Mistakes I've Made (Broken Love Duet 1)

“Reed, don’t.”

“No, I need to finish this. I’ve loved you from the first moment I saw you and I know I just keep fucking up—”

“Reed, please,” Callie interjects, but I shake my head no.

“I promise you, Callie. If you give me another chance, I won’t ever let anything get between us again. I know I handled this all wrong. In my head, I was trying to shield you—”

“Reed—”

“And I know how stupid that sounds. I was just trying to somehow get my baby safe and contain Chas. You never left my heart or my mind, though. I just…” I push my hand through my hair again. “Fuck, I don’t know what I was doing. It all sounds so lame now,” I mumble.

“Reed,” Callie interjects again, louder and her voice sterner. “Stop, please. There’s no point.”

“But there is, Callie. Don’t you see? There’s nothing between us, nothing stopping us from being together.”

“It’s too late, Reed,” she says, and I can see the tears in her eyes. I watch as some escape and run down her face.

“It’s not, baby. Don’t you see? I was trying to shield you, but there’s no baby. There never was. You just have to give me another chance. Give us another chance.”

“I can’t, Reed. It’s too late.”

“Callie—”

“What she’s trying to tell you, little brother, is that she’s moved on. Callie and I are together, now. We have been for a while.”

God, if there was ever a time that pain could bring you to your knees, this would be it. It feels like my heart is being ripped to shreds. I don’t know how I manage to stand, but somehow, I do.

“No,” I respond, shaking my head, not able to accept this. “No, Callie. I know I’ve fucked up the last couple of months, but we love each other. You can’t turn that off. You love me.”

“Mitch and I are together now, Reed,” she says, crying more. “It’s too late.”

“You need to leave, Reed. I won’t let you upset Callie. I didn’t mean for this to happen. We don’t want to hurt you, but I love her, brother. She’s everything to me and I’ll never put anything before her, not even you. I’ve learned from your mistakes. A woman like Callie doesn’t come along to a schlep like me every day.” Mitch says, but I ignore him.

I can only concentrate on Callie right now. I watch as she puts her hand on his arm as he hugs her stomach. Her hand shakes, as it comes to rest with his on her stomach.

“Callie, don’t do this,” I whisper, the words sounding harsh because I know what’s going to happen. She’s going to choose him.

I’ve waited too long.

“Reed, it’s too late.”

“It’s not—”

“I’m pregnant, Reed. I’m having Mitch’s baby.”

Her words echo in my head, bringing with them death.

Death of every dream I’ve ever had.