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He walks out without even saying goodbye. Maybe that’s for the best. The air I’m breathing in now that he’s gone is cleaner and not filled with the bitterness that is eating at him.
He’s wrong. What Callie and I have is real. We’re going to make it work this time.
I know it. Besides, there is no other option.
CHAPTER 37
Callie
I’m dragging by the time I make it in. I worked half a day, and it wore me out. My stomach is cramping, my back is hurting, and the temptation to just go home is almost too strong. I mean, I want to see Reed, but no girl wants the man they like to see them when they are at their worst. I probably shouldn’t have called him. I just had a weak moment, and I wanted to hear his voice, so I called. Work had been extra hard, and I don’t exactly gel with some of my coworkers. So, here I am pulling up to Reed’s driveway so late in the night that it’s almost early morning instead. It’s crazy because I know realistically, he’s probably fast asleep. Even if he was waiting up for me, he’s had to have fallen asleep on the sofa or wherever by now. I shut my car and stare at his beautiful house and fight the urge to start it back up and go home. One thing stops me.
The front door to Reed’s house opens.
He’s standing there, looking so hot in his grey sweats, no shirt, and bare feet. He should be illegal. Not that I would care, mind you. For him, I’d break the law without blinking. When his lips tilt in a smile, butterflies awaken in my stomach. I could blame it on my period, but that’s not it. It’s all because of Reed. I make myself move, opening my door, and when I stand up, I look over the top of my car at him. “You always open your door looking like that so late at night?”
“Only when I’m expecting the woman of my dreams to show up,” he answers smoothly.
I blush—despite trying not to. Then, I make sure my car door closes and walk over to him. The minute I get there, he takes me into his arms. My eyes close in pleasure as his body heat surrounds me. I let the tension leak from my muscles as I hold onto him. For a minute, I can do nothing but enjoy the feeling of being in Reed’s arms again.
“You feel good,” I confess, as my emotions overwhelm me. I don’t know what is wrong with me. I’m being super sensitive and feel the urge to cry at how nice Reed is being. Maybe it’s the fact that I didn’t want to leave him in the first place. It could be that being here with him feels like coming home. I decided to grab happiness with Reed while he was here, but I’m quickly realizing that when he leaves me, I’m going to fall apart—even more than I did in the past. If I was smart, I would take off running. I know I’m not going to be able to do that. This is too good for me to end it before he does. In this, I’m going to give Reed time to realize he belongs elsewhere—and I belong here. This time he will have to end it.
I’m not strong enough.
“You okay, Bluebird?” Reed asks, looking worried.
“Yeah, just tired,” I murmur.
“We’ll get your bags later. Let’s get you in bed so you can sleep, okay?”
“Sounds good.”
He gives my body a squeeze and then we walk inside—his arm still around me. The coolness of the house feels good. The lights are off with the exception of a lamp on the table by the door and one in the living room. The hall light is on, too. I just glance, but it’s easy to tell that Reed was waiting up for me. My heart squeezes in my chest. I don’t think anyone has cared enough to stay up for me. It never happened when Reed and I were together the first time because he was always working.
When we walk into the bedroom, I can’t really believe what I see. On the bed is one of his T-shirts, draped on the side I always sleep on. There’s also a heating pad, and the nightstand by the bed has a super huge bottle of the pain reliever I always take for cramps.
“Reed?”
“It’s so late that I didn’t run a bath, but I can now if you want one,” he says.
I turn to look at him. He’s clearly nervous. I’m trying to think of what to say. I wring my hands together. “I don’t need a bath,” I finally answer, completely flustered. “How did you get all of this together?” I ask, knowing that he didn’t know I was on my period until earlier today.
