I watched them walk into Layton’s room with the nurse. As the elevator doors closed, I let out the breath I had been holding, and I walked right into Reed’s arms and cried.
“I don’t think I could listen to him talk about what happened. Oh God, Reed. He almost died. What if he hadn’t gotten there when he did, and Roger—”
Reed began stroking my hair as he said, “Shh…Whitley, it’s over. Sweetheart, it’s all over now. You never have to worry about him again. Layton made sure of that. ”
I sat down on the hotel bed and looked around. For one brief moment, I panicked. I jumped up, ran to the bedroom door, and pulled it open. Reed was sitting on the sofa, watching TV.
He got up and ran over toward me. “What’s wrong?”
“Um…nothing. For a second, I just thought I was alone, and I don’t want to be alone. ”
Reed smiled and sat back down on the sofa. “I’m not going to leave you, Whit. I promise. ”
“Reed?”
“Yeah?”
“Would it be inappropriate if I sat on the sofa with you and slept? I just don’t want to be in a bed all alone, and…” I felt my throat tighten up as I tried to hold back my tears.
Reed smiled as he moved over and grabbed the blanket sitting at the end of the sofa. “Come on, baby girl. I made my own promise to Layton to always protect you when he wasn’t around. He’d kick my ass if he knew you were scared, and I let it go. ”
I giggled as I sat down and curled up next to Reed. I started to think of Courtney and how she was in love with Reed but wouldn’t admit it.
“Can I ask you a question, Reed? And you can tell me to mind my own business. ”
He let out a small laugh. “Go for it. ”
“How do you feel about Courtney? I mean, what are your feelings for her?”
I felt him take a deep breath and slowly let it out.
“I’ve never in my life met a girl like her. She’s so confident in herself, yet she seems unsure of herself sometimes, too. She’s so damn beautiful, inside and out, but she makes me madder than hell. She’s stubborn, and she’s a smart-ass. But I lie in bed every night and wonder how I could have let her slip away from me. I hate that my pride kept me away from her. It kept me from just telling her that I…” His voice trailed off.
I looked up at him. “That you, what?”
“That I love her. I think I’ve loved her since the moment I laid eyes on her. It’s just that I’ve made so many mistakes in my life, Whitley. I’m no angel, and I just feel like I’m not good enough for her. She could do so much better than me. ”
I pulled back and sat up. I crossed my legs and just stared at him. “Reed, first off, no one is perfect, and we’ve all made mistakes. I can tell you that Courtney is no angel herself, but she has a good heart, and she tries her damnedest to be a good person. I know you’re the same way. I’ve never met anyone who would do anything for his friends with no questions asked, like you do. Reed, if I asked you right now to give me the shirt off your back, I know you’d say okay and not think twice about it. Don’t let your past stand in the way of your future. What’s in the past is meant to stay in the past. Trust me…I know. ”
He smiled and pushed my shoulder back. “Layton is one lucky son of a bitch. I’m so glad y’all found each other. But I think it’s too late for Courtney and me. Too much has been said between us. Besides, she’s with Mitch, and she seems to be…very happy with him. ”
He frowned, and I swore I saw tears in his eyes.
“Reed, don’t give up. Trust me, I know Courtney cares about you…a lot. ”
Reed’s eyes lit up, and he smiled. “Yeah?”
I smiled as I nodded. “I’m probably breaking some kind of sisterhood code by telling you this, so you have to swear this stays between us. ”
Reed sat up straight and nodded as he used his index finger to cross his heart. “I promise. My lips are sealed. ”
I took a deep breath and let it out. “Courtney is confused, really confused. ”
He tilted his head and scrunched up his nose. “Okay…about what?”
I rolled my eyes. Men—everything has to be explained in full detail.
“She’s confused because she has feelings for both you and Mitch. She loves you, Reed…but she’s also slowly falling in love with Mitch, and that confuses her. Mitch is her safe choice. ”