“We need to talk. Seriously talk. Reed knows I’m going to be late.”
His face reddens and he starts to pack his things. “I’ll schedule a meeting next week. I need to go.”
“Phillip it’s important.” I plead with him and his eyes dim.
“Okay, Ari, but I know what’s going on. Mr. Moore called and explained there was a huge conflict of interest. He just figured out who you are. His side of the story is much different than what you shared with me.”
“What exactly did he say? Did he tell you the whole story about his crazy—”
“Stop!” he interrupts me. “There is nothing wrong with a woman wanting to hold onto her dignity and her boyfriend. I had no idea you got pregnant on purpose.”
Shock overwhelms me and I see red but I need to keep focus. “Phillip, I think you need to hear my story.”
“Ari, I’m not sure you understand the significance of Mr. Moore’s money. Your tryst has put the accounts in jeopardy and I have to figure out a way to save the relationship. I know I don’t have to tell you this, but if we lose his investments because of a college affair gone bad, you will lose your job.”
I am furious. How dare he! “Phillip, I’ll let your unprofessional and uneducated comments slide for now. But I suggest you sit down and listen before I slap you and this bank with slander, harassment, and unlawful termination. There’s a lot you don’t know, and after Monday morning, you won’t have to worry about your precious freaking accounts and me anymore.”
He sits down and I tell him my tale for an hour. He only interrupts to clarify. I purposely leave out Sarah. When I’m done, Phillip looks at me ashamed and he shakes his head and apologizes. Then I tell him my plan for Monday morning and leave. He may be sorry, but knowing he believed Mr. Moore without even talking to me cuts deep. I’ve lost all respect for him.
When I get to the beach house, Davis is already dressed in his pajamas and Reed is finishing up dinner. I kiss him quickly and then go to change. As I get Davis in bed, he talks non-stop about his day and the birthday party he’s going to tomorrow. The party is for a new child in his class and it’ll give me a chance to meet some more of the parents. This reminds me I left the gift at my house—shit. One more stop I’ll have to make on the way to the party.
Reed is waiting on me when I join him back in the kitchen with tired eyes. He is exhausted. He’s worried about us on top of going back to work this week. The heat is at a summer high and he practices for hours with the team. No one has seen or heard from Alex Moore. Trey was right that we could not get a restraining order without a visible threat. We were always on alert, but I wasn’t sure what we were looking for.
“Angel, I talked to coach and the General Manager today. I told them there’s a good chance I have a stalker. I explained Alex’s involvement in anything that has my name attached to it. They are concerned and the GM knows Alex’s dad.”
“You think that’s bad?” I ask. “Mr. Moore called Phillip today and told him Alex was your girlfriend and trying to hold on to dignity and I got pregnant on purpose.”
“How has this happened? I mean I don’t even talk to the woman and she has convinced people we’re a couple? I’m not buying it. Don’t her parents wonder why they never saw us together? Why I don’t claim her? Hell, everyone knows I was single—I’ve never been attached to anyone but you.”
“Honey, I think she’s sick. But what makes me scared is that she’s sat back in the shadows all this time. She’s never made a move on you. She’s had plenty of chances. Now we find out she potentially had something to do with your sister’s accident, she coerced my co-worker into telling her about us, and she’s had her father tell my boss I am basically a home-wrecker. Why is she doing this?”
“I think I should try to talk to her. Since she got away Monday morning, maybe I can get her number and set up a meeting in a public place.”
“I hate to agree, but maybe it will sink in if you tell her there’s no chance for a relationship.”
He nods his head and takes out his phone. Trey sends him Alex’s number a few minutes later and he looks at me apprehensively. I squeeze his hand for encouragement and then finish dinner.
“Alex, this is Reed Matthews. I was hoping we could talk.”
Silence
“Alex, this is not a date. Can you meet me tomorrow at the café on Twelfth at eleven am?”
Silence
“I don’t know what you mean, but we can discuss it tomorrow. I think it’s time we got some stuff straightened out. See you then.”
He hangs up and drops his head to his chest. “That woman may just scare me a little. You would have thought I was asking her to run away with me.”
“Sick. I am really worried about her. Hopefully tomorrow you can set things straight and we can move on.”
“You know we only have two more weekends here at the beach house. After this fucking meeting tomorrow, I want to take advantage of that.”
“Yeah, I want low key. I have to go to that birthday party in the morning and then want to relax. The commute for you this week has been hell.”
“Not really the commute, babe, it’s the practice in the hundred degree heat with powerhouse two hundred and twenty pound corners and safety’s coming after me. I’m a little out of practice and they aren’t taking it easy. Don’t worry I’ll get my mojo back.”
“Sweetheart, are you sure you’re ready?”
“Yep, it feels great to be out there again. I didn’t realize how much I missed it. Now I have extra motivation too.” He frames my face with his hands and kisses me gently.
“I hate to tell you, babe, but I’ve never hidden the fact I am clueless about football. I think you need to give me lessons. I don’t want to look like an idiot at my first NFL game.”
“Gladly. Now let’s eat. I want to finish dinner and have dessert in bed tonight.” He wags his eyebrows at me and my skin tingles.
“Reed, I’ve always been a fan of dessert before dinner.” I walk by him sliding my shorts off and toss them on the ground. When I hit the threshold to the bedroom, I strip my shirt and stand in just my black lace bra and panties. The look on his face is primal and he turns off the stove and practically runs to me. I try to get away, but he throws me on the bed and covers my body with his own.
“Have I told you I like when you show your vixen side?”
“Only for you.”
“Fucking better be. Now let’s talk about that dessert.”
Reed
The hostess recognizes me when I enter the café and for once, I wish my face were anonymous. I’ve never minded the attention I get, but today I want to be invisible so no one gets the wrong idea. It was hard to leave Ari this morning and I could tell she was anxious about this meeting. She tried to keep a smile on her face and share Davis’s excitement over the birthday party, but it was strained. When I kissed her goodbye, I felt her holding back. We’ve come too far for her to close down again. This Alex shit has got to stop.
I saw Trey’s car across the street when I arrived. I should have known he would be watching. A part of me is glad to know he has my back if things don’t go well.
I ask for a two top near the back so Alex doesn’t get the wrong idea and try to sit next to me. She arrives on time and the hostess looks at me oddly when I back away from Alex’s attempt at a hug.
“Reed, I am so glad you called. It’s been too long since we’ve had a chance to catch up.” She purrs. Her sundress is so skimpy I wonder if it was made to be a shirt.
“Not a social visit, Alex. I want some answers and then I want you to leave me alone.”
“No need to be so rude.”
“Rude? You think this is rude? After what you did to Ari and me? What is wrong with you?”
“Oh for God’s sake. I did you a favor. I’m sorry I didn’t save you sooner. But I guess now you will want to be a part of that boy’s life. I’ll deal.” She waves her hand dismissively.
Black spots cloud my vision and I
’m positive my blood pressure just spiked. “Are you insane? How can you even think you did me a favor? That’s my fucking family. And I can promise you will never get close enough to Davis to touch him.”
“Reed, you can be mad all you want, but I couldn’t stand by and let that woman take advantage of you. I did everything for you to make sure you got what you deserved. Look at you now. You never would have made it to your level if you were strapped down with a kid. And I couldn’t let her sink her claws into you so I took care of it for you. You should thank me.”
“What the fuck? Did you know she was pregnant?”
“I had a suspicion. I heard her on the phone one day making an appointment at the clinic. I knew I had to save you from throwing your career away.”
“Alex, are you ill? I mean it. Do you have a clinically diagnosed condition?”
Her eyes flash and she stares at me shocked. “Of course not.”
“Then what the hell is wrong with you? Masterminding a painful split, bringing my sister in to your web of deceit, following me around all these years, tracking me here and stalking me?” My voice is a little louder than I meant and people turn to look at us.
“You should be thanking me. I’ve been patient too, making sure I would fit into your life and be the perfect wife to you.”
“Wwwhhhhhaaattt?” She is certifiable.
“I’ve been very patient with you. The humiliation I’ve endured since college is over. It’s time we move this thing forward. I can deal with the kid, but I am sick of waiting.”
My head spins with confusion and pure confusion. “Humiliation? Move this thing forward?”
“Yes, Reed. The constant rejection in college was embarrassing. Especially after the night we shared at that party. I’ve done what I need to do to be seen as your equal and now it’s time you fulfill your end of the bargain.”
“Again, what the fuck?”
“Don’t you remember? We talked for hours that night. You explained what was needed from me to be the perfect woman in your life.”
“Night at a party? Talking for hours?”
“Yes, Reed! The night Cara came Spring break of your senior year.”
“You mean the night you manipulated your way into breaking me up with the love of my life? The night you wrote a bullshit note leading me to believe Ari left me? The same night I drank myself into an oblivion with nothing but Ari on my mind?”
“No! You told me things that night meant for me only. You weren’t mourning her at all.”
“Yes, Alex I was. I don’t remember anything except feeling the burn of whiskey and thinking of how to find her the next day.”
“You’re lying! You told me the woman that would own your heart would be beautiful, smart, and share your dreams. She needed to understand your job and be able to handle the demands. You wanted a family as soon as possible. I’ve done all that, Reed; I’ve even made it so we can have a baby as soon as you’re ready!”
“That wasn’t you! It was Ari. She had everything I wanted.”
“No! You kissed me and then I held you while you slept. I promised you I would become that woman.”
“You mean I passed out.” I reach in my wallet and throw some money on the table to cover the cost of the coffee we ordered. “I’m done here, Alex. You’ve obviously held onto a delusional dream for years. I’ve never had feelings for you and you caused extensive damage in your quest to land something that was never yours to begin with. I want you to stay away from my family and me. Stop your vendetta against Ari. Quit following me. Don’t come near anyone I love again.”
“You don’t mean that. You can’t. You walk away from me you’ll regret it. I’ll ruin your reputation. Surely she can’t be worth all you’ve worked for.”
“If you think that then you really do need professional help. Stay away from us.” I try to reel my anger in as I stand up and start to walk away. My phone chimes with a text and Trey’s name flashes across the screen.
T— Something’s up. Photographer setting up on corner facing door.
“How can you do this to me Reed Matthews after all this time?” she yells after me and I turn to see her crying openly with people staring at us. A few people grab their phones and start taking pictures. “All these years I’ve been here for you and now you just walk away? What about the baby we could be having?” Murmurs fill the small diner and people look at me disgusted.
I keep walking trying to control my temper. The photographer across the street, starts snapping pictures. It hits me, she set me up. I pull out my phone and text Luke and Trey telling them to meet at my house in twenty. Then I drive by the McDonalds to make sure Ari and Davis are still there. I relax a bit when I see her SUV in the parking lot, but wonder if I need to start thinking about protection.
The guys are on my back porch waiting for me. I give them the rundown of my meeting and try my best to figure out what the hell to do. I plan on telling Ari everything but really want to calm down first. We’re discussing Alex’s delusional mentality when Sophie runs around the corner frantically.
“Where’s Ari?” she asks breathlessly, panic written on her face.
“Not home yet, why?”
“This is not good. Shit, shit, shit. Reed, you need to sit down. I need to show you something. I’m not sure what is happening but it’s not good.”
“Can you just spit it out, Soph, you’re killing me. I’ve had a shitty morning.”
“That may explain this. Don’t think I’m crazy, but when you and Ari got back together, I started following your social presence. And today you blew up.”
“I don’t have a social presence unless you count what the team or endorsements put out there.”
“Yes, you do, and today they went balls to the wall crazy. Someone got a hold of Davis’s original birth certificate and posted it. Then there are pictures with you and Alex at breakfast. Most of them are you walking away and her crying. The captions are not good.” She shows me some of the pictures on her phone.
“I guess that explains my last thirty minutes in hell.” Ari says tearfully from behind us.
I spin around and anger builds in my chest. Her eyes and cheeks are puffy. She’s trembling in the doorway. Davis is running around behind her acting normal.
“Angel, what’s wrong?” I go to her and pull her to me. She wails against my chest. Sophie comes up and hugs her from the other side. To my surprise, Luke does the same. She’s shaking so hard, I’m sure he can feel it through Sophie’s small body.
Out of the corner of my eye, I see Trey grab beer and water out of the fridge. We stand there for a few minutes until Ari calms down a bit and pushes back. We give her room for some air and she wipes her face several times before speaking.
“The party was going great until the end. The parents were all hanging out, discussing our summer, then it got very quiet. I went to get a drink and when I came back, no one would stand next to me and the looks started. Some of the mom’s I don’t know well, started whispering so I called Davis to go. I had a gut feeling it was about us. When I was putting his shoes on Travis came over and said he didn’t believe a word and to hold my head high. I still had no idea what he was talking about until another mother made the comment ‘It’s women like me that give all women a bad name’. She went on to say intentionally trapping a man with a child, especially when he is already involved with someone is a low blow.
“I got out of there as fast as I could. Davis questioned me the whole way home why we didn’t say goodbye.”
I sit her down in my lap and rub her back soothingly.
“Reed, I take it this morning didn’t go well?”
“No, babe, it didn’t. I’m not really sure how to explain it. It was more than stalker tendencies. She was obsessed with me.” Even though I don’t think it’s the right time, I tell her the whole story.
Sophie’s phone buzzes constantly with news feeds. I finally give her a look and she turns it off.
“You know, Reed, never in a mill
ion years, did I expect to be made out as ‘the other woman’. I knew people would make assumptions about us, but I didn’t think I would have to defend myself against someone you don’t even like.”
“Ari, you never have to defend yourself. You don’t say anything and I’ll take care of this.” As if on cue, my cell rings and I see my agent calling.
“Connor, now’s really not a good time.” I don’t even greet him.
“I suspect not considering your local popularity just plummeted in the matter of a few minutes. I’m not sure of all the details, but it sounds like you scorned your longtime girlfriend.”
“That’s bullshit. You know I never had a longtime girlfriend. Until Ari there hasn’t been anyone.”
“What the hell is this then?”
I sigh and excuse myself to walk away and tell him the story; Connor listens without interruption. When I’m done, he is silent for a minute making me nervous.
“Okay, Reed, my professional advice is to make a statement. I’ll have someone call you later and you can say something brief and vague dispelling the rumors and asking for privacy regarding your family. For my personal advice, get your family and get back home. Get a state of the art alarm system in your house and make sure you’re protected. Remember the incident with the player in Tennessee a few years ago? That was nasty and he was seeing that woman. Remember Selena? The president of her fan club claimed to love her and shot her in the back. Obsession does strange things to people.”
“Shit, you’re serious aren’t you?” A chill runs up my spine. I’d never think Alex was dangerous, but I’m not taking a chance.
“Fuck yes. Your reputation can be repaired. But I don’t want to see anything happen to any of y’all.”
“Alright, tell the PR Rep to call and I’ll give a statement for you to release.”
I hang up and see Ari has calmed down and is sitting back with a beer in her hand. An idea pops in my head , and I know I need to act now. I make my way around and get a koozie then sit next to her. They all look at me questioningly.
“Okay, I need to take care of some things. I’ll be making a short statement today denying involvement with Alex and asking for privacy.”
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