She's A Fighter (ON HOLD)

She's a Fighter; Chapter Eleven

    It’s been close to a month of going on dates with Reed. I honestly didn’t mind that we technically weren’t “together.” It was bound to end sooner than later.

… but damn, I wish it wouldn’t end.

I never wanted us, whatever we were, to end.

He was the first thing I thought about in the morning and the last thing at night. I swear I talk about him way too much. I could not get enough of his touch or his voice. I was hooked whenever he used those big blue eyes of his on me.

    It drove me crazy. I never thought anyone could have this effect on me. I never thought I could care for someone this much. I hate getting attached to people just because there’s always this doubt that they’d leave me.

Faye came up to me with an excited face on.

I had just come out the shower after 3 long, sweaty hours of training.

“Would you stop looking at me like that and tell me already?” I said.

“Well, so lover boy over there has some news for you.”

What could it be?

“Tell me.” I said.

“You’ll have to wait and see. Hurry up and get ready for your date.”

“Tell meeeeeeee.”

“No!”

I groaned. What a bum. Why couldn’t she tell me?

Whatever.

I walk downstairs, fixing my skirt.

“Hi, gorgeous. Ready to leave?”

He had his giddy smile on like always.  Yet somehow he seemed more giddy and a bit hyper.

“Yeah let’s go.”

“Bye Caleb.” He says. Caleb doesn’t like any guys that I date. He knows as well as Faye how I fall and crash. Caleb shakes his head and scoots us out the door.

    We were at a restaurant near the coast. There was a nice boardwalk that I was just dying to visit.

“Ooh, can we go to the boardwalk later?” I asked as nicely as I could.

“Sure.” he said as he gave me a kiss on the forehead.

After we had our meal, we walked to the boardwalk. As we were leaving the place I could faintly hear someone say, “Oh my gosh, I just got “The Killer”’s signature. Even though I was flattered, I was a little disappointed to find out we were in a fan zone. Hopefully, this wouldn’t be a problem.

I look down and shake my head. Reed lifts my chin up and kisses me on the lips, then my forehead. I wrap my arms around him and place my head on his chest.

He kisses the top of my head.

Reed grabs my hand and leads me towards the boardwalk.

“So Faye tells me that you have news for me.”

“Yeah.” he says, and mumbles something like “more like a question.”

I pretend not to hear it.

A couple of fans come running up to me. All of which were angsty men. I sigh upset that they were intruding our date. Reed kissed my cheek and told me to go. He was always understanding of my fans, even when I wasn’t. He thought it was cute how I got aggravated at them.

“Oh my gosh, Ms. Price could we get an autograph?”

I put on a fake smile and autograph all of them. They try to engage in conversation and talk about how big of fans they are. I nod, sign, and thank them for being such loyal fans.

One of them compliments me on how beautiful I look tonight. Reed immediately grabs me by the waist possessively.

“Sorry bro, she’s taken.” He tells the fan.  The fan puts his hands up.  He apologizes and says that he didn’t know I was his girl. I was curious to know who exactly I was taken by since we weren’t technically together. The man was a bit scrawny, at least compared to Reed. He was wide and built. Despite the size difference, he claims he is still scared that I’d kick his ass without doubt.

“So...? Refresh my memory again, who am I taken by?” I had such a giddy smile on.

He looks at me like he’s about to puke.

“About that... I had something to ask.”

“Shoot.”

“So... I know you must have a wide selection of guys to pick from and all... and I might not be exactly your dream boyfriend....” He drifted off, murmuring to himself. I was all sorts of excited, just hearing the word boyfriend. That’s adorable. If I he’s asking me, what I think he is, I already know my answer.

“Go on.”

“Well, I was wondering if you’d be my girlfriend?” Reed looked so distressed. He looked worse than when he was asking me.

    I can’t believe he would think that. I don’t want anyone, but him. He was my dream boyfriend, best friend, and hopefully even more.

“Everything’s been so hectic lately. Everyone’s going nuts, because they’re scared I’m not training enough, but also pushing it too hard. I have interviews and photoshoots and the big title fight coming up. All these fans coming up to me. Even all my old crushes come to reunite with me and through all of that, all I’ve wanted was you.”

“Really?” He says questioningly.

“I mean I could change my mind...” Lie. Such a huge, frekin’ lie.

“No! I mean, no... I just never thought that with everything you’d have time for a boyfriend, especially a no one like me.”

I hated how he degraded himself. I loved all of him because it made him who he was.

“Reed, you don’t get it. Do you? I do have a lot of offers and a big selection of guys. I have people waiting on me, stalking me even. But I picked you. You’re such a great guy. You’re not a no one.”

    He looked at me with a numbing, half-smile. Reed was happy to hear what I said. I could see it in his eyes. He needed that. He needed some reassurance, knowing that I actually cared. I needed him to know that I cared about him for who he was. For all he is.

The rest of the night was pretty simple. I tried to make sure he knew I wasn’t materialistic, because in the end I really didn’t care about any of it. I cared about him. I hope he got that.

I needed to understand and care for him the way I needed to be understood and cared for.... if that’s even possible. And if that’s just a fantasy, I will work my ass of to make it a reality. I’ve never wanted something to work out as much as this. It’s crazy. The whole situation. To think it could work. Was I just that crazy to believe in it? I thought I was.