“Court.” I’m breathless by the time I finally answer the phone, nervous energy coursing through me.
I hadn’t expected to hear from her, though I have yet to discover why I actually am.
“Hey, Bree.” Her voice is soft, sad even, and it chips at my heart a little bit more.
“Hey,” I reply, not really sure what to say.
“I needed to call you,” she starts. “But now I’m not really sure why.”
“I’m so sorry, Courtney,” I blurt, tears instantly stinging the back of my eyes. “I should’ve told you how I felt from the beginning. I should’ve been honest with you.”
“Yes, you should have.” She sighs.
“I love him.” I don’t mean to say it, but I also can’t deny how good it feels to say either.
“I know you do. And he loves you, more than I think even you realize.” Her words do more than just shock me, and it takes me several moments to form a response.
“You’ve talked to him?”
“I have. And I guess that’s why I’m calling.” She pauses for a long moment. “I want you to follow your heart, Bree. I want you to be happy. If Ant makes you happy, then I want that for you.”
“Court,” I start, but she cuts me off.
“Just let me say this,” she continues when I don’t object. “What you did was wrong on so many levels. I never thought you’d lie to me, keep something like this from me, and to be honest, you kind of broke my heart. And not because you’re in love with Anthony, but because you kept it from me. All I’ve ever wanted was for you to be happy. After everything you’ve been through, Bree, you deserve that. You deserve it more than anyone I’ve ever known. I wish you trusted in me enough to know I would’ve supported you had you just been upfront with me.”
“I was scared,” I admit.
“I get that. I do. But we’re supposed to be family, Bree. And family doesn’t lie to each other, and they don’t keep secrets of this magnitude.”
“I know.”
“I’m not okay with how this all played out. And to be honest, it’s probably going to take me a while to move past it, but I will. You just have to give me some time.”
“Of course. Of course, I will. I’ll do anything you need. Anything. You name it, I’ll do it. I’ll do anything to make this right. I love you so much, Court. You’re my sister, my best friend, one of the very things that make me, me. I’m not whole without you in my life.”
“I know that. And I feel the same way. But I can’t just pretend like nothing happened. I can’t just pick back up where we left off and act like you didn’t hurt me, because you did.”
“I know.” I swipe away the tears falling from my eyes and try to keep my voice steady.
“Ant came to see me.” Her next statement sends me reeling in an entirely different direction.
“What?”
“I’m guessing by your reaction you haven’t spoken to him yet?”
“He won’t return my calls,” I admit.
“He showed up here yesterday, begged me to forgive you.”
“He did?” I’m not sure how to feel about this. “Is that why you’re calling. Because he asked you to?”
“No,” she states curtly. “But he did make me realize some things that I think I wasn’t quite ready to admit to myself.”
“Which is?”
“That I never really wanted Ant back. I’ve been going through some things here, and seeing Ant again just made me miss the girl I used to be.”
“Anything you want to talk about.”
“Not yet,” she continues. “He just reminded me of a simpler time, when he and I were together. How much fun we used to have. How easy it always was. I guess I just got caught up trying to run away from my life now. It doesn’t change how hurt I am by your actions, but it does make giving you my blessing much easier.”
“Your blessing?” I question.
“That’s why Ant came here,” she says. “Not just to apologize on behalf of both of you, but to ask for my blessing for you two to be together.”
“He did what?” I croak, emotion welling in my chest.
“He really loves you, Bree.”
“He does?” I choke on my tears.
“You know he does.” I can hear the smile in her voice. “You two take care of each other.”
“And what about you?”
“I’ll be okay. I just need some time to sort everything out.”
“I’m gonna miss you so much.”
“I’m going to miss you too. And that little man of mine.”
“I’m so sorry for doing this to us.”
“I know you are, Bree. I know you are.”
“I love you, Courtney.”
“I love you too, Bree. Now go get that man, make sure all of this wasn’t for nothing.” She chuckles lightly.
“I will,” it’s all I manage to say before the line goes dead, and I’m left feeling like the ground has just split open and I’m not entirely certain that it won’t swallow me up where I stand.
I’m so lost in thought that it takes me several beats to realize someone is knocking on the door. Mind swirling and stomach full of knots, I cross the room and pull open the door, the fog surrounding me not lifting until I meet a pair of blue-gray eyes and suddenly everything comes into perfect view.
“Ant,” I hear myself saying but my voice feels a million miles away.
“Hey.” He gives me a crooked grin, shoving his hands deep into the pockets of his jeans as he rocks back on his heels. “Can we talk?” he asks, seeming nervous which is completely out of character for the cocky confident man I know him to be.
“Yeah.” I step back, allowing him to enter the apartment.
When I close the door and turn, I’m surprised to see him standing directly in front of me.
“Is Jack here?” He glances around the apartment.
“He’s at school until three-twenty,” I say, glancing at the clock on the wall that shows it’s just before one.
“That’s right.” He nods like he’s just remembering the day. “Why are you home?”
“I took today and tomorrow off,” I admit, not bothering to tell him that I did so to try to track him down and fix the monumental mistake I made by walking away from him.
“I see.” His gaze holds mine as several beats of silence pass between us. “I miss you, Bree. I’m so fucking lost without you.” The words rush past his lips and immediately send my heart galloping inside my chest.
“I miss you too,” I admit, blinking past the tears that fill my eyes for the second time in less than ten minutes. “I’m so sorry, for everything. I never should’ve walked away from you. I was just so confused and scared. I didn’t know what else to do.”
“Baby.” Ant has me in his arms in a matter of seconds, soothing me with his soft words. “You were trying to do what you thought was right. You were willing to sacrifice your happiness for your friend. And that’s just one of the many things I love about you,” he says, pulling back to look down at me.
“You went to see her,” I say, not missing the surprised look that flashes through his eyes. “She called me,” I quickly add.
“I hope I didn’t overstep. I just had to try.”
“I’m glad you went,” I admit. “I doubt she would’ve called me had you not.”
“And what did she say.”
“She’s still hurt and it’s going to take time, but for the first time since all this happened, I actually think that things are going to be okay between us. You did that,” I say, reaching up to take his face in my hands. “You always put me first, even when I don’t do the same for you. I’m not sure if I deserve that.”
“You deserve someone who will always put you first no matter what. And I will, Bree. You and Jack, you’re all I want. You’re my family. All I want is to come home. I just want to be with you, to love you, to give you and Jackson the family you both deserve. I want Jackson to grow up with two people who love him more than anything in the world, to give him the happy childhood neither of us had.”
“I want that too.” I smile through the tears falling down my cheeks.
“I didn’t know it was possible to love someone as much as I love you, Bree Kingsley. You fucking own me.”
“You fucking own me too.” He chuckles at my words, wiping my tears with the pad of his thumbs.
It’s only seconds before our mouths crash together, a fury of teeth and tongue, of moans and cries. We can’t seem to get close enough, clinging to each other so tightly that it’s hard to tell where he ends and I begin.
We spend the rest of the afternoon making love. From the floor in the living room, to the couch, to the bed, there was barely a surface we left untouched. By the time we finally collapse into each other’s arms nearly two hours later, my body is spent but my heart has never felt so full.
“Where have you been these past few days?” I ask, my body tucked firmly against Ant as his hand trails up and down my bare back.
“I was in Rockfield. I had to take care of a few things. One being the ownership of my parents’ house.”
“What do you mean?” I prop my chin on his chest and look up at him.
“My father thought it was a good idea to leave the house to me instead of letting it default to my mom.”
“What?” I ask, surprised.
“I found out right after Courtney ran off. Everything happened so fast I didn’t have a chance to tell you about it.”
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”
“Don’t be. You’ve helped me more than you could possibly ever know.”
“So what did you do? Did you get it all taken care of?”
“I did.” He nods. “It took jumping through several hoops, but we finally got it all sorted out.”
“Why would he do that?” I question.
“Because he’s Aaron Treadway, and that’s just the kind of shit he’d pull. I don’t know if it was somehow his lame attempt to make things right or if it was one last fuck you because he knew I’d never accept it, but either way, I’m glad it’s over. I’m glad I can finally put that chapter of my life behind me.”
“How are your mom and sisters?”
“They’re doing okay.”
“Do you think you’ll be closer now that your dad isn’t in the picture?”
“Doubtful. Too much shit has happened. I don’t know that we’ll ever be okay, but I’m trying to be.”
“I love you.” I don’t plan to say it, it just kind of comes out. Because well, it’s true. Probably truer than anything I’ve ever said before.
“I love you too.” He pulls me up so that I’m laying on top of him. “So much it fucking hurts.” He latches his hand around the back of my neck and pulls my mouth down to his, kissing me deeply.
I couldn’t be happier.
That’s the only thought I have as I watch Jackson round the corner and spot Ant, his entire face lighting up at the sight of him. I really couldn’t be happier.
It’s only seconds before Jack takes off running, launching himself into Ant’s arms.
“Hey there, little man.” Ant chuckles, squeezing him tightly.
“Are you here to take me to the park?” Jack pulls back and smiles, knowing when we both pick him up together it’s usually because we have something fun planned.
“Of course, I am. I have a title to uphold.”
“And which title would that be?” I ask, stepping up next to Anthony who gives me a smile that damn near makes me crumble to the floor.
“Best swing pusher, Mom.” Jack sighs, exasperated, like I should already know.
“Oh, that’s right,” I laugh, holding my hands up in surrender.
“Come on, Ant-man, let’s go.” Jack slides out of Ant’s arms and then takes his hand, pulling him down the hallway toward the door.
I stop the second we step outside, taking a moment to watch the two of them make their way to the car hand in hand. It takes everything in me not to give into the emotion once again welling in my chest. I swear I feel like I’m seconds away from bursting I’m so happy, and it’s not a feeling I’m accustomed to. Honestly, it’s a little scary, but damn it if it’s not a whole lot worth it. And it’s a feeling I wouldn’t trade for anything in the entire world.