besides soccer.”

  “Reed, you’re ridiculous. I can’t believe you still don’t like soccer. Please tell me you have a better reason than what I think.”

  “Nope, still the reason.”

  “You don’t want Davis to play because I dated a soccer player my sophomore year in college? Isn’t that a bit ridiculous?”

  “Not to me, he was a dick and I hated that you had classes with him after we started dating. He still looked at you like he wanted to fu—, I mean f-u-c-k you.” I smile at my save.

  “Well, get over it. Davis will be devastated if he doesn’t get to play with Miles.”

  “Honestly, Ari, is there a football camp?”

  “I’m not sure. You can look into it.”

  We drive up to the fields and kids are everywhere. I grab the ball cap out of my pocket and pull it down over my face.

  “Mama, can I go pway?”

  “Sweetie, let’s go get the paperwork and then you can play.”

  “You go get it, I’ll watch him.” I tell her hoping she’ll trust me.

  She looks between us, and then nods her head and walks towards the tent set up. Davis runs right into the mix of boys on the field. I watch with amusement as they chase and tackle each other. Yeah, I’m definitely going to encourage football.

  Ari’s laugh fills the air and I look over to see her talking to a man that is standing entirely too close. He puts his hand on her arm and she continues to smile at him. My heart races and I want to go over a rip his hands off her. She sees me watching and her smile fades. Her eyes go to Davis and back to me.

  She says something to the bastard and walks over.

  “What’s wrong?”

  “Who’s the fucker you were talking to?”

  “Miles’s father.”

  “He touched you. Does he do that often?”

  “What are you talking about?”

  “He puts his hands on you. I’m wondering how often that happens.”

  “I didn’t notice, so I guess not often. Why are you acting like a jerk?”

  I sigh and throw my head back to the sky. “I don’t know. I didn’t like what I saw.”

  Her eyes dart around before she glares at me.

  “Listen to me closely, Reed, I’ve been more than accommodating with your plea to get to know our son. I’m usually super-protective of him, and I’m trying to figure out a way to do this delicately without confusing him. If I haven’t made it clear yet, I’ll do it now. You want to know Davis and find a place in his life, fine, but don’t you dare question me.”

  “Question you? That man was practically drooling. Didn’t you notice?”

  “Get a grip, our kids are friends. And if you’re in this for the long haul, you’re going to meet him soon.”

  “Not likely.” I sneer.

  “Really, Reed? Miles is Davis’s best friend. You don’t want to know his father and where our child may be spending time outside my home? I personally prefer to know the people I let my kid around than act like a jealous asshole!”

  Fuck! She’s right. My dad would be disappointed in my behavior. I’m thinking about Ari and not Davis.

  “Okay, I am jealous, but I agree with you. I need to meet him. I’m sorry.”

  “Really?” she asks hesitantly.

  “Yeah, my dad knew every person involved in my sports life. They were either friends or social acquaintances. It was easy for me to have a support system when my dad built those alliances. I want that for Davis.”

  She looks at me for a
few seconds with soft eyes. I told her how much my dad meant to me before he died. He was my biggest fan and when I made it to the NFL; I tattooed a tribute to him on my upper thigh. He and Ari are the ones I thought of most when I accepted the team jersey onstage in New York.

  “That’s a start.”

  “What do you mean that’s a start?”

  “I mean once he figures out who you are, we’ll be inundated with questions and people asking about you.”

  “Shit, Ari, do you think I’m going to bring in a circus?”

  “Not sure, but here’s our chance to see. Travis, Miles’s dad, is on his way over here. Even with your hat, he’ll know who you are, and there’s no hiding Davis is yours.”

  I look over my left shoulder and see Travis staring at me with uneasy eyes. He makes his way to us slowly but doesn’t stop to stand by me. He moves to Ari’s right side and stands close, not saying a thing. I can tell she is uncomfortable with the silence because she starts to fidget.

  My mind races because we haven’t discussed how we are going to tell Davis I’m his dad, and yet I want to scream it right now. This Travis guy is sending off serious vibes and I need to take control of the situation.

  I step around Ari and hold out my hand, “Reed Matthews.”

  Recognition hits his features and he shakes my hand firmly. “Travis Johns.”

  We turn back to watch our boys play. There’s an uncomfortable silence for a few more minutes and Ari decides to break it.

  “Travis, are you familiar with any other athletic programs offered this summer?”

  “I think there’s a t-ball league.” he answers her. “Why, are you going to do multiple sports?”

  “I was more interested in a football program.” I answer for her. She cuts her eyes to me and opens her mouth to say something but shuts it quickly. I’m almost thankful for Travis’s presence knowing she was about to cuss me out.

  “Yeah, there’s the Pop Warner league but you have to be five to play.”

  I nod my head and turn my attention back to the field where the kids have given up chasing each other and are now wrestling on the ground. Ari yells at Davis it’s time to go and he ignores her.

  Travis calls for Miles, which has both little boys running our way. I smile to myself when they stop in front of us. Looking at them reminds me of my best friend Jack. We met when we were three too. Our lives were so similar until I went pro. He got hurt our senior year and never played football again. But all of my football memories include him somehow and I wonder if Miles and Davis will have that kind of friendship.

  “Reed?”

  “Huh?” I snap my head away from the boys in front of me at the sound of Ari’s voice.

  “I asked if you were ready to go?”

  “Yeah, sure.” I give Travis a chin lift and follow Ari and Davis back to her car. I specifically walk directly behind her so I’m the only one with the view of her ass.

  Chapter 7

  Ari

  Tonight is the night. After my conversation at the daycare today with Travis, it’s time. Reed agreed to come over for dinner and we’d do it together. Davis needs to hear it from us and not another kid, or worse, another parent.

  It’s been three weeks since we went to the fields in town and as promised, Reed has been around every day. The first week was awkward, trying to teach him about Davis’s schedule, how to negotiate with a toddler about bedtime, and teeth brushing. But by the end of the week, he had the hang of everything. Davis actually listens to him better than me.

  Grandma Katy and Sophie have kept their distance saying I needed this time to help Davis and Reed bond. Luke and I still talk every day and meet for lunch a few times a week, but his nights are mostly with Sarah. He’s become more and more supportive of the father/son relationship.

  All three of them have remained vocal about their worry for me being around Reed so much. I’m not going to lie; it has been hard on me emotionally because he is an incredible father. My thoughts drift back to when we talked about our future. We haven’t talked about it again, but we both are still scarred by what we learned about our breakup. He tried to bring it up but I shut him down. The pain is still too raw and I don’t need the drama in my life anymore.

  Davis squeals as he throws open the door and lunges at the package that Reed is holding out. I roll my eyes at him because it’s about the tenth present he’s brought Davis in the last few weeks. They have started out harmless but have gradually gotten more extreme. I open my mouth to tell him he has to stop when Davis turns to look at me. His smile is so big his cheeks are going to be sore.

  “Look, Mama, Weed got me a pwesent.” He runs to me and shoves the box in my hands.

  Tears fill my eyes when I see the Lego set. He’s going to build a Lego ship with his son tonight. I look at him and he’s staring at me worried. I grin and let him know I’m okay and wipe my eyes.

  “Davis baby, this is awesome. Why don’t you go play for a few minutes so Reed and I can talk? We’ll open this after dinner.”

  He takes off running to his room. I get us a drink and motion for him to follow me to the porch. It a safe place for us to talk without Davis hearing everything.

  “Tell me what happened. I’m thrilled, but your phone call took me off guard.” He opens both our beers and sits down on the swing next to me.

  “Travis texted me and asked to meet him outside the daycare today before we picked up the kids. He wanted to talk to me.”

  “What the fuck? Why does he have your phone number?” His body tenses and he glares at me.

  “All the parents share numbers. He’s a single parent too. Miles’s mom had an affair and he divorced her. We rely on each other sometimes and the kids have play dates. What’s your problem?”

  “My problem is he wants you. I see it in the way he watches you at the practices. He basically eye fucks you every time you walk up.”

  “I hardly think—”

  “Ari, I would know because I do it too every time I see you.” He interrupts and scoots closer.

  “You can’t say things like that, Reed. We agreed this is about Davis.”

  “No, you agreed. I didn’t argue. I know what I want.”

  “Anyways, he met me in the parking lot and asked about you. He said he didn’t want to get in my business, but it was pretty obvious who Davis’s dad was. Apparently, the last few weeks at practice people have been watching us and talking about it. Travis overheard a woman tell another mother she couldn’t wait to tell her friends that her son played soccer with an NFL player’s son.”

  “How did you respond?”

  “I told him our story was complicated and dated all the way back to college. I knew you before you were rich and famous. I didn’t go into details, but told him I kept Davis from you. Now that you knew the truth, you were going to be a part of his life.”

  “And that’s why you want to tell him tonight?”

  “Yes, his first game is tomorrow and I don’t want him to hear it from someone else. He’s so young; he shouldn’t have too many questions. If you’re not ready, let me know.”

  “Fuck, Ari, I’ve been ready since he called me the fish man. It hurt like hell. And once we tell him, I want to tell my family and friends.”

  Panic sets in. Reed’s mom was wonderful to me the few times I met her at FSU. I never met his sister but it scares me that they will hate me. Will they hate Davis too?

  “I see the fear on your face, stop worrying. My family is going to be confused, but excited. Hell, I’ll try and hold them off for a few weeks, but I’m pretty sure they’ll drive up as soon as they find out.”

  “Reed—”

  “No, stop. Whatever you’re thinking, just stop. Let’s get through tonight and then let me build a Lego ship with my son. Tomorrow, we’ll talk about what’s next.”

  “Okay.” I shake my head and relax against the swing.

  Once we know what we want to say to him, we go back in and I get the plates for dinner. Davis rushes in
but Reed helps him back to the bathroom to wash his hands.

  When we sit down, my phone rings and I see Sophie’s name flash across the screen.

  “Hey, Soph, we just sat down to eat. Can I call you back?”

  “Yeah, but tell me really quick what time is the soccer game tomorrow morning?”

  “Ten.”

  “Great, I’ll be there and I’m going to have Luke pick me up.”

  “K, I’m not sure if it’ll be too hot for Katy, but Reed and I will be there.”

  “Oooohhh, Reed and I will be there…sounds promising.”

  “Shut up, you hus—I mean hush. I gotta go, we’re at the table.”

  We hang up and Reed smirks at me. I raise my eyebrows but he doesn’t say anything.

  “I wuv pepperonis and cheese.” Davis says with a mouth full of food.

  “Baby, don’t talk with your mouth full.” Suddenly, I’m not very hungry and start picking at my salad. Reed notices and starts the conversation.

  “Little man, you excited about tomorrow?”

  “Yep, but coach says it’s not about winning.”

  “He said that? Why would he say that?” he practically hisses.

  “Reed! It’s about teamwork and learning to work together. This is not really a league sport. It’s more about learning the game and sportsmanship. He’ll be in competitive sports in a few years.”

  He doesn’t comment back but scowls. I wonder if Davis will inherit his dad’s competitive nature. I need to get us back on track.

  “Davis, so you remember when you asked last week about Father’s Day?”

  “Yep, I want Uncle Wuke to come to the pawty at school.”

  Reed drops his fork and his eyes cut to me. He opens his mouth but I shake my head at him.

  “Well, I think you should ask Reed.”

  Davis’s eyes go back and forth between us in confusion. When he stops and looks at Reed his face is blank.

  “Are you my daddy?”

  “Yeah, buddy, I am.”

  “Yeah!” he squeals.

  Reed’s face lights up with a huge smile and they both look at me. I let out a breath I didn’t realize I was holding.

  “I have a daddy.”

  My heart hurts because I never realized how important it was to him. I try not to let it show and go back to eating. Davis and Reed talk non-stop. Carrying on a conversation with a very excited three and a half year old is mostly one-sided.