“Holy shit, that had to hurt.”
I nod silently.
“What an asshole,” Luca mutters.
“Yeah. But that was more than a year ago. Is she planning to just never trust men again?”
“You don’t get to decide how long someone else’s healing takes.”
“Thank you, Dr. Phil.” I look away, frustrated as hell.
“Knox, you want to hear the hard truth?”
I sigh heavily before responding and say, “Yeah.”
“You’re used to getting what you want. Too used to it. When’s the last time you had your heart broken?”
I try to think of a time. There has to be something, but…the Sox losing in Game 6 of the World Series a couple years ago is all I can come up with, and I don’t think that’s what Luca means.
“When someone fucks you over hard,” Luca continues, “Or, hell, when life does…it changes who you are.”
I consider that. “Do you think Reese can only be happy with someone who’s also been betrayed? So they understand each other?”
“You mean like me and Abby get each other because of losing people before we met?”
I nod.
“No,” Luca says softly. “But I think if you really want to be with her, you need to be patient. And you need to take the time to be sure you do want her, because you’d be an epic asshole if you chased after her and then changed your mind after you caught her.”
“I’ve been thinking about her since Kauai. I do really want her.”
“But for what? Sex? Because there are lots of other women you can have sex with and not hurt because there wouldn’t be any type of commitment there, unlike with Reese.”
I recoil, offended. “I’d never hurt her.”
“Words are cheap, man. If you want to convince her, you need to show her.”
Irritated, I throw my hands in the air. “How can I show her the future?”
“Bro, you’ve got the patience of a toddler, you know that? You need to show her what kind of man you are.”
I mull that over for a little bit as we both sip our beers.
“What kind of man do you think I am?”
Luca gives me a serious look. “You’re quiet, but always thinking. You like to come off as moody, but really, you’re not. You’re the most loyal person I know.”
“I figured I was one of those guys who just wouldn’t ever settle down.”
“What, like a house in the burbs with a bunch of kids? Is that what you’re thinking?” Luca’s tone is shocked.
I shrug. “When I said ‘settle down’ I meant a committed relationship.”
“And that’s what you want with Reese?”
“I think so. I wanted it back in Kauai, but she didn’t even want to keep in touch. And now she’s here and she says she doesn’t want to be with anyone, but…”
Luca shakes his head. “Everyone says that when they’ve been shit on the way she has. Since she came here with you today, there’s hope. Just be patient.” He throws back the last of his beer and stands up. “I need to go see if Abby needs help with Alex.”
He heads inside and I look out over Victor and Lindy’s backyard, where several of the players’ kids are playing freeze tag. It makes me smile because I remember that game from my own childhood.
Once my sister gave my parents grandkids, I figured I was off the hook. But for the first time, I think about having kids and it doesn’t seem like such a crazy idea.
Maybe I’ll want kids, maybe I won’t. I still don’t know. But I do know I want to be with Reese.
Silas and Dante come over to shoot the shit, and although I’m listening to them, my eyes are mostly on Reese. I first felt a spark with her because of her looks, but the attraction is about so much more than that. She’s honest and means what she says, and that’s so damn rare these days.
A couple years ago, I dated a woman named Beth for a few months, and I brought her to a team cookout. Like Reese, she said she didn’t want anything serious, but she wore a dress and heels and had her hair, nails, and makeup professionally done for the event. Jonah’s late wife, Lily, later told me privately that based on how hard Beth was trying and the things she said to Lily, she could tell she wanted more with me, and that I needed to be careful with her.
She was right. Beth took me bringing her to the cookout as a sign that things were getting serious, and she started dropping hints about marriage. I ended things immediately.
Reese, on the other hand, is wearing jean shorts and a T-shirt today, her hair up in a messy ponytail. She’s also spent most of her time her chatting with the other wives than hanging out with me. Once the food starts being served, I go pry her away from Mia and Lindy.