Reach (Love Me Now Series #2) | Complete

👑 Chapter 40 👑

Markey POV

I didn't really want to pick a fight with Mariah. She has been acting differently lately, and I'm stressed out about it. I leave early so that we don't have to argue. In essence, I have been avoiding her.

I decided to make it up to her. I was surprised to find out she blocked my number. I guess she just needed a break. I think I needed one too.

I text her and apologized, and promised to sit down and talk once I got back. I loved her; of course I was going to fight for us. It was time to man up and figure out what was going on.

"Hey man, you look a little weird just staring at your phone and smiling."

"Fuck off Chaz."

"Aww look Brent, he's getting emotional."

This was one of the trips when the guys came with me. I think that the girls would be ok; they would do best in each other's company.

On the way to Cali, I sketched out a rough draft. Based on all the details the client had given, I did a quick sketch. This was would be my example. From there, I could edit it to fit his needs.

The guys and I decided to hit up a bar that night. When we got to the hotel, we check in and went to our rooms. I unpacked and got ready to go out. Soon I heard someone knocking at the door. I knew it was the boys.

I pulled on my jacket and walked out the door. The night life in Cali wasn't so different from back home. We found a restaurant to stop to first. Chaz decided that he wanted a full meal before he went to the bar.

We entered the first restaurant we could find. Soon we were seated and the waiter had taken our orders. As we waited for the food, I decided to sketch on the napkins. Hey, inspiration could come from anywhere.

The waiter arrived with our food, and Chaz began to eat like he was starving. Man, you can't take this fool nowhere. We joked and laughed like we hadn't done in a long time. It had been a while since we had hung out, just the guys.

We loved the girls, but it never hurt to have a bit of guy time.

I got a text from Mariah telling me she had great news. No matter how many times I asked her to reveal it, she wouldn't she said that she wanted to tell me in person. My mind began racing.

What couldn't she tell me over text? What had to absolutely be said in person?

I was pulled out of my thoughts by Chaz shaking my shoulder. I looked up at him and he asked, "Hey, you want your cornbread?"

This boy was a trip.

"No, but really though. You want to finish your food? Brent and I are done, but we're waiting on you so we can hit up the bar."

"Yeah, I'm almost done. Give me a minute."

I finished my food and signaled for the waiter. I asked for the check and he went to get it. When he came back, I used the company card to pay for our food.

We walked out of the restaurant and began searching for a decent bar. We enter many bars even an all women bar. That was very interesting.

Soon we found exactly what we were looking for. We made our way to the bar and ordered our drinks. There was a chick at the bar that looked vaguely familiar. While I was trying to figure out where I knew her from, she walked away.

I shrugged it off. I grabbed my drink and watched the game. The boys and I were having a grand old time. The drinks were flowing and our team was winning. Soon, I was so drunk, I couldn't stand up. Brent and Chaz weren't normally heavy drinkers, but neither was I. For some reason, the drinks were hitting me harder.

I could hold my liquor. Something wasn't right here. A fight soon broke out and the last thing I remember was Chaz calling my name.

When I woke up I was in a strange room. I was fully naked and laying in the bed next to some random woman.
This was not good.

The events of the previous night were spotty at best. I had a killer headache. I got out of the bed and walked around but the woman. It was the same chick I had seen in the bar. I woke her up.

"Who are you, and what am o doing here?"

"The name is Ryleigh and I brought you home last night. Did you forget already?"

"This was a big mistake I began."

"Maybe it was. Too bad, I had a great time. You did too. It's all on camera."

"Shit. What do you want?"

"Well, my parents just got into an accident last night. They were killed upon impact. That made me guardian of my 6 year old sister overnight."

"What does that have to do with me?"

"Well it takes money to raise a child. Money that I do not have."

"So you want me to give you a job?" I knew this was not the answer even before she began to laugh.

"No, I want you to give me $10,000. It would be nothing to you. If you give me the money, your wife won't have to find out about this."

I knew what I had to do. I would give her the money to buy myself some time. I would have to tell Mariah about it, or face the risk of losing her. Hell, either way it went I would face the risk of losing her, but I had to at least try.

We both got dressed and went to the nearest atm. I pulled the money off my card and bid her good riddance. I went back to the hotel in a cab.

When I got there, I told the boys what had happened. They already knew I went home with someone. It was all over the internet.

Fuck my life.