I’d spent the next two days in almost the exact same position on my bed. Carl had texted me to let me know that he was in a relationship and thought it best I heard it from him.
Long after I’d heard it from multiple people.
He’d told me that he’d hoped we’d find our way back to one another but that he’d gotten tired of waiting, even though I was coming home this week.
He’d claimed that I hadn’t made him a priority and she had.
It was like a knife to the heart.
I’d made so many sacrifices for him, and he couldn’t give me this one?
I’d barely eaten, and I’d never felt so low, at least not since I’d been sick in college, but that was a different kind of low.
Finn was having a fit because I’d yet to pick up the phone. He’d left numerous messages and sent multiple texts, but I’d stopped responding. I glanced down to see a new message.
Chewy
Damn it, Miney. What the hell is going on? Are you coming home tomorrow?
I reached for the roll of toilet paper that I had in bed with me and blew my nose. I’d canceled my flight for tomorrow because I didn’t feel like I could get up and go to the airport.
Nor could I get myself together to face my ex-fiancé and his new girlfriend.
I’m not coming home right now.
Chewy
What the fuck are you talking about? Why not?
A cry escaped my lips, and I let it out. I lay on my tear-soaked pillow, wondering what the hell I was going to do with my life, and I responded with the only thing I could.
I told him the truth.
I’m frozen.
And I let myself sleep because it was the only time that my aching heart found a reprieve.
three
Finn
I’d landed at Heathrow Airport and took a car to Reese’s place. She really hadn’t gotten on that plane yesterday, and everyone was worried about her back home. So, I’d tossed some clothes into a duffle and jumped on the first flight I could.
I’d visited her four times over the last year, and she’d come to my opening when Big Sky Ranch premiered.
Her ex-fiancé, Carl “The Shit-Turd” Barley, hadn’t come one time to see her.
He’d been too busy pouting because she’d left, and then he’d grown impatient and jumped in the sack with the one woman he knew would hurt her the most.
Reese was so hell-bent on marrying the dude, and every time I’d pressed her about it, she had the same answer.
I’ve invested more than a decade with him.
So the fuck what?
He’s an asshole, and he didn’t deserve her.
So, I was going to get her and bring her home.
“You look familiar,” the dude driving me said with his English accent, making it sound far more formal than it should.
“Do I?” I chuckled.
“You’re that bloke from Big Sky Ranch, aren’t you?”
“I am. Yes. Thanks for watching.”
He pulled up in front of Reese’s building.
“Ahh… this is amazing. And you snogged that costar of yours, didn’t you?” He barked out a laugh, and I winced internally. This was what I was known for now.
Snogging Jessica Carson.
Which never even happened.
“No comment,” I said, reaching for my duffle bag before handing him cash for the ride.
“Listen, everyone knows it’s a bunch of rubbish. She’s a dodgy bird, isn’t she?”
I chuckled. “I think calling her a dodgy bird is probably accurate, even if I don’t know for sure what that means.”
“Yeah. You’re a cool bloke. You’re all right.”
“You, too, buddy. Thanks for the lift.” I saluted him after agreeing to take a quick selfie with him.
I was still getting used to being recognized wherever I went.
“Are you staying long?” he called out before I closed the door, and I leaned my head back in.
“Nah. Just here to pick up a friend.”
“Ahhh… I’m guessing it’s a beautiful bird by the way you’re seeming so anxious to get into that building.”
“You’d be correct. She’s the best girl around. Take care.” I knocked my knuckles against the roof of the car and closed the door.
I entered the old Victorian building and jogged up the three flights of stairs before banging on the door. Now that I was here, I couldn’t get to her fast enough.
This year apart from Reese had been difficult for me. More so than I ever could have imagined.
“Damn it, Miney. Open the door.”
“Chewy?”
“Of course. Does someone else call you Miney?”
The door flew open, and there she stood. Her eyes were puffy, and her skin was paler than usual, but her green eyes met mine, and all the tension left my shoulders.
I dropped my duffle right there in the doorway as she stepped into my arms. Her body quaked, and I just held her there. When the sob escaped her throat, I pulled back, using my thumbs to wipe away the falling tears.
“Hey. You’re okay.”
“I can’t believe you’re here. I missed you.”
“I missed you, too.”
She stepped back, and I pulled my bag into her apartment and pushed the door closed before dropping my ass onto her bed as she sat beside me. She leaned her head against my chest.
Her small studio apartment had a kitchenette, a bathroom, and her bedroom, which was also her living room. But she lived in downtown London, and the location was everything she’d wanted.
“You just flew to London on a whim?” she whispered. She fell back onto the bed, so I lay beside her. My feet were still on the floor, but the rest of me was sprawled on the bed. I rolled to my side just as she did. It was something we’d always done since we were kids.
“You needed me,” I said, kissing the top of her head. “We made a deal years ago. I wasn’t about to break it now.”
She tipped her head back to look at me. “You call. I come. And vice versa.”
“Yep. Think of how many times you’ve rescued me.”
“That time Cammie Watkins tried to tie you to her bed, and you didn’t have a car. That goes down as my all-time favorite. I was the perfect getaway. You came running out in your tighty whiteys.” She chuckled as her eyes locked with mine. I saw the sadness there, but I knew getting her to laugh was the best thing for her right now.
“Good times. That girl was… a lot. She lured me to her house, saying she didn’t want anything but a one-and-done, and then she tried to tie me up while I was sleeping. I ran and took cover in the bathroom until you got there.” I shivered dramatically, which made her laugh harder.
“You sent me that 911 text, and I came running. I hadn’t even brushed my teeth.” She laughed a real, genuine laugh, which gave me hope that she was going to be okay. “I remember you charging down that driveway with her chasing after you.”
I stroked her hair. Damn, it was good to see her. Reese was my girl in every sense of the word—minus the sex.
She was the one I shared everything with and who I trusted with my deepest secrets.
My best friend and my favorite person.
“You sure did. So, I’m just returning the favor. I knew you were hurting, and I came to bring you home. We’re flying out in two days.” I glanced around to see most of the tiny place was already packed up.
“Thanks for coming, Chewy.” She blinked a few times, and I saw tears welling in her pretty sage-green eyes again. “I can’t stand the thought of seeing them together.”
“Stop worrying about them. It’s your home. This isn’t you, Miney. You don’t curl into a ball on your bed and throw in the towel. You’re the strongest person I know.”
The shit she’d overcome was more than most could ever wrap their head around. I’d watched her fight cancer. I’d watched her beat cancer. Ever since then, Reese had always known what she wanted for her life. Family. Kids. That whole fairy tale. And she fought hard for it. Almost gave up a part of herself to claim it.
“Don’t go flattering me. I don’t hold a candle to Brinkley,” she said, and the corners of her lips turned up.
Now it was my turn to laugh. My sister was tough as nails, but she wasn’t dealt the shitty hand Reese was. “Brinks is a tough one. But so are you.”