Broken Dreams (Broken 2)

“I’m house-sitting,” we said together again.

“What?” I yelled. “No, you’re not. I’m house-sitting and dog-sitting.”

Reed smiled and shook his head. “Um…I think you are mistaken. I’m house-sitting and…um…um…cow-sitting.” He made a funny face when he realized how goofy that had sounded.

I tried so hard not to laugh, and I had to bite my cheek to keep from smiling.

“Cow-sitting? Really? Really, Reed?” I turned and made my way back up the stairs.

It didn’t take me long to figure out what Layton and Whitley had done. They had arranged this whole thing.

“Well, I’ve got this covered, so you can head on home, Reed.”

I silently prayed that he wouldn’t argue with me for once, and he’d just leave. I needed to be alone for a bit, so I could try to figure out how I was going to kill Mitch while plotting my revenge on that bitch, Karen.

“Uh…sorry, Court, but I took three weeks of vacation, and I really don’t think you can help Mitch take care of shit around the ranch.”

I threw open the door before making my way through the house and into the kitchen. “Please, how hard can it be? I think I’ve got this covered. Really, you can leave the…cow-sitting to me,” I said with a wink.

He gave me a smirk and turned to pour himself a cup of coffee. My cell phone rang, and I pulled it out of my back pocket.

Whitley. Oh God, I need to talk to her. “Whitley!” I shouted.

“Hey, Lollipop! How’s it going this morning?”

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sp; I tried so hard not to start crying, but the moment I heard her voice, I lost it. I walked out onto the back porch and tried to calm down.

“Courtney, no! Oh, please, no. Layton and I thought it would do you and Reed some good to spend time together. Oh, please don’t cry!”

I shook my head. She must think I’m upset about Reed. “No, Whit, it’s not that. Oh God, Whitley…he’s been cheating on me!” I blurted out.

“What? Who?”

I quickly wiped my tears away. “Santa Claus. Who in the fuck do you think I’m talking about?”

“Mitch?”

“Yes, Mitch, Whitley. He called me by accident last night, and I heard him talking to that bitch he had been with all night at the wedding, his ex. Then, I heard…I heard…” I couldn’t even get it out.

I could overhear Whitley telling Layton what was happening.

“Court, take a deep breath, sweetheart. What did you hear?”

“I heard him fucking her, Whitley! Oh my God, I sat there, like an idiot, and listened to them having sex while she called out his name.”

I collapsed into the rocking chair and began crying. I was trying to be quiet, so Reed wouldn’t hear me. I could hear Whitley talking to Layton, but I wasn’t paying attention.

“Oh God, Whitley, I knew he wasn’t the one. I knew it! I mean, we’ve barely even slept together in the year we’ve been seeing each other. I knew he wasn’t the one. He just proved it to me, and I sat there, like a fool, and listened.”

“Courtney, honey, I’m so sorry I’m not there,” Whitley said as she let out a sob.

“Oh, for Pete’s sake, Whitley, I’m so sorry! I shouldn’t have told you before you left for your honeymoon today. I wasn’t going to tell you, but I heard your voice, and—”

Just then, Reed came flying out the back door. “Motherfucking son of a bitch. I’m going to kill him!” he yelled as he made his way to the ranch truck.

I jumped up and wiped the tears away. “Whit, did Layton tell Reed?” I asked as I saw Reed picking up the pace when he started jogging to the ranch truck. I took off after him.