Reed's Reckoning

Minutes pass before they return and when she sees me her face falls and she stops. She tries to turn but Luke’s hand closes in on her hip and urges her forward. He gently sits her in a chair where she has no choice but to face me.

“Sarah, do you remember me?” Jack asks tightly.

“Yes, I do Jack.”

“Sarah, do you know who I am?”

“Yes, you’re Reed Matthews.” Her voice shakes.

“Do you know me?” Trey asks authoritatively.

“No.”

“Well, in this situation, I can be your best bet or your worst nightmare.” He doesn’t elaborate further.

“Luke, how could you do this to me?” she cries.

“Do what to you? What have I done? Ask you to breakfast to talk a few things over?” The tone of his voice is foreign to me. He has never ever been that cold to anyone.

I gently slide a few photos forward, her face pales when she looks at them. She starts to shake and quietly gags.

“You throw up; you’re sitting in it until we get answers.” Luke hisses and I pop my head up. He is completely stoic with no emotion on his face. It’s scary.

“Why are you being so cruel? Why I am here?”

Reed’s knee nudges me and I gather my inner strength. “Sarah, do you know Alex Moore?”

“Yeah, but you know that already because you have pictures of me with her right here.”

“Did you have anything to do with breaking me and Reed up?”

Her face changes to full rage. “What the fuck does it matter? You’re back together. The love story continues and you have your guy. Who cares what happened four years ago?”

Reed snaps, “Listen here, bitch—it matters to me. I want to know everything. It may seem like bullshit to some, but I am not some. This shit has eaten at me for long enough. Tell me what the fuck you know and what part you played. I have the best people on my payroll and will work day and night to figure this shit out. I’m giving you a way to help yourself.”

Her eyes grow wide and fill with tears. “It doesn’t matter. It’s all over anyways. Try your best to ruin me. I already lost my boyfriend and dignity in the process.”

“What fucking boyfriend? I know you aren’t talking about me.” Luke hisses.

She looks at him and then shakes her head. “No, I guess not since Ari holds the fucking golden pussy, huh? She can do no wrong. Even when she re-connects with the father of her child you stick to her like glue and I mean nothing.”

I gasp at her statement and the atmosphere turns icy. Sarah looks at all of us and smiles. “Oh come on, you don’t think I know he was sleeping with me but thinking of you? I always knew I was second.”

Rumbling sounds from all around and I don’t know if it’s Reed, Luke, or Jack.

“Not that it is any of your business, but Luke and I have been friends for years. We have never been in a relationship outside of that. I wanted a nice girl for him and I thought you were it.”

“You weren’t screwing him before me?” she questions.

“Never.”

“What about all those nights he was at—”

“Enough! We’ve clarified all we need to clarify. You tell us about your relationship with Alex!” Reed interrupts.

Her bottom lip trembles and she starts to cry. “I didn’t know it was you until that night at your house, when you told us Reed had come over and exchanged sob stories, I knew right then. I had heard stories around about the sorority house about Alex’s intentions to follow Reed into the NFL and his girlfriend was a no-name with a leech syndrome.”

Reed’s body grows rigid against mine and he squeezes my knee to the point of hurting. I look at Luke for help but he shakes his head.

“How the fuck are you involved in this then?” Trey asks calmly.

“That night after dinner, when Luke took me home, he wouldn’t even kiss me fully. His mind was on Ari and Davis and I needed him. My mind was filled with guilt and I wanted to tell him everything but he dismissed me. The next day I found Alex’s number and called her. The first thing I said was ‘what have you done’? I explained about Ari and Davis and she laughed at me. Her exact words were ‘she had the bastard?’ Then she threatened me if I didn’t tell her everything I knew. I only told her he found you and wanted to be a part of Davis’s life.

“Ari, I had no idea you were pregnant all those years ago. If I did, I wouldn’t have been a part of it. And I had no idea you were the same woman when we met at the bank. But when I listened to the story you told us that night, it dawned on me you were Reed’s in college and it all came back to me. You are so confident and secure. Nothing like the leech she described. You never complained about being a single mom, and I knew you had Luke, Sophie, and Katy.”