Charity Case - The Complete Series - Piper Rayne Page 0,44

checking their harnesses. “Henry looks like he’s going to throw up.”

Reed’s right. He’s pale and his eyes are darting between Jade and us as if he’s contemplating escape.

“Maybe he feels pressure to go on the ride because Jade wanted to?”

Reed hangs over the metal guardrail. Cupping his hands over his mouth, he yells, “You okay, bud?”

Henry nods, but there’s nothing convincing about it.

Reed steps off the rail and the swings moves back to me. “I’d watch out for flying vomit, just in case,” he says to me.

We sit down on a concrete stoop and watch the kids as the ride gains speed, waving when they pass by us.

“Victoria, there’s more than that.” Reed’s voice doesn’t hold its usual confidence.

I swivel in his direction.

“I didn’t understand what you saw in Pete. I wasn’t willing to kill the bro code, but if he would’ve crossed that line in front of me, I would have…but not because I’m a noble person.” He holds my gaze for a second before continuing. “I would’ve done it because I was being selfish.”

“Reed.” I place my hand on his knee. “Do not feel guilty for not telling me your suspicions. It’s not like the two of us were friends. I understand where your loyalties were.”

“Are you listening to me?” He runs a hand through his hair and I get the sense that he’s frustrated by me, which gets my back up.

“Spit out whatever you’re trying to say.”

Instead of growing more frustrated with my attitude, a smile teases the corners of his lips. “I liked you then and I like you now.”

My stomach flutters with his admission. I don’t know if he means he liked me as a person in the past or liked liked me, but it doesn’t matter. I wish I could wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him like I’ve wanted to for weeks, but things aren’t that simple. I’m not that simple.

“Reed. I like you, too.”

“Then what’s the problem?”

I eye him for a long time willing myself the courage to put it all out there. He sits patiently and waits until I finally take a deep breath and speak.

“I come with a lot of baggage and they aren’t filled with makeup, sexy heels, and lingerie. They’re overflowing with doubt, trust issues, and low self-esteem. I come with a carry-on in the form of a seven-year-old little girl who, yes, seems adorable and sweet for the few hours you’ve seen her, but there’s a more difficult side. I won’t even mention the oversized bag in the cargo hold that is my ex-husband.

“I don’t come with that new love glow. I don’t possess the belief that we kiss and live in bliss, happily ever after. I come jaded. My corners aren’t round and smooth, they’re sharp and jagged. So, as much as I like you, and believe me I am attracted to you, this thing between us can’t happen. I’m sorry.”

I turn my attention away from him and unscrew the cap of water, gulping down the cold liquid like it will help push down all the raw emotion rising within me.

We sit in silence for a few moments and I can’t believe he hasn’t fought me on this. Not that I want him to, but I expected some sort of comeback.

“You’re right, I dated Olive. It was off and on. Never really that serious. Her family is friends with my family.”

Not what I was expecting.

“We went to the same expensive private school. We hung around with the same entitled crowd. We each got an insanely expensive car when we turned sixteen. Both of our educations were off-the-charts expensive and paid in full when we graduated. We shopped at the same designer stores. Flew to the same vacation destinations. I thought she was what I wanted…or maybe I convinced myself I was what she wanted. I don’t know.”

His hands knot together and in all the times I’ve been around Reed, he’s never looked this intense, this nervous.

“She tried to stop me from being a Big Brother. Told me my time was too valuable to spend it playing house with someone else’s kid. I know her type. Even though we weren’t serious, she had our big mansion in North Shore picked out. Had our kid’s names decided and a Pinterest board of decorated bedrooms for them. She tried to mold me into someone I wasn’t. Someone I never wanted to be.”

The swings slows down, and I spot Jade, her hair windblown and chaotic. Henry’s actually smiling.

I