Reid
I’ve been busting my balls at work and the gym recently—Jase is still trying to convince me to go into business with him, but I am staying in my current job until I decide what to do—and the boys have noticed that I’m always busying myself with something. I’ve been trying to take my mind off emotional shit for a while. Liam came home two weeks ago and told Jason that he’d been with Kara, consoling her because she had dumped Sawyer. I didn’t want to know how broken she was, having split from him. I want her to reciprocate my feelings, but I have to respect that she’s ended a relationship just recently and now is not the time to go telling her how I feel. So, I’ve been busying myself with work, the gym, going out with the lads, and trying to block Kara Scott from my mind.
Slinging my gym bag over my shoulder, I grab my car keys and head out the front door. Before I have chance to start the engine, my phone rings. I see the caller ID and almost let it go to voicemail…almost.
“Hey Zoey,” I greet in forced, upbeat voice.
“Hey Reid. I was wondering if we could meet for coffee.”
Coffee? What was this girl thinking? A coffee with my ex was not something I felt like doing whatsoever. I wanted to head into the gym, work out, then head home and binge watch some TV.
“Umm…I’m guessing there’s a reason for this impromptu coffee?” I ask, dreading her answer. I really don’t want to talk about the past or how she and Brock are doing. I’ve heard through the grapevine that she’s pregnant, and while I’m happy she’s moving on, I don’t want to have my face rubbed in it.
“Yeah, there’s something we need to discuss, but I’d rather not do it over the phone. Please, Reid?”
I hate the fact that she’s used to clicking her fingers and people go running. It’s one of the reasons why we didn’t last.
“I’ve got things to do, Zo. When were you thinking?”
I scrub a hand over my face and feel the stubble from a couple of days where I haven’t been bothered to shave.
“Now?” It came out more of a question than a statement, something I wasn’t used to from her.
“I was about to hit the gym. Can we make it lunchtime instead?”
“Sure. How does noon at Madison Avenue sound?”
Hell no! I’m not going anywhere near there. Molly works there, and I can’t face her right now. One ex at a time is enough.
“Could we make it The Vineyard instead? It’s closer to the gym.”
“You’re coming in your gym gear?” she asks, incredulous.
“No, I’ll shower and change at the gym beforehand, don’t worry.”
I shake my head at the thought that Zoey thinks I’d turn up all sweaty and show her up. That’s another reason I’m glad we parted ways. It was always about appearance with her.
“Oh. Okay. I’ll see you there then.”
“Okay, Zo, see you later.”
I hang up before I can get any more frustrated. Zoey annoys the ever-loving shit out of me sometimes. When we first began dating, I liked that she was feisty and different to all the other girls. She was beautiful and smart, but soon it became too much. I found that she could be quite obnoxious, stubborn, and rude. She’ll never change her ways. Good luck to Brock is all I can say.
Starting the engine, I turn my music up loud. It’s a gorgeous morning and I need to get rid of my irritation at Zoey, the way she gets under my skin with just a few words.
***
Training was great. It took my mind off the shit show that is my life and it made me ache, in a good way. I hit the shower and stood there for a good ten minutes, just letting the hot water relax my muscles. I get dressed in something a tad more presentable than my gym gear, sprayed a bit of cologne, and packed my sweaty gear into my bag.
Jumping back into the car, I turn my iPod to one of my favourite albums, wind down the windows, and set off for The Vineyard.
Arriving a few minutes before noon, I walk in and order myself a drink. I take a seat in one of the booths by the front windows. I see Zoey’s car pull into the lot a few minutes later. I take a moment to look at her. I haven’t seen her since we split, though we have spoken on the phone. Pregnancy seems to suit her. She doesn’t seem to be showing yet, but she has that glow about her skin that I thought was people’s bullshit way of cheering a pregnant woman up. She’s still beautiful—I guess—but knowing what I do about the person she is, I don’t see her in that sense anymore. Not that she’s the worst person I know, by far, but she grew up very used to getting her own way. The wedding was a prime example of that. The expense and extravagance of it all was just too much.
“Reid, hey, good to see you,” she says as she approaches.
“You too,” I lie smoothly.
I’m not sure what we needed to meet for, but it can’t be anything good.
“Can I get you a drink?” she asks as she pulls her purse from her bag.
“I’m good, thanks.”
Watching her walk to the bar, I feel like running out before she has a chance to get back. I try to keep my shit together, after all, I know I can walk away if the conversation gets to be too much.
Zoey places her glass on the table and slides into the booth, sitting opposite me.
“So…” I begin.
“No need to look so worried, Reid. I’m not here to argue.”
That would make a refreshing change.
“I don’t want to be rude, Zo, but what exactly are we here for?”
“Never one to beat about the bush, Reid. I asked you here because I think there’s something we should discuss.”
“Which is…?”
“Kara.”
That one simple word has my pulse spiking. I don’t want to talk about her, especially not with her best friend. But worried that there might be something wrong, I stay in my seat and rub my sweaty palms down my jeans discreetly under the table.
“Why would we need to talk about her?”
Towards the end of our relationship, Zoey confronted me about how I felt about Kara. I had been as honest as I could be without trying to break her heart.
“You’re in love with her, Reid. Don’t bother trying to deny it,” she rushes out her words as if she knew I was going to interrupt her.
“What does it matter how I feel, Zo?”
“I know men don’t talk about emotions, and I’m not really asking you to. I wanted to tell you that I think you ought to tell her.”
I sigh and pick up my drink. I’m stalling having to say anything to her. I don’t know what to say, and why it would matter to her, anyway.
“Why would I want to do that, Zo? She’s only just split with Sawyer, for a start.”
“Yes, but you don’t know why she split with him.”
I watch Zoey fiddle with the straw in her glass and wait for her to expand on what she said. The silence lasts a couple of minutes before I finally break it.
“Why would it make a difference why they split, Zo?”
“Because she realised she didn’t love him.”
“And what has that got to do with me?”
I eye her and she looks at me as if I’m stupid for not being able to interpret the meaning behind her words. She brought me here to talk and yet she hasn’t really said very much.
“What do you think it’s got to do with you, Reid? Do I really have to spell it out for you?”
“Well, that would be preferable to me sitting here like a dumbass, not knowing what you’re going on about.”
“Oh Reid…” she sighs before continuing, “She’s not in love with him because she can’t be in love with two people at once.”
“Wow, that really cleared things up for me. Look, I’m not trying to be harsh, Zo, but what Kara does in her life has nothing to do with me.”
I begin to stand and finish the rest of my drink in one gulp.
“Reid! Oh, my god. I know men are blind when it comes to this sort of thing, but seriously, why aren’t you getting what I’m trying to tell you?”
“Because you haven’t actually said very much, Zoey, and I’m about done here.”
“She’s my best friend, and it seems a little high school to be talking about her like this.”
“You’re not talking about her, Zo, you’ve barely said two words. Okay, so Kara finished with Sawyer because she didn’t love him. I feel sorry for her that it didn’t work out for them, but it really has nothing to do with me.”
“Okay, look, I’ll spell it out in words you can understand…” She sighs in irritation before giving me a look that indicates I should sit back down.
I don’t like feeling like a child, but the way Zoey talks to me, I can’t help wanting to throw a tantrum worthy of a toddler. I sit back down anyway and wait for her to enlighten me.
“So, Kara…she’s in love with you.”
I stare at Zoey as if she’s grown two heads. The thought of Kara being in love with me is an alien concept. I laugh derisively and Zoey shoots me a look.
“What on earth makes you say that?” I finally ask.
“A lot of things. The main reason is because it’s the truth. She’s my best friend and I know her inside and out. Girls talk, you know. It’s not such a strange concept that a best friend would know that kind of thing.”
“You’re wrong on this one, Zo, trust me.”
“You keep on believing that and you’ll miss out on the chance of true happiness.”
I scrub both hands over my face and rest my head in my hands on the table. I want to believe her, I really do. But I think pregnancy has done something to her brain. It’s her hormones. She’s happy and she wants her best friend to be too. But trying to set the two of us up would be a disaster. Kara can’t love me because I’m her best friend’s ex-fiancé and I’m not good enough for her.
Zoey and I chatted a bit more before I left The Vineyard. Now I’m sat at home with a bottle of Bud in hand and I’m clueless what to do. My head feels like mush. I don’t know what I was expecting when she said we needed to talk, but this definitely wasn’t on the list of possibilities, not in my mind.
I want so much for what she said to be true, but what can I do about it even if it is?
I set my beer down instead of drinking it and I grab my car keys from the table. I don’t know where I’m going, but anywhere is better than being alone with my crazy thoughts.