I am sitting in the library going through some material for class tomorrow when my phone
vibrates with a text from Reid.
I stare at it for some time because of the boldness of it.
Reid.
Come pick your next date with me.
Meet me in the case study room in an hour.
Truth be told, I didn't think we were going to have our next date because since our last
date, which was four days ago, Reid has not mentioned anything about it.
Ever since he dropped me home that night, we have been texting nonstop.
He texted first and then everything flowed like water.
Reid and I have spoken about almost everything and nothing.
I don't know but it just feels good talking to him.
I have never felt this at ease with someone in a long time.
And I know I should probably not get my hopes high because, at the end of the day, this
will never work out.
I have my studies to focus on, my job, and now my foundation.
I can't have another distraction.
The most I can do is entertain him for a few days.
After all, he did pay $10,000 to the foundation.
But now that he has just texted me about the date, I feel a sense of disappointment.
It's like I was enjoying talking with him so much that I forgot about our final date.
This also means that I would have to put an end to things.
My phone vibrates with another message from Reid.
Reid.
Hello?
Are you there?
I smile and send him a thumbs up.
The hour comes and by the time I get down to the case study room, Reid is sitting in
the far corner wearing a grey hoodie suit and some slides with socks.
I'm not sure why he always wears a hoodie but it's really hard to tell what he actually
looks like with all that clothing.
At least I got a peek at his dirty blonde hair on our first date.
Reid glances at his watch and then up at me.
Couldn't wait, huh?
You did say in an hour.
Ready to get this date over with?
I'm sure you are.
Reid stares at me for what seems like a good minute and somehow it looks like a bit of regret
in his eyes.
Actually, no I'm not.
Oh.
Then he straightens his face and pulls out three small folded pieces of paper.
He sticks them between his fingers and holds his hand up to my face.
Pick one.
I delay a little and then choose the middle one.
I stop breathing.
Well, what does it say?
Dinner at your place.
Reid smiles.
I feel like this is a setup.
Let me see the others.
He shrugs and hands me the other two pieces of paper.
I unfold them and one is lunch tomorrow at the cafe I work at and the other one is for
breakfast at some deli.
Satisfied?
I huff.
Well, if you don't want to feel uncomfortable with eating at my place then you can choose
something else.
No, it's fine.
Are you sure?
I nod.
Anyway, I gotta get back to the library.
I have this, uh, thing.
Yeah, yeah, cool.
So, um, dinner tomorrow at my place.
I'll pick you up.
Yeah, okay.
I guess I'll see you then.
I am nervous.
I am so fucking nervous that my hands are shaking.
Reid is already outside waiting for me to carry me to his place.
I have never been at a guy's home let alone their apartment alone.
I know we're both adults, but it just feels weird to me.
When I get downstairs, Reid is leaning against his car wearing that black leather hoodie jacket
again.
He can look so dark and sinister sometimes.
It's kind of hot, but it's also a little bit eerie.
He's kind of giving me a spy, ninja, hermit kind of vibe.
We finally get to what seems like his place and it is nothing like an apartment.
It's a fucking house.
Like a grown ass family home.
He shows me around and there are like three bedrooms, a guest room downstairs, two bedrooms
upstairs, a ginormous kitchen and living room, a backyard with a pool, and a freaking
game room.
It's so modernized that it makes my house look like it's from something back in the
70s.
Wow.
You live here?
I can't believe you live here.
No wonder you won't stay on campus.
I make a turn in the kitchen where he has already laid out a bunch of ingredients.
And shrugs.
My mom thought it was a good idea to buy me an entire house while I'm in university.
She said I can do whatever I want with it after.
Wow.
I open a cupboard and close it back just amazed by how neat and clean and tidy everything
is.
Do you also have a maid?
Kelly comes in like once a week to make sure everything's fine, but everything else is
on me.
Okay.
So are you going to cook for me or?
He scratches his head.
Well, the plan was to cook for you, but if you're not up to it, I guess we can order
takeout or something.
Heck no.
This is my one and only chance to see thee read McIntyre cook something.
He laughs and rubs his palms together.
Fair enough.
I pull out one of the bar stools and hop onto it.
Come on, chop chop.
Ugh.
I am so jealous.
Aren't rich kids supposed to be like spoiled and don't have any kind of talent?
He laughs out loud.
What?
You know, like how everybody's waiting on you.
They tend to make you handicapped.
Well, incapable of doing things on your own.
Not my parents.
Well, I guess that's good.
Read stands.
Yeah, let me get these for you.
I sigh.
Thanks.
The food was really good.
Maybe next time you can make…
I stopped myself short because there won't be a next time.
I had forgotten that this was the last.
Maybe I can make what?
He faces me but narrows his eyebrows when he sees my expression.
Did I do something?
No, you didn't do anything.
It's just that I forgot this was part of the deal for the fundraiser.
Oh yeah.
He begins washing the dishes.
Anyway, it was an experience and I'm grateful that I got you to cook for me.
He grabs a towel and dries his hand before walking over to the kitchen island where
I'm sitting on the stool.
He rubs the back of his neck and exhales a deep breath.
Read reaches for my hand and I let him.
I…
I have something to say.
It's about us.
About us?
He nods.
God.
This isn't spontaneous, April.
None of this is.
I have been trying so hard to win your attention over the past three years.
What… what do you mean?
Can I be honest with you?
I'm not again.
But really, do I want him to be honest?
Do I want to know the truth about anything he has to say?
After all, this is supposed to be just two dates and nothing else.
I'm a bit of a stalker.
Come again?
This might be so fucked up that I'm telling you.
And I don't even know why I'm telling you this shit.
Maybe because I want you to see me for what I really am or maybe I just like to fuck things
up.
Okay.
Now he's scaring me.
Read.
He pushes back his hoodie and drags his fingers through his unruly hair.
I have been following you.
Well, not physically.
Just on social media or any way that I can see you or what you have been up to.
God, I even follow your brothers just to see a glimpse of you.
What?
I move away from him.
But… but I don't even update my social media.
I don't even be on those things.
I know.
But the one thing you posted was that you got into the university of your dreams.
That, I remember clearly.
I had been so elated, so proud of myself that I wanted the whole world to know.
I had gotten accepted into a lot of schools because of my grades and my father's influence,
but this one automatically became my option because of you.
Please tell me you're joking, Read.
He shakes his head and leans against the counter.
No.
My father wanted me to do business because of the company.
It was either that or something along the lines of being a pilot.
But I couldn't because it meant choosing a different school.
I'd finally found a reason to be close to you and this school was it.
Dad was furious, but I didn't care.
I blink up at him.
Psychology was the next best thing because I wanted to understand my obsession with you.
Why I couldn't get you out of my mind.
Why someone so quiet and so simple-minded had attracted me.
I wanted to think that it was because you picked up my glasses that day in school and
it might actually be from that.
But my obsession runs deeper.
Much deeper.
I don't get it.
There's nothing to get, April.
I myself don't even understand what the fuck is going on.
I gape at him.
There should be alarm bells ringing off telling me that I need to get away from this guy,
but it's just pure silence.
I am naturally curious.
I'm not like all the other girls who are popular and actually have a life.
I am a nerd.
Someone who prefers studying over drinking or having a good time.
Maybe that's why I'm attracted to you, April.
You remind me of me.
Don't opposites attract?
If I remind you of you, then this will never work out.
God, I can't believe I'm actually saying this as if we are planning to be a couple or some
shit.
Oh, but we are different.
Reed has moved so close to me now that I feel him.
Feel the fucking tension between us.
Wow.
I'm too deep into this to not know why.
Too enamored by his aura and his sheer will to not know why we are different.
Reed steps away cutting the tension like a knife and heads to the living room.
I follow him.
Reed.
He pauses by the love seat.
I do things.
I do things that I am not proud of, but it's like a drug, an addiction that I cannot stop.
It keeps me whole.
I don't understand.
Are you doing drugs?
No, but it feels like it.
Then what is it?
I don't think there can be anything else worse than drugs, murder or illegal stuff.
Can there?
April, the last thing I want is for you to get roped into any of this.
Oh, for fuck's sake, Reed, tell me what it is.
Let me decide.
He loosens the string around the neck of his hoodie.
I'll be honest with you, I have my life planned out already, and I have never even thought
of you until four days ago.
But when we started talking, we bonded.
I have never connected with anyone like I have with you.
And even though I don't want anything serious, I want to continue with this.
I want to have conversations with you.
I want to talk to you over the phone or if you allow it, to have more dates.
Just that we won't be official.
I refuse to have any distractions or anything that will set me back.
Well, if that's the case, none of this matters.
It does to me.
He shakes his head.
Forget about it.
Forget this ever happened.
I will leave you alone, April, because it's the right thing to do.
Just tell me what the fuck it is that makes us different, Reed.
It's not going to change the fact that I am fond of you.
It's not going to change the path of my life.
I already have everything in place where I want it to be.
So tell me.
He hides his hands in his hoodie pockets and stares dead at me.
I'm a sex addict.
I love sex.
I love to fuck and I regrettably pay to fuck women just so I can feel good and pretend
that it's you.
What?
Right now I want to rub my dick on your face and bathe you in my cum.
Reed.
Get it now?
He says.
Every time I'm with you, my dick gets hard and stays fucking hard.
My eyes drift down to his joggers and he's right.
How the hell didn't I notice that?
You have no idea how far my mind can go about you.
My mind goes into fucking disarray.
He fucks to the idea of me.
He pays for sex.
What level of obsession is this?
It has always been like this.
I inhale.
April.
Before I know it, Reed is touching me.
I jump back, flinching away from him.
I need to go.
I keep my head down and walk to the door.
Let me get my keys.
The entire ride back to my apartment was silent.
So quiet that I can hear every swallow he makes.
I get out of the car so fast that I hear whooshing sounds in my ear.
Reed doesn't even bother to wait.
He speeds off like I have done the ultimate worst to him.
Which I haven't.
It's him who has done a number on me.
It's him who just revealed that he's a sex-craved addict that uses me as an imaginary fuck toy.
Sleep be damned.
Because now I'm going to think about it all night.
You have met the end of The Highest Bitter, Part 2.
Stay tuned for the final installment of this three-part episode.
Bye!