Reed's Reckoning

No one has heard from Alex Moore; she has gone silent. I’ve been to a few player events and the wives have been sympathetic. Reed and I have tried to cushion our lives around good, trustworthy friends, but I’m still uneasy in the public.

Since we are having the quickest wedding in history, I was able to find invites online and have them overnighted. I had separate invites made for the reception, and since not having time to coordinate an actual address list, they were mostly hand delivered.

I’m lost in thought trying to figure out what to do when the back door opens. Darius goes on alert immediately and pulls his gun shouting for the visitor to “STOP!”

The hairs on the back of my neck stand up and I move to get Davis without turning to see who is here. There’s more shouting but I think only of getting to my little boy. When I reach him, I yank his soaking wet body to mine and run to the cabana.

“Miss Ari?” Darius’s voice chills me and I turn around. The shock must register on my face because he stays on high alert.

“Jesus Christ, Arianna, do something. He’s got a gun pointed at me.” Cara pleads looking pale. “I’d never hurt you.”

“Cara what are you doing here? Reed’s not home and generally people schedule a visit. How’d you even get in?”

“I’m his sister; I have a permanent name on the guest list at the guard gate.”

“Well you need to leave and work out a time with him to meet; preferably when you don’t scare the hell out of us with your unannounced arrival.” Davis is looking between the two of us with confusion.

“I came to see you. Now can you please tell this man to lower his gun?”

I nod my head at Darius and he steps back, putting the gun in his holster. His posture takes on a protective mode and he stares at me waiting to see what to do next.

“It’s okay, at least I think it’s okay.” I tell him and set Davis on the ground.

“Cara, I don’t really know why you are here. I can’t imagine what you need to talk to me about.”

“Please, Arianna, please talk to me. You’re my only hope. He’s my brother and I love him. I’m begging you to help me.”

Her using my formal name is a little uncomfortable, but she doesn’t get the right to use my nickname. I glare at her with indifference until I see the tears brimming in her eyes. The same eyes as Reed and our son, it’s the crystal blue’s that break my resolve.

“I’ll give you five minutes. Dari, will you walk Davis down to the dock?”

“Not comfortable with that Miss Ari. My job is to protect the two of you.”

“Okay, well, can you keep Davis occupied while I talk to Cara on the back porch?”

He agrees, and comes to get Davis to play in the yard. I walk to the porch and motion for Cara to sit down.

“Thank you. You have no reason to be nice to me but you’re the only way I get my brother back.”

“I’m not sure about that, Cara; he’s a grown man and makes his own decisions. What exactly do you want?”

“I want him to talk to me. I want him to forgive me. I need for things to go back to normal.”

“You know, Cara, I don’t think that will ever happen. Maybe a ways down the road, but he is really upset at your decisions.”

“Can’t you understand why I did what I did? I was manipulated too! And for some reason, I’m made out to be the villain! It’s not fair!”

“Let’s start with why you think this is about you? In that last few sentences you used the word ‘I’ four times. You still don’t get it. This isn’t about fair. This is about hurt and anger. Have you ever apologized? I mean a real, solid, heartfelt apology—the kind that leaves no room for misunderstanding. And before you answer, I know everything. Reed and Amy shared with me the way you justified your actions. I also know about your confession and your visit to the house that night. What I have never heard in any of our conversations is a real ‘I’m sorry.’”

“Of course, I’m sorry! My only brother is getting married and I’m not even invited. I have a nephew that I’ve never even met. All I see when I look at my mom is disappointment. It’s killing me. I was stupid and had no idea what I was doing at the time. I thought it was the right thing.”

“Enough! You wouldn’t know the right thing if it hit you in the head. I will live with the fact that you didn’t think I was good enough for Reed for the rest of my life. I will live with you almost destroying me. I will live with scars that Reed tries to heal every day!” I yell in her face and her bottom lip starts to tremble.