This Time Around (Maybe #2)(7)

“So when are you seeing Taiya?” I ask her as I slather on some mayonnaise. She opens her salad and forks a piece of lettuce.

“This weekend. I said I’d message her so we can organise something. We’ll probably end up going out for drinks.”

“She loves to dance,” I tell her, a small smile playing on my lips.

“Perfect,” Summer beams, lifting the fork to her mouth.

I clear my throat. “Let me know where you guys end up.” Summer puts her fork down and pauses, studying me. A slow smile spreading across her mouth.

“You’re just gonna show up wherever we are?”

“Yep,” I say, popping the P. “Reid and Me will be there.”

“Double trouble,” she murmurs, taking out a piece of chicken.

I gasp. “There is chicken in there!”

She smirks. “Of course there is.” Before she can move, I stick my fingers into her salad and pull out a chuck of chicken, shoving it in my mouth.

“Hey!” she snaps, pushing her plate out of my reach.

“Serves you right,” I tell her, chewing the piece appreciatively.

“Who knows where your hands have been,” she says, raising an eyebrow.

Only on myself. But she really doesn’t need to know that.

“I don’t think you need to worry about that,” I reply in a dry tone.

She grins knowingly. “Never thought I’d see the day.”

I run my hands over my jaw, but don’t say anything. It’s the truth. I want Taiya, and I’m sure as hell not going to ruin any chance I have with her. I still have so much to make up for. I need her to forgive me, for her to let me explain my side of the story so we can move on and finally be together again. There is no other option. Taiya will be mine again.

“What’s with the determined look,” Summer says, pulling me out of my thoughts.

I tilt my head to the side. “What determined look?”

“This one,” she says, trying to mimic my expression. I crack up laughing. She looks more constipated than anything, so I hope I really don’t look like that.

“I do not make a face like that,” I tell her, speaking the words slowly.

“I don’t think you should follow us out. I think you should give her some space. Let her enjoy a girls’ night,” Summer says, looking thoughtful.

“Not liking that idea.”

“I know, but Taiya will have a better night. I don’t think she has many friends. She said she lost touch with everyone she used to know.”

“She has me. I’m her husband,” I add in, watching Summer for her reaction.

She gasps, then smiles, “Yay, you finally told me.”

Now it’s my turn to gasp. “You knew?”

She grins evilly. “I annoyed Reid until he caved and told me.”

I shake my head, kind of glad Reid explained so I didn’t have to. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner.”

“Don’t be. I knew you would tell me when you were ready. Didn’t think you would blurt it out like that, but you do like to surprise me.” She pauses, and stares straight into my eyes. “I’m always here for you, you know that, right?”

“I know that; you’re my pole. Here for me whenever I need to lean on someone.”

She smiles widely. “How about you use your pole once in a while then?”

“That sounded dirty,” I grumble, giving her a small smile.

She laughs. “It did, didn’t it.”

“Summer!” Reid calls out from the living room.

She instantly stands. “Time for me to make up for skipping the gym today.”

“Make up how?”

She wiggles her eyebrows so I understand.

“Oh. Ohhhh. And that’s my cue to leave.” I kiss her on the head. Just before I let myself out, I stop and turn. “What’s Taiya’s apartment number?” I call out.

I hope people dropping in unannounced still don’t annoy Taiya.





Chapter Four

Taiya

My roommate Isis walks into my room, a dazed look on her face.

“What?” I ask her, closing my drawer and sitting back down on my bed.

“You have a visitor,” she says, grinning. “And a sexy one at that.”

I blink twice, slowly. Since moving back to Perth, I hadn’t really made any new friends other than Isis and Summer. Isis and I met in one of my dance classes and hit it off straight away. She does the adult jazz/funk class that I teach once a week. When I mentioned that I was looking for a place, she asked me if I was also looking for a roomie. The rest is history. Isis is a bombshell, with a thick head of red hair and pale blue eyes. She has fair skin dusted in light freckles, and a slender yet shapely figure. To sum it up, my roomie is a stunner. I get up and walk around her, walking out of my room to see who could have dropped by. I seriously dislike uninvited guests. I come to a standstill when I see it’s Ryan standing in my living room, looking around and taking in every detail of my apartment. I told him we could try to be civil, friends even. However, him dropping by like this wasn’t exactly what I had in mind. Maybe a wave to each other in passing? Yep, that was more like what I’d had in mind.

“What are you doing here?” I ask, hating the fact that my heartbeat speeds up at just the sight of him. God, he is still so beautiful, maybe even more so then when I left. Blond, shaggy hair, falling charmingly over his forehead, blue eyes that can see into your soul and a full mouth made for kissing. Ryan Knox is one of the most attractive men I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I note that he is slightly more muscular than I remember. I can almost make out the outline of his sculptured abs from here.