Chapter 61
—Kasey—
Reed smoothed his knuckles down my face, chocolate irises searching mine as we faced each other on the couch. “You came at exactly the right time, babe. I’ve missed you so damn much lately. It’s been… hard.”
My chest ached for him as I cupped the side of his face. “Simone filled me in...”
He nodded, then his voice came soft. “How long are you here for?”
“I don’t know,” I replied truthfully, then swallowed down the guilt. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here for you before now.”
The tension in his expression sobered. “Considering everything you’ve been through, you had to be there for yourself before you could be there for anyone else. I prefer it that way too. In my world, you and Posie come first. Always.”
Reed’s hand settled under my ear while my thumb continued to rhythmically brush back and forth over his jawline.
“You need to look after yourself too, Reed.”
His face shifted beneath my palm. “My girls come first.”
I shook his head a little as my frustration climbed. “Not while I’m here. I’m going to help you as much as I can, and that means you also need to tell me where and when you need that help. I’ve had my time to heal and depend on everyone. Now it’s your turn.”
“I’ve—”
“And that also means no arguing,” I cut him off firmly, leaving no room for debate.
A flash of irritation sliced through his eyes before a wry smirk tipped one corner of his mouth. He lifted his head a little to look down at me. “You’re getting bossy, Quinn.”
“Good. And you’re welcome.”
He chuckled. “Don’t remember thanking you for that, but okay.”
“Wanna hear something stupid?” I offered.
“Sure, darlin’.”
“Well,” I shifted a little closer. “You know how I didn’t hear from you for three days—we’ll get to that in a minute—for a hot second I thought you may have been cheating on me.”
Reed’s eyes flared wide. “Cheating on you,” he exclaimed through a disbelieving laugh. “And when am I meant to get time to do that, babe?”
I laughed despite my cheeks heating with embarrassment. “I told you it was stupid.”
“Aww, sweetheart, no.” He rubbed the juncture of my jaw. “I haven’t ever, and I never will.”
Our eyes snagged and tried to read each other’s innermost thoughts. We shared the moment of buoyancy before gravity settled again.
“Seriously though, Reed. I’m worried about you,” I murmured. “We all are.”
His gaze immediately went downcast. “I’m fine.”
“Well, you’re not.” There was no point in beating around the bush—shit like that needed to be said outright for maximum impact.
A little smirk quirked one corner of his mouth. “You callin’ me a liar, babe?”
“No, I’m telling you that you’re shit at lying.”
Reed snickered. “Good thing I’m a cop not a criminal, then, eh?”
“Both have their appeal,” I teased.
He chuckled a little more, then pulled me sideways onto his lap. I tucked into him like I used to with my dad and laid my head on his shoulder.
“I love you, Reed,” I ventured softly. The declaration felt right, both for the moment and for my heart.
His arms tightened around me, and he pressed a lingering kiss to the top of my head. “I love you too, darlin’. Gotta admit, it’s mighty fine to hear you say that.”
I pulled back a little. “I’m not just saying it because of the situation. It’s genuine.”
Reed’s laugh rumbled in his chest. “I know you well enough to know you don’t say shit you don’t mean, Kase.”
The weight of his head resting against mine created a stillness around us. The beautiful house seemed to breathe for us, allowing a moment of complete silence to settle.
I felt myself drifting to sleep in his arms when Reed cleared his throat. “I’ve never wanted to protect Posie more than I have since Friday.”
My heart stopped for a beat, and I rallied for tender words. “That’s understandable. What happened was the saddest tragedy… Do you want to talk about it?” I offered.
Reed hummed. “Not really. I can’t tell you much, and some things I won’t. There’s shit you have to deal with as a cop that chips away at your soul, and I don’t want to burden you with that. Friday was one of those callouts. It haunts me every time I close my damn eyes.”
I smoothed my hand up and down his chest while he rested his chin on my head.
“My mom used to say that a burden shared is a burden halved.”
His laugh vibrated against me. “My mom says that too. I still think it’s because she wants to know the tea.”
“Well, there’s that too.” I snickered, then paused to let our amusement settle. “Are you getting help? Like, counseling?”
“Yeah. Me and Eric started sessions on Friday afternoon, and we had another session this morning.”
“And how’s that going?”
“Fucking awful,” Reed grumbled. “All I want to do is forget about it, but we all know that suppressing shit comes back to bite you on the ass years down the track. It’s made me so paranoid about where I take Posie in the stroller now. I would have pushed it right out to the end too, just like that poor mom—” He cut off as his voice cracked.
I twisted in his lap and wrapped my arms around his neck, welcoming his returning embrace that anchored me close. It was exactly what we both needed.
Reed hummed into my neck, then kissed his way under my ear, making me giggle. I felt him smile against my skin, then ask a question I never expected.
“Babe?”
“Yeah?”
“While Posie is asleep, do you wanna play Crash Bandicoot with me?”