Page 88 of Absolution

“I promise we’ll come over. If she’ll let me in, and forgive me.”

“She will.” Mom pats my cheek, letting me go so I can run to Scarlet and beg her forgiveness. I press my lips to her forehead and head toward the door.

I'm not even sure Scarlet will talk to me, let alone forgive me and whether anyone else thinks so, she has every right to not want to. I hop in my SUV with Doc by my side. I waste no time getting to Scarlet’s, but I have one obstacle before I can see her.

Reese.

“What?” Reese taps her foot on the porch as I approach, she had to have seen me coming.

“I love her! And I remember everything; every moment, every kiss, and every time I promised her everything would be okay, and it wasn’t. I’ll spend the rest of my life groveling at her feet to make it up to her, but by god, I’m coming in and telling her myself.”

Reese cocks her brow. “How do you plan to do that?”

“By telling her I can’t live without her being by my side, the way she’s held my heart all of these years. I plan to love her until she can find it in her heart to love me again.”

Reese purses her mouth. “That’ll work.”

I lean in, kissing her on the cheek. “Thank you.”

“Don’t hurt her again, or I take your balls.”

“Never, I’m loving her forever.” My chest tightens with the thought of a lifetime with Scarlet and Emmie. And they’re all I need.

Chapter Twenty-Six

Scarlet

“Scarlet, for the love of all that’s holy, please take a bath! Don’t make me call 911 so the firemen can hose you down, although they’d be better suited with their face masks!” Reese yells from the other room, and I cover my head with a pillow, trying to drown her out. It doesn’t work.

“Go away!”

She jerks my covers off, gagging as she does. “Yuck! Oh my god! What in the hell?”

“Please leave me alone, I’m trying to die alone and unhappy.”

“Girl, you got dying down! Your ass or crotch is rotten, go!” Reese screams at me until I drag my ass out of bed. “Oh, my gracious! You stank-ass!”

“Fine! But I will not shave anything below my boobs.”

Reese stares blankly. “Where in all the hell do you have hair?”

“I meant my cooter and legs.” I stomp toward the bathroom. All I want to do is wallow in my self-pity and despair. Reese acts as if she’s never been heartbroken. Well, I have, and it’s fucking terrible.

“You’re giving firemuff a whole new meaning, you know that, right?”

I flip her off, sticking my tongue out at her. “I hate you.”

“Brush them damn nasty ass teeth too, or I’ll use your toilet bowl brush on them when you get out!”

Reese kills me, she also gets me. I don’t think I’d be here if not for her, but that’s what I deserve for letting him back in. He should’ve never come back here. Then again, I should have left. This is his home.

Emmie and I don’t have one, and especially without him. I’ve waited for him, longed to be held by him, and needed for him to love me for so long, I didn’t care how he came back to me.

I was selfish, I know it. Creed deserved the truth from the minute he walked into the clinic, I just didn’t know how to tell him. No one’s listened to me in so long, I felt stupid for mourning him as long as I have.

I gasp on a sob, not wanting her to realize I’m breaking all over again. A week has passed since the last time I’ve talked to Creed. It feels so much worse than before. Losing someone is hard, but doing it twice is murder.

“Hey, Scarlet!” Reese yells through the door, ripping me from my nightmare that I’m living while wide awake. I bite back the tears, pretending to be okay.