Has your hymen grown back yet?

"Reid," I wheeze at his retreating back. "Stop, wait." I bend over and place my hands on my knees, gasping for air as my lungs scream in protest. My entire body is coated in a layer of sweat, soaking straight through my grey t-shirt, and my legs are already burning in agony.

He turns around and jogs back to me, a smug grin on his stupid face. There's not a drop of sweat on him, and his light brown hair looks barely ruffled. "What's the matter? A little out of breath are we?" He reaches me and, as if to prove how much fitter he is, begins to literally run circles around me.

If I had the energy to lift my arm I would punch him in the nose, see how funny he finds that.

"Fuck off," I manage to pant out, my lungs screeching with the effort.

"You know, I thought you would be a little more fit, considering you walk to work every day," he taunts, enjoying my pain far too much. "But I guess carting around crates of beer is no substitute for cardio."

"Dick."

I have no idea why I agreed to go for a run with him in the first place. Reid runs every morning without fail, and I am clearly more unfit than I thought I was.

Let's go for a run, he said. It will be fun, he said. It will help you get your mind off things.

Well it has not been fun.

And now I have a cramp.

"So..." Reid finally stops running around me and stretches his arms over his head, his back clicking loudly in the process. "Are you going to ask Chase for her number or not?"

I glare at him, still trying to catch my breath and press a hand to my side where a throbbing pain has bloomed. He ignores my gaze, looking out at the surrounding green trees and early morning sky with a cheeky grin on his face.

"I'm just saying." He lowers his arms and drops into a lunge to stretch out his legs. "You clearly like the girl. Why not call her?"

He acts as if it's so easy. As if Alexa isn't a million times out of my league. It's as though he's forgotten that all my free time is spent cleaning, cooking and caring for my dad. My life is full of doctor's appointments, medical bills and attempting to get Aiden through his last year of high school. I have nothing to offer a girl like Alexa.

"I don't have the energy for this right now," I groan, too tired to explain my reasons to him yet again.

"Is it because it's been so long since you've had sex, you've forgotten how to do it?" he laughs loudly, giving up his stretching and looking down at me with a mischievous glint in his eyes.

How the fuck is he laughing when I can barely breathe?

"Fuck off, Reid." It's not my greatest comeback, but it's the best I can do under the circumstances.

"Has your hymen grown back yet?" he asks with a serious face and a hand on his chest, looking almost genuinely concerned for my well-being.

"I'm going to kill you," I answer through gritted teeth, finally finding the energy to stand up straight.

"You'd have to catch me first," he mocks. And with that he takes off running, leaving me behind, still trying to catch my breath.

☆

"Hey Dev, I need your help!" Chase calls out as soon as I limp into the bar. I swear my legs are already stiff from the run this morning. They ache with every step that I take and I have to bite my lip against the wince that wants to escape.

How is that even possible? I've never seen Reid limping from a run before.

"Another date planned with Diana?" I can't help but grimace. It's not that I mind running the bar for him while he's gone, it's just that today is already going to be a struggle with how much my legs seem to be seizing up.

Thank fuck its Wednesday, and usually pretty quiet.

"Not a date, but an upcoming birthday," he corrects and I mentally sigh in relief. "What do you get the girl you have only been seeing for a few months but are completely in love with?"

My eyes meet his, trying to tell if he's joking or note. He meets my gaze steadily, his face serious and earnest as though he really wants my opinion. I have no idea why he thinks I would actually know anything about girls. Do I look like I have them falling at my feet?

Nope, just throwing up on them apparently.

"Uh, a bracelet?" I venture, hoping that my answer is satisfactory. I don't actually have any other suggestions for him. It's been a long time since I bought a girl anything, and Kayla was always obvious with her hints about what she wanted, which made her easy to get stuff for.

"A bracelet's good." He nods thoughtfully. "But I want to do something special. Something she will remember. Maybe I should throw her a party?" His eyes sparkle at the thought, a large grin spreading across his face.

Don't say it Devon. Don't say it.

"You should call Alexa." You dumbass. "Doesn't she do that kind of stuff for a living?"

Just as I thought, his grin widens as he shoots me a knowing wink. "Alexa hey? Shouldn't you be the one to call her?"

I try to appear nonchalant as I respond. "Nope."

But it's useless, even I'm not buying my own bullshit and I can see that Chase isn't either. He was there on Saturday night and saw me and Alexa talking to each other. He's perceptive enough to know that I'm not that animated with everyone and that I had helped Alexa get home.

"Really?" This time he raises his eyebrows and I realize he already knows what happened outside Alexa's apartment block.

"Diana told you, didn't she?" I ask warily, though I already know what he's going to say.

Can't there be one person in my life that doesn't know that a girl puked on me?

I get my answer as he laughs uproariously, as though it's the funniest thing he has ever heard. His reaction mirrors Reid's and Aiden's and I wonder if he purposefully brought up a party just to get me to mention Alexa's name.

I get that it's funny, but it's really not as hilarious as everyone makes it out to be.

I think of Alexa and how she felt in my arms, cuddled up next to me. I remember how her silky skin and satin hair tickled my chest and how her mahogany eyes seemed to see straight through me. Even though she could barely see straight herself. My heart starts racing at the memory of Saturday night, and I have to tell it to calm the fuck down. Yet again.

Not that it ever actually listens to me.

Chase eventually calms down enough to speak again, "You are right though. I will give Alexa a call. This is going to be great!"

"What's going to be great?" a feminine voice behind us asks.

I turn to see Diana, looking far too fresh and fragrant for a Wednesday afternoon. Chase visibly lights up and rushes over to her, tossing the dirty cloth he had been holding at me. I'm too slow to catch it, and it lands square on my face with a splat.

"Hey babe." He covers her face with kisses, and she giggles like a little schoolgirl.

Wiping away the water that splashed on me from the cloth, I turn away from the scene. It's far too sappy and romantic for such a confined area. Neither of them seems to notice my presence, far too wrapped up in their own little bubble.

"Do you think you can sneak away tonight?" she asks him when he's finally finished licking her face off.

"What did you have in mind?"

"Dinner at our apartment, I'm thinking lasagna." She pauses and smiles at me knowingly, "Devon, you should come too."

"Uh, me?" I can't hide my shock. I'm normally the one who covers for Chase when he goes out with Diana. Besides, she's my boss's girlfriend, isn't that kind of weird?

I watch the two of them exchange a look before Chase says, "Yeah you should. You have to try her lasagna!"

Why does this feel like a setup?

"Oh, and Alexa will be there too." Diana throws in as if this piece of information will convince me.

Which, it does.

"I, uh, need to watch the bar," I try to make an excuse. But even I can tell it's halfhearted, and judging by the look on their faces, they can too.

"Dev, its Wednesday. It's going to be so quiet. I'm pretty sure Gavin can handle things by himself," Chase insists.

I feel my resolve start to waver. Although I don't really know who I am kidding, it was never really there in the first place.

You clearly like the girl. Why not call her?

Why not, indeed? Why am I so scared? I know I thought I had my reasons, but to be honest, they are starting to feel like excuses. I want to go tonight; I want to see Alexa again. I don't even really know her, but for some reason, I feel like she's special.

But what if she turns out to be like the last girl I dated? Someone who can't handle my home life, or my dad's illness. I don't want to go through that again. It was really shitty and it's something that I have barely recovered from.

Before I can even say anything though, Chase speaks up again, interrupting my internal debate. "Devon, you're coming," he orders, his tone leaving no room for argument. "Now, you can catch a ride with Diana, I will follow on my bike once I've spoken to Gavin."

I would argue, but what would be the point?

Also, I really don't want to. No matter how awkward it's going to be stuck in a car with my boss's girlfriend.

I'm thankful that Diana's music starts blasting through the radio as soon as she turns the key in the ignition. She smiles at me, clearly happy to make the journey in companionable silence. It makes the trip slightly less awkward but gives me far too much time to let my thoughts wander.

And they do just that, going straight the memory of a raven-haired beauty nestled in my arms. Despite my best efforts, I can't help but be excited to see her again, my heart beating happily beneath my rib cage.

I know I should stay away, and that's what I'm planning to do. But getting to know her a little better can't hurt.

Can it?