Chapter 8
Be Careful
Maliyah
The restaurant was small and intimate, with dim lighting and exposed brick walls. The kind of place that was clearly designed for conversation.
Reed was already there when I arrived, sitting at a corner table and looking like he'd put some thought into his outfit too. Dark jeans, a button-down shirt, blazer. He stood up when he saw me, and I felt that familiar flutter in my stomach.
His eyes caught mine as he rose from his seat, the corner of his mouth lifting in that half-smile that makes my stomach flip.
"Hi," he said, his voice low as he pulled out my chair with a gentle scrape against the hardwood floor.
His gaze traveled over my wrap dress, lingering on where it tied at the sides. "You look beautiful tonight, Maliyah."
"Thank you." I settled into my seat, trying to calm my nerves. "This place is nice. Very... intimate."
His eyes widened, and he shifted, one hand reaching up to tug at his collar.
"Too intimate?" The confidence he'd shown moments ago disappeared in an instant.
"I can ask for a different table if you want.
There's one by the window, or maybe near the bar area?
" He gestured vaguely toward the front of the restaurant.
"No, this is perfect." And it was. Private enough to talk, but not so secluded that I felt trapped if things got awkward.
The waitress came over with menus and took our drink orders. I asked for a glass of wine, figuring I needed something to help me relax.
"So," Reed said after the waitress left. "I feel I owe you an explanation."
"You already explained on the phone."
"Not really. I gave you the diplomatic version." He leaned back in his chair, studying me. "The truth is, seeing you with your kids scared the hell out of me. Not because there's anything wrong with them—I’m sure they’re great kids. But because it made everything feel so... real."
"Real how?"
"Real like this isn't just coffee and casual conversation. Real like if we keep doing this, I'm going to have to figure out if I'm ready to be part of something bigger than just the two of us."
The waitress arrived with the wine and, impressed with her timing, smiled at her—waiting before we continued our conversation.
Alone again, I took a sip of the wine, allowing the full-bodied flavor to linger before saying, "And you're not sure if you are."
"I'm not sure of anything. Which is why I thought maybe we could take this slow. Figure out if we even like each other enough to worry about the bigger questions."
"That's fair." I set down my wine glass. "But I need you to understand something. I'm not looking for someone to rescue me or solve my problems. I've been doing fine on my own for a long time now. If we decide to do this, it's because we want to. It’s not because I need you to fix my life."
"Good. Because I'm definitely not the guy to call for fixing anything. I can barely keep my own life together most days."
The honesty was refreshing.
"So what are you looking for?" I asked. "In general, I mean. Not necessarily with me, but in your life."
Reed considered the question while looking around the restaurant. "Honestly? I don't know. For most of my adult life, I've just been focused on work and keeping things simple. No complications, no long-term commitments. But lately, that's been feeling kind of... empty."
"What changed?"
"I'm not sure. My ex and I ended when I couldn’t see us making it in the long term, but honestly I took the cowardly way out. I avoided our issues instead of addressing the elephant in the room. I don’t want that to happen with us, so I guess I’m going with clear communication.
And I’m scared as fuck." He looked at his hands, opening and closing them like his nerves were vibrating down to his fingers.
When he looked up again, he voice was clear—without any sort of uncertainty. "I like you, Maliyah. I like you more than I’ve liked anyone in as long as I can remember. And that says something for me. So, this is me being real."
"Okay," I said, processing his admission. "Well, I certainly don't have anything figured out. I'm making it up as I go along, just like everyone else."
The waitress returned to take our dinner orders, interrupting the moment but giving me some time to process. When she left, I found myself studying his face, trying to read what he wasn't saying.
"Can I ask you something?" I said finally.
"Sure."
"What are you most afraid of? About this, I mean."
Reed was quiet for a long moment, turning his water glass in slow circles on the table. "Screwing it up. Getting involved and then realizing I'm not cut out for it. Hurting you and the kids because I thought I was ready for something I wasn't."
"And what would screwing it up look like?"
"I don't know." He ran his hand down his face, landing on his neck and rounding the back. "Getting scared and pulling away when things get serious. Not being there when you need me to be. Letting Lucas and Zoe get attached and then disappointing them."
I appreciated his honesty, even if it wasn't exactly reassuring. "Those are all valid concerns. But Reed, nobody knows if they're ready for anything until they try. And yeah, there's a chance you might decide this isn't for you. There's also a chance I might decide you're not for me."
"Have you thought about that? What would make you walk away?"
"Well, if I got to a point where I was comfortable with you getting closer to the kids, but then it seemed like you were just tolerating my kids instead of accepting them as part of who I am.
If you tried to make me feel like I had to choose between you and them.
If you weren't honest with me about how you were feeling.
Those are just a few things, but some pretty heavy ones, I think. "
Reed nodded. "Fair enough. What about the good stuff? What would make you want to stick around?"
I smiled. "If you made me laugh. If you were kind to me, and ultimately to my kids if you did meet them properly. If you showed up when you said you would and did what you said you'd do. If you made me feel like myself instead of trying to turn me into someone else."
"Those don't sound like very high standards."
"You'd be surprised how many men can't meet them."
We placed our order, talking while we waited.
Bu the time our food arrived, we’d fallen into easy conversation, spending the next hour talking about everything except the heavy stuff.
Work, books, movies, travel. Normal getting-to-know-you conversation that reminded me why I'd been attracted to Reed in the first place.
He was funny and smart and easy to talk to.
When the check came, he insisted on paying despite my protests. "This is a date, Maliyah," he said, pulling out his wallet. "I pay."
I scoffed, but let it slide—this time.
Reed smiled, and for the first time all evening, he looked completely relaxed. "I want to take you out again. Will you let me?"
"I felt my cheeks warm and knew they’d turned pink. “I’d like that.”
When we left and headed out to our cars, I found myself feeling good about how things went and what we’d shared. Reed's honesty was actually more reassuring than not. At least I knew what I was dealing with.
"Thank you for tonight," I said when we reached my car.
"Thank you for agreeing to come out with me, and for giving me a chance. I'm still figuring out how to navigate this. But I want to figure it out. With you."
He leaned in and kissed me softly, his lips warm against mine in the cool night air.
His hand came up to rest at the curve of my jaw, steady and sure.
That nervous flutter I'd been feeling all night transformed into something deeper—a slow-burning heat that spread from my chest down to my fingertips, making me want to pull him closer and forget all the reasons I should be careful.
Damn. That was one solid flipping kiss.
When I got home, Felicity was on the couch reading while the kids slept in their rooms.
"How did it go?" she asked, looking up from her book.
"Good. Really good." I kicked off my boots and sank into the chair across from her. "I think I might actually like this guy."
"Even with all his baggage about commitment?"
"Maybe because of it. At least he's honest about what he can and can't handle right now."
Felicity closed her e-reader and studied my face. "Just promise me you'll be careful. I know you're tough, but I don't want to see you get hurt because you're hoping he'll change."
"I know. And I promise."
As Felicity gathered her things and headed home, I found myself with a little nervousness in my stomach. For the first time in a long time, I didn't feel like I was settling. I felt like I was taking a chance on something that might actually be worth the risk.