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“Sorry?” I fluff my pillow and lay my head down.
“Why are you so convinced that we won’t make it work this time, baby?” he asks, his anger fading as we stare at one another.
“Because I’m still more than a little broken, Reed, and you deserve more.”
“That right there is bullshit. You’re everything, Callie. Fuck, you’ve always been everything I’ve ever wanted, and you love me the same way. Admit it.”
I reach out and press my hand against his chest, needing to touch him. He doesn’t have any idea how much I love him—how much I’ve always loved him. How could he? All I’ve done is make mistake after mistake.
“I love you with everything I am.”
“Jesus, fuck, that sounds good. I was afraid—”
“The thing is, everything I am is all screwed up. I think he-who-shall-not-ever-be-named destroyed the part in me that makes me normal. How am I supposed to fit in your life when going into a place with more than ten people can trigger a panic attack? What if I never get better, Reed?”
“Then, we adapt. Why do you say you’re not better? My God, Callie. Five years ago you couldn’t have been in Katie’s wedding.”
“To be fair, that was kind of a no-wedding.”
“You were there. You couldn’t have done that five years ago, baby.”
“I had a panic attack outside the restaurant at the mere thought of seeing you again, Reed.”
“Sweetheart, I almost had a panic attack seeing you again.”
I smile, shaking my head. “You did not.”
“Oh yeah, Bluebird, I really did.”
“Okay, fine. Still, how am I supposed to live in Nashville and go to all those events and things you do—not to mention the concerts.”
“Callie, I don’t even want to live in Nashville anymore and that is my decision, not yours.”
“I think you’re trying to do things to make life easier for me and, for the record, that’s not what I want. That’s not a partnership. I want to be someone who supports and encourages you, not drags you down. I don’t want you to move to Macon because I can’t live anywhere else—which to be fair—I’m not sure I can or even want to. The same can’t be said for you. You have a life and a career outside of Macon. You can’t give that up. Reed, the simple truth is our worlds are completely different. We don’t mesh together anymore.”
“You’re wrong. We mesh perfectly. Last night was proof of that,” he adds with a wicked smile.
“Reed…”
“We fit together perfectly, Callie. We want the same things out of life and that’s a home, a family, and being together. The rest is just semantics, and we will figure it out—but we have to do that together.”
“We can’t figure anything out if we hide from it, Reed and that’s what we’re doing.”
“Fine, then come to Tennessee with me.”
“What?” I squeak.
“I have to go back to Nashville to see my lawyers and fill out the paperwork for the sale of my house there. I also have a meeting with my record company. Come with me so that I can show you that together we can do anything.”
“I’m not sure that’s a great idea, honey. In fact, I’m kind of scared it may blow up in our faces,” I divulge, and I’m not lying. The thought of proving that I can never be what Reed needs terrifies me.
“It is. Besides, I truly don’t want to be away from you.”
“Reed…” I breathe, worried and unsure.
“If you love me, Callie, you must be willing to try. That’s the only way this works. We’ve got to work at this together.”
“God, I’m going to regret this, but if that’s what you truly want, I’ll go to Nashville with you.”
“That’s my girl,” he croons, bending toward me as his hand slides against my throat. His lips touch mine and I sigh. If there’s one thing that I’ve learned, it’s the fact that Reed’s kiss makes everything better. It gives me courage. When we break apart, he rests his forehead against mine. “God, I was scared I couldn’t make you listen.”
“Don’t get cocky. I’m still not convinced this is smart, but I know I have to give us a chance.”
“That’s all I need. You’ll see.”
“Reed, you deserve so much better than me.”
“That’s where you’re wrong, Callie. You’re the answer to every prayer I’ve ever made—both spoken and unspoken.”
“If my stomach wasn’t cramping and I wasn’t dead tired, I’d attack you right now.”
“It’s okay, sweetheart. I’ll give you a raincheck,” he laughs.
He helps me to turn and then pulls my body into him so my ass is pressed against his aroused cock.
“I love you, Reed. I can’t promise how this is going to go, but I’m going to try with everything I have in me.”
“That’s more than enough, honey. More than enough.”
I lie in bed listening until his breathing evens out. Only then can I rest and let sleep claim me.
