A Song That Never Ends (Broken Love Duet 3)

I never thought I’d be on an episode of a soap opera, but this is kind of starting to feel like it.

“You’ll be paying me a lot more. I’m suing you for breach of contract. You won’t have a pot to piss in, and it’s all this fucking cunt’s fault,” Trisha says, turning her venom back on me. I bring my attention back to her just as she lunges in my direction.

I’m like a deer caught in the headlights of an oncoming car. I can see disaster, I’m just not quick enough to avoid it. Her hands hit me, flat against my chest. She’s got a surprising amount of strength to be so skinny.

My body goes flying backwards. I splash into the pool and sink down into the water. I come up seconds later, spluttering, while pushing my hair out of my face. I immediately go to the steps of the pool, intent to get out and beat Trisha’s ass. Sadly, I’m too late. Security comes running and this big, beefy guy wraps Trisha up in one of his arms.

“Let me go! You unhand me or I’ll make sure you’re all sorry!” Trisha screeches.

I start to walk in her direction. I don’t really know what I’m planning on doing. Although, slapping the shit out of her sounds like fun. Reed ruins that by scooping me up much like the security guard did Trisha.

“Get her out of my sight, Greg,” Reed roars.

I watch dumbfounded as the guard carries the woman over his shoulder and away from us. You can hear her the entire time—even after they’ve disappeared from sight—screaming at the top of her lungs.

Wow….

“Shit, Bluebird, are you okay?”

I blink. “Is life in Nashville always like this? Because I have to tell you, Reed, if it is, I’m not sure I want to come back.”

He shakes his head. “No, baby. It’s not normally like this.”

“I’ll have to take your word for it,” I gripe, grabbing a towel and wrapping it around my bathing suit. I squeeze out my hair but allow my gaze to travel to Reed’s face because I hear the worry in his voice.

“You promise you’re okay?”

I grin at him. “I just had a run in with a screaming banshee who needs to eat, and I didn’t have a panic attack. I think I’m doing pretty dang good,” I announce, feeling proud.

Reed looks stunned for a minute and then he starts laughing, before scooping me up in his arms. I wrap my legs around him, holding onto him tightly as I gladly take his kiss. Our tongues dance and fight as he claims my mouth. It’s intense and ends all too soon. When I open my eyes to look at him, he’s still smiling. I purse my lips thinking over everything.

“Reed? Will she really sue you?”

“She’ll try.”

“Shit,” I exhale.

“It won’t go anywhere, baby. Especially with the footage from my security cameras. Plus, there’s evidence that Trisha has been skimming millions of dollars under the table from my endorsement and tour deals. When I’m done with her, she won’t be able to find a job. She’ll have to leave Nashville to get away from the backlash.”

“As long as she stays far away from Texas and our lives in general,” I grumble.

He puts a hand against the side of my neck, right over my pulse. Reed does this often and in a way that I’m not sure he fully realizes it. I love it, though. With his gentle nudge, I tilt my head to look into his beautiful, dark eyes.

“I’m so fucking proud of you, Callie. You didn’t even let today phase you.”

“I have your love and support. Honestly, the last few days is the first time in my life I felt truly safe and accepted. I think, in time, I will begin believing in myself, Reed. I just need you to be patient when I forget,” I confess.

“I love you, honey. I’m not going anywhere. I’m with you through the rest of this life and into the next. I’m never letting you go,” he vows.

“I don’t want you to go anywhere. I am sorry I seem to be at the center of all the chaos this week, though.”

“It’s okay, honey.”

“It is?” I frown. Call me crazy, but I kind of expected him to say that I wasn’t responsible for the chaos. Heck, maybe I even needed that reassurance.

“Yeah, because we’re getting married. You can spend the rest of your life making it up to me.”

I laugh. “I’ll see what I can do, Reed. I’ll see what I can do.”

He kisses me again, and I know in my heart that everything is going to be alright.

Better than alright.

It’s perfect because finally there is nothing keeping Reed and I apart. We have forever to make beautiful memories that will shine so bright the past will never matter again.