Broken Dreams (Broken 2)

Reed jumped in the truck, started it and began driving. “Let’s go into town and get some breakfast.”

I glanced over at him and let out a gasp. “Oh my God! You’re bleeding. You have blood all over you!”

Reed looked down at his shirt and smiled. Then, he glanced at me before turning back to the road. “That’s his blood, not mine.”

I shook my head. “No! You’re bleeding above your eye, Reed.”

He looked in the rearview mirror. “It’s just a small cut. I’ll wash it up, and then we’ll head into town.”

We drove back to Layton and Whitley’s house in silence.

I kept replaying the whole thing in my head. Mitch was only with me to keep Reed away from me? Mitch never loved me. He never really wanted to be with me. Six

months…

When we pulled up, I just sat there, frozen. Reed opened the passenger door and held out his hand, but I couldn’t move.

“He never even wanted to be with me. He never…” I slowly turned, and the moment my eyes met Reed’s, I began crying.

He reached in and picked me up. He carried me into the house as I buried my face into his shoulder, and I just cried. I felt like such a fool. In Layton and Whitley’s room, Reed gently put me down onto the bed. He reached down and began taking off my sneakers. The feel of his hands just touching my body was driving me insane.

I’d given up a year of searching for something that didn’t exist with someone who I’d thought could possibly be my Prince Charming. I should have listened to my initial instincts. From the first time he’d kissed me, I’d known that he wasn’t the one. My heart had screamed it, but my head had denied it.

Reed pulled the covers over me, and I never took my eyes off of him as he looked into my eyes and smiled. He pushed a piece of my hair away from my eyes as he bent over and then kissed me on the forehead.

“I’ll make us something to eat in a bit, but I have to take care of something first, okay?”

I nodded my head and closed my eyes. I couldn’t look at him another second longer, or I would beg him to kiss me, and that was the last thing I wanted.

Why does my Prince Charming keep turning out to be nothing but a monster?

I felt myself drifting off into sleep. I prayed that the nightmares wouldn’t return, and I fought like hell not to fall asleep.

The last thing I heard was a voice whispering next to my ear, “Sleep for a bit, angel. I won’t let anyone hurt you ever again.”

Reed…

“I promise, Whitley, she’s fine. Yes, I kicked his ass and fired him like Layton said. Yes, I promise I won’t argue with her or instigate anything. Whitley! Will you just go on your honeymoon and stop stressing? Courtney will be fine. I swear to you, I won’t do anything to hurt her any more, and I will spoil the hell out of her. I’m even making her lunch.”

I rolled my eyes as I listened to Whitley give me another one of her cute little threats.

“I swear to you, Reed Moore, if you do anything to cause her stress, I will kick your ass.”

“Whitley, can I talk to Layton now?”

“Fine. Love you, Reed!” she said in a chipper voice.

I heard her say something to Layton as she handed the phone to him.

“Is he gone?” Layton asked.

“Yeah, he stopped at the house and gave me all his keys and a few other items. Fucker even had the nerve to ask to talk to Courtney, and I told him to go jump off a bridge.”

Layton let out a long sigh. “Shit, Reed, you’re going to have your hands full for three weeks.”

I laughed. “Nah, I already called Kevin. Now that he’s home for good, he’s looking for a job, so he said he could help out around here.”

“Damn, I owe him one. Tell him thanks for me. And, Reed?”