meet mine, he sees that I’m crying, and comes toward the bed.
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’ll tell Colt, it was my fault. You did nothing wrong.”
Yeah, nothing wrong, other than enjoy it and let it happen. Stupid, Taylor. Stupid. That kiss shouldn’t have happened. I was still with Colt then.
“It’s not that,” I manage between sniffles.
“What’s wrong then, sweetheart?” He gently rubs my back, coaxing the words from me.
“I talked to Colt.”
His hand freezes on my back while he processes my words. Then he begins rubbing again. “Did he tell you?”
I sit up suddenly, tears staining my cheeks. “You knew? About him and Bria?”
He nods. “Yeah. I wanted to say something, but he wanted to be the one to tell you.”
I reach for the pillow and pull it to my chest, burying my face. Reis knew. Britt probably knew. And of course Bria and is probably celebrating behind my back. I let the tears come, not even trying anymore to hold them back.
“ Shh, it’s going to be okay.” Reis continues rubbing the length of my back. “Everything will be fine when he gets home, you’ll see. You guys will figure this out.”
I lift my head from the pillow. “No. He’s messed up one too many times.”
I cry until I’m spent, emotionally and physically drained. Reis just sits quietly beside me, rubbing my back and smoothing my hair, and shushing away the harder sobs that rack my chest. Eventually when I quiet into just hiccups, he lies down beside me, cradling my body with his. A few minutes later, Reis gets up from the bed, untangling his limbs from mine.
I whimper from the sudden absence of warmth and reach out for him.
He chuckles. “I’m not going anywhere, Shrimp, just turning off the light.” He flips off the light and comes back to the bed, pulling me tightly to his chest once again. I sigh and relax into him, thankful for his presence and long past feeling guilty about that kiss.
After I’ve quieted my tears and breathing has returned to normal, I roll over, turning toward Reis. He looks down at me and brushes my hair back from my face and smiles.
“How stupid am I? ”
“ Shh,” Reis whispers, playing with a lock of my hair.
“ I gave my heart to someone who can’t be trusted. He hasn’t changed one bit. And to think, I almost slept with him before he left.” I shake my head. And I would have, except it’d been Bria even then coming between us. It’s just like MJ said it would end.
“You mean you never slept with him?”
“That’s what you took away from that?”
He chuckles. “Sorry.”
“One track mind, much?”
“Well it’s Colt, so I figured you had. And even though it would have been weird being with you after that, I was willing to overlook it.”
I sit up in bed. “Reis, I’m not going to be ready to be with anyone for a while. I just need to be by myself.”
He nods. “I’ll wait for you until you’re ready. I’m nothing like him, you know?”
“I know that.”
“So maybe there’s hope for us.”
“I don’t think so.” Reis is a nice guy. Why couldn’t I have fallen for someone like him? But I wasn’t ready to even consider another relationship. I should be banned from interacting with the male species. “I’m not ready for anything, with anyone.”
“Let me worry about that then. You just focus on being happy again. And I’ll be here to cheer you up. How’s that sound?”
“Nice,” I admit.
“Good. Come here.” He holds out his arm and I snuggle in against his side, letting my whole body relax.
Chapter 24
Colt
Taylor was quiet when I told her Bria and I would be in London for another two weeks. I’d apologized profusely, but she hadn’t said much. After we got disconnected, I tried to call her back and instead of answering she’d sent me a text. She was tired of not being able to trust me, she said. It was over. She was officially done with me.
I fall back against the pillow. My sleeping schedule is
“I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have kissed you. I’ll tell Colt, it was my fault. You did nothing wrong.”
Yeah, nothing wrong, other than enjoy it and let it happen. Stupid, Taylor. Stupid. That kiss shouldn’t have happened. I was still with Colt then.
“It’s not that,” I manage between sniffles.
“What’s wrong then, sweetheart?” He gently rubs my back, coaxing the words from me.
“I talked to Colt.”
His hand freezes on my back while he processes my words. Then he begins rubbing again. “Did he tell you?”
I sit up suddenly, tears staining my cheeks. “You knew? About him and Bria?”
He nods. “Yeah. I wanted to say something, but he wanted to be the one to tell you.”
I reach for the pillow and pull it to my chest, burying my face. Reis knew. Britt probably knew. And of course Bria and is probably celebrating behind my back. I let the tears come, not even trying anymore to hold them back.
“ Shh, it’s going to be okay.” Reis continues rubbing the length of my back. “Everything will be fine when he gets home, you’ll see. You guys will figure this out.”
I lift my head from the pillow. “No. He’s messed up one too many times.”
I cry until I’m spent, emotionally and physically drained. Reis just sits quietly beside me, rubbing my back and smoothing my hair, and shushing away the harder sobs that rack my chest. Eventually when I quiet into just hiccups, he lies down beside me, cradling my body with his. A few minutes later, Reis gets up from the bed, untangling his limbs from mine.
I whimper from the sudden absence of warmth and reach out for him.
He chuckles. “I’m not going anywhere, Shrimp, just turning off the light.” He flips off the light and comes back to the bed, pulling me tightly to his chest once again. I sigh and relax into him, thankful for his presence and long past feeling guilty about that kiss.
After I’ve quieted my tears and breathing has returned to normal, I roll over, turning toward Reis. He looks down at me and brushes my hair back from my face and smiles.
“How stupid am I? ”
“ Shh,” Reis whispers, playing with a lock of my hair.
“ I gave my heart to someone who can’t be trusted. He hasn’t changed one bit. And to think, I almost slept with him before he left.” I shake my head. And I would have, except it’d been Bria even then coming between us. It’s just like MJ said it would end.
“You mean you never slept with him?”
“That’s what you took away from that?”
He chuckles. “Sorry.”
“One track mind, much?”
“Well it’s Colt, so I figured you had. And even though it would have been weird being with you after that, I was willing to overlook it.”
I sit up in bed. “Reis, I’m not going to be ready to be with anyone for a while. I just need to be by myself.”
He nods. “I’ll wait for you until you’re ready. I’m nothing like him, you know?”
“I know that.”
“So maybe there’s hope for us.”
“I don’t think so.” Reis is a nice guy. Why couldn’t I have fallen for someone like him? But I wasn’t ready to even consider another relationship. I should be banned from interacting with the male species. “I’m not ready for anything, with anyone.”
“Let me worry about that then. You just focus on being happy again. And I’ll be here to cheer you up. How’s that sound?”
“Nice,” I admit.
“Good. Come here.” He holds out his arm and I snuggle in against his side, letting my whole body relax.
Chapter 24
Colt
Taylor was quiet when I told her Bria and I would be in London for another two weeks. I’d apologized profusely, but she hadn’t said much. After we got disconnected, I tried to call her back and instead of answering she’d sent me a text. She was tired of not being able to trust me, she said. It was over. She was officially done with me.
I fall back against the pillow. My sleeping schedule is
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