Broken Dreams (Broken 2)

Tyler dropped his gun down to his side and said, “What? I want to feel.”

As soon as he took a step closer, I started shooting the shit out of him. I let out an evil laugh and took off running.

Reed and I met up in our meeting place, both of us fighting to catch our breath.

“They’re dropping like flies,” Reed said between pants.

Reed and Tyler were really getting into this. I smiled, just thinking of how Reed was kicking Ty’s ass.

Oh, how I love my husband.

“Ty’s friend’s wife said she was bored, so they stopped playing, and now, the only other couple is Tyler and Meg,” I said.

Reed gave me a quick peck on the lips and said, “Let’s get these bastards!”

I gave him a funny look, shrugged, and said, “Okay! Let’s do this! Brother or not, he’s got to go down.”

And down he went. With my little stunt I’d pulled about feeling the baby move, it pretty much sealed the deal for us. When we won the last game, Reed and I might have celebrated a little too much.

As we walked out of laser tag, my parents were making arrangements for everyone to go to dinner.

“Mr. and Mrs. Will, I’ve already made dinner arrangements for all of us,” Reed said.

I smiled at him. I wanted to attack him and cover him in kisses. Reed looked at me and smiled as my heart thumped in my chest.

Meg walked up to me and hooked her arm through mine as we walked toward the rental car.

“I’m so sorry, Meg. Maybe if I had said something, he wouldn’t have touched you.”

She gave me a weak smile and said, “No, Courtney. Don’t say that. None of this is your fault or my fault. Please don’t ever think that, okay? I’m just ready to move on, and knowing he will be forever out of my life is amazing. He’s finally going to get what he deserves.”

I couldn’t even begin to understand how it had been for Meg to see Noah day in and day out, having him over for dinn

ers, parties, vacations. Yuck.

By the time we got back to the hotel, I was spent. I looked into the mirror and frowned. I look like shit. My hair was pulled up in a sloppy ponytail, and I was dressed like I’d just rolled out of bed. I could see the pain buried in my eyes, and I closed them in hopes that when I opened them, everything with Noah would just be a dream.

The moment I felt Reed’s arms wrap around me, the love just flowed from his body into mine.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against my neck.

I let out a giggle and opened my eyes to see him staring at me in the mirror. “You must be looking at a different reflection than me,” I said with a weak smile.

He pulled his head back while he looked my body up and down in the mirror and slowly shook his head. “The reflection I see is the most amazing woman I’ve ever met, one who has such an incredible passion for life and love. I see the most beautiful woman I’ve ever laid my eyes on. I see the mother of my children, the woman I’m going to spend the rest of my life with, and the woman who—for some crazy reason—took a chance on love with me. I also see the luckiest man on earth standing next to her.”

I bit down on my lower lip and closed my eyes as I sank back into his body. “I love you, Reed. I knew you would come for me. I knew you wouldn’t let him hurt me again.”

He turned me around and held on to me while I cried. I wanted to forget everything that had happened, but I couldn’t until I talked to him about it.

“He was going to touch me, and there was no way I could let him. I was pleading with him to stop while I was praying for you to find me and make him stop.”

Reed sucked in a breath of air. “I’m sorry it happened in the first place, baby. I’m so sorry.”

I placed my hands on the sides of his face. “Don’t say you’re sorry. Just tell me he is forever gone from my life.”

He placed his hands on mine and smiled. “I promise you, he will never bother you ever again. I promise you, baby.”

When I saw the tear roll down his cheek, my heart exploded. I’d never loved anyone like I loved Reed, and I knew I never would.