Finally, Our Forever

by Elisa Leigh

  Eight

  Maci Kate

  While I’m folding the load of laundry that just came out of the dryer, Bennett runs into the living room, looking around. When he doesn’t find what he’s looking for, he leaves and runs around, searching the house. After a few minutes of him running through my house, which he knows he isn’t supposed to do, I decide to end this madness. I’m all for letting the kid figure his issues out, but sometimes you need to step in and lend some assistance.

  “Bennett Alexander, get your cute butt in here.”

  The running halts. “Yes ma’am!” he screams. I hear him stampede down the hall, back to where I’m still folding clothes.

  “Yes, ma’am?” he asks sweetly, but out of breath.

  “First off, why are you tearing through this house like you don’t have any sense? Are you supposed to be running around in here?”

  He looks down at his feet, shaking his head. “No, ma’am. I was so excited to get up from my nap. I wanted to play with—never mind, it doesn’t matter. He left.”

  Disappointment fills his face, and I bet he feels worse than I do that Reece is gone. That sounds crazy, because I’m pretty damn disappointed myself.

  “Come on, buddy, let’s get a snack, and we can talk about Reece.”

  He smiles, but I can tell he’s still sad that his new friend isn’t here to play. I sigh, following him into the kitchen. Me too, buddy. Me too, I think to myself.

  I put his snack of grapes in a bowl and we sit down at the table. “Where did Reece go?”

  “Reece had to go home, Boo Bear. You know we have work and school tomorrow? He had to get ready for work. He told me to tell you bye and that he did want to play Power Rangers when you got up.”

  He thinks about this. “Will he come over tomorrow?”

  I shake my head and I see the hope in his hazel eyes begin to dim. “Benny, you know the week is busy for Momma, getting us to work and school, and then home for dinner and bath.”

  “Can he help with dinner and bath, like Nana does sometimes?” God, he likes Reece a whole hell of a lot. Bennett likes most people, but not usually this much. I’m so pissed that David is forcing this. He’s not only hurting me, but he’s hurting Bennett, too. It’s not like he ever plays with him. When he lived here, he was never home, or he would ignore Bennett if he asked him to play anything.

  “Baby, Reece works a lot. I don’t think he has time to come over right now.” When it looks like he might cry, I pull him out of his chair and into my lap.

  “He was going to be my new best friend. He said we were all going to be best friends. You, me, and him. Forever.”

  Pulling his head to my chest, I hold him there and rub his back. I shield him from the tears that are daring to fall from my eyes. Sucking in a breath, I will myself to be strong before I speak. “You and I will always be best friends, Benny. Forever.”

  “And Reece too?” God, how my teenage heart wishes that were true. It wishes Reece were your father and not that waste of space, David. “I’m not sure, baby. We’ll see, okay?”

  “Okay, Momma, we’ll see,” he says glumly. I bring the bowl of grapes closer to us. He sits on my lap as he finishes his snack, eating them half-heartedly.

  When he’s finished, I offer to play karate with him, but he doesn’t want to. I get his blocks out to build towers like we did a few days ago, but he says he will play with me later. He settles on watching Power Rangers and lies there, instead of doing the moves with the show like he usually does. It’s killing me to see him so upset about Reece. He’s usually a happy kid.

  I finish my laundry and read on the couch next to Bennett. I make his favorite dinner— spaghetti and meatballs with rolls and chocolate milk—hoping to make him happy. He doesn’t eat much of it. He takes a quick bath, not wanting to play fish, and gets ready for bed. His silence is killing me, and I’m feeling like a bad mom for telling Reece that he couldn’t come over anymore.

  After I read him a Curious George story, he’s asleep. I kiss his forehead, and pull up the covers that he will kick off in the next few minutes. I leave his door cracked and walk to my room.

  Settling in bed, I lie down with my iPad, getting ready to read, but can’t get interested. All I can think about is what a great morning we had, followed by an awful afternoon. I’m so pissed that David is doing this to us. I know we are never getting back together and it’s time he figures that out, too. Even though I hate to do it, I need to talk to my dad, see if he can help me figure something out. While I’m setting my alarm for the morning, I get a text from Reece.

  Reece: I missed you all afternoon, my angel.

  Me: Bennett has been sad since he woke up and you were gone. It made me feel like the villain in one of his stories.

  Reece: Missed him, too. He’s my new best friend.

  Me: Please don’t play like that with him. He’s four. He takes it all to heart.

  Reece: I wasn’t playing. It’s us against the world, angel. You, Bennett, and me.

  God, I wish that could be true. I don’t text him back. I don’t know what to say to his last message. After a few minutes, he must have figured it out, because he texts again.

  Reece: Goodnight, my beautiful.

  Me: Goodnight.

  ****

  Five days later

  I can’t take this anymore. Every day this week, Reece has texted me, checking to see how my day has gone, how Bennett is doing, if there’s anything we need. I’ve given him short responses, trying my best to stay neutral towards the sexy man, but my will to stay away from him is waning. Bennett has let me know every day that he would like to see Reece, and that he would like me to give him a call to see if he can come over.

  On Monday afternoon, just like Reece said, he sent two guys over to my house to look around and set up a security system. I actually knew one of them—Ryan Donovan. He’s a teacher at my school, teaches third grade a few doors down from me. I knew this was a small town, but it’s crazy that I’ve been working with someone so close to Reece.

  Turns out Ryan and Paul, the other guy and Ryan’s roommate, served in the Marines in the same unit as Reece. Every guy in Reece’s old unit had gotten out of the Marines, and they all opened Panthera Security and Protection together. I love that they’re all still friends and can work together now that they’re out.

  Ryan cracked jokes the entire time he was there, but Paul was quiet and didn’t say much. I get the feeling those two balance each other out well. Ryan told me stories about some of the pranks the guys used to play on each other. He told me about a time, there was a clog in one of the pipes. Kingston and Reece started messing with it, trying to figure out what the problem was. While they were fiddling with the machine, it suddenly burst and sprayed Kingston and Reece with tons of sand. What had me rolling, and tears streaming down my face, is how mad Reece got about it, cursing his friends and promising retribution.

  The guys were great, and couldn’t find anything to indicate that David had put up cameras to spy on me. They did find some footprints around my yard near the bedroom windows, which freaked me out a bit, but they said it could have been a neighbor. They showed me how to work the new security system—I guess it’s the best on the market. Finally, they gave me my new house keys. When I asked how much it was going to cost, they ignored me. I told them I expected a bill in the mail, but they rolled their eyes and gave me a halfhearted ‘yes ma’am.’

  When I was dropping Bennett off on Wednesday, David tried his best to guilt trip me into staying for dinner. I eventually gave in, not wanting to cause any issues. He was supposed to be there for three days, but when dinner was over, David said it would make more sense for me to take Bennett home with me. When we got home, my Boo Bear was quiet. Even his bedtime stories and snuggles couldn’t pull him out of his sad mood. It hurts to know that David doesn’t want to spend time with his son.

  It’s Friday. Now that I’ve come to terms with the fact that I’d like to risk hanging out with Reece, he’s gon
e silent on me. I haven’t heard anything from him all day. I even texted him while I was at lunch to see how his day was going, but he never responded. It’s finally the end of the day, and I am so relieved it’s the weekend. I dial my mother’s number. “Hello, darling girl,” she answers.

  “Hey, Momma. I’m on my way to your house.”

  “Oh, Maci Kate, I forgot to message you. Bennett wants to stay the night with his Nana and Papa. Do you mind?” After this week, I hope that’s what he needs to pull him out of this funk.

  “Of course not. You need me to bring anything over for him, or do you have everything you need?”

  “Honey child, we have more than enough clothes for Bennett over here. Don’t worry about a thing. Take a night for yourself. Read one of those trashy novels you like. Don’t worry about getting here early, either. Your daddy is taking Reece out fishing in the morning, so you won’t need to be here until the afternoon. You know what, why don’t you come over for dinner tomorrow night? Then you can take Bennett home with you.”

  “Sounds good to me, Momma. I’ll talk to you tomorrow sometime.”

  “Okay, baby.”

  Hanging up with my mother, I continue to my house instead of turning for my parents’. Walking in the door, I drop my bags there and head to the shower to wash this day off me. Peeling my clothes from my body, I sigh in relief to have a night to myself. I’ve needed this after the week I’ve had.

  Instead of showering, I decide on a bath. I fill my tub with the hottest water I can stand, and bath salts. I wait for it to fill up and get in. Yes, this is exactly what I need.

  After soaking for about a half hour, slightly drifting off, I hear pounding. I sit up and slosh water all over the bathroom floor. Shaking my head, I stare at the mess and chastise myself. Who the hell is beating down my door? Grabbing my robe, I pull it on as I drip water down the hall, rushing to the door.

  “Hold on, I’m coming!” I yell.

  Tying my robe, I open the door and look up into deep blue eyes. Eyes that I have been dreaming about that belong to the man that I can’t stop thinking about. “Reece. What are you doing here?”

  “What the hell are you doing, answering the door in nothing but a robe?” He glares and pushes past me into my house.

  I follow him into the kitchen and watch as he sets down a pizza and turns around to face me. The man is furious. “Well?” he demands.

  Hands on my hips, I glare back at him. “Well, what?”

  “Don’t get snippy with me, Maci Kate Gallagher. Don’t do that shit again.”

  “Why not?”

  Reece grabs me by the front of my robe and pulls me into his hard, warm body. “Because I can see every delicious curve of your body. This black satin is like a second skin, slicked smooth against you.”

  I don’t know who grabs at who first, but one second we’re staring at each other, and the next, we’re attacking each other’s mouths. I climb Reece’s body like a freaking tree, and he helps me out by grabbing my ass and holding me up to him. I’m very naked under my robe, and he discovers this as soon as he grabs me.

  Yanking his mouth away from mine, he mumbles into my neck. “Shit, Maci. You better tell me to stop if you don’t want this, because I’m having some trouble stopping, here.”

  The cloud of lust begins to fade, and I pull away from him. He helps by lowering me down to the ground.

  “Right. Sorry, Maci girl. I lost my mind for a minute.”

  Wrapping my arms around his body, I lean into him, head resting over his heart. “Me too, Reece. I didn’t want to stop, but we need to talk about some things first.”

  Reece puts his arms around me and he chuckles. “You didn’t want to stop?” he asks.

  I smile and shake my head.

  “Why don’t you go and get changed so I’m not tempted to rip what few clothes you have off your beautiful body.”

  “Okay,” I murmur.

  Walking off to my room, I dress in a white camisole and some dark gray boxer shorts. I pull my Volunteers hoodie over my head, and put my hair into a messy bun. I walk out to see Reece in the living room with plates, napkins, the pizza he brought, and some beer from the fridge sitting on the coffee table.

  Nine

  Reece

  Fuck me. The woman went to change so we could talk, and she comes out wearing that? She should have put on more clothes if she wanted me to have an intelligent conversation with her. The closer she gets to me, the more I can smell her vanilla cinnamon scent. When she notices that I’ve set the living room up for dinner, she gives me the sweetest smile. I haven’t gotten one like that since we were kids, when I used to play the knight to her princess. I would have done whatever she wanted then, but now? Now, I’d go to any lengths imaginable to see her happy.

  I walk to her, meeting her at the entrance of the living room from the hallway. I pull her into my arms and hold her tight to me. It’s like she’s reached in and pulled out my heart. She doesn’t even know what she does to me, that she holds me so completely.

  I rub my nose in her hair and inhale her sweet aroma. I can’t get enough of this girl. After going so long without her, I’m struggling to believe that we’re finally at a point where we can be together.

  “Reece, what are you doing?”

  “I have missed you so much, Maci Kate. I never thought we would get this chance. I could kick my own ass for keeping us apart back then. I was already falling in love with you, but you were too young for me at the time.” I hold her to me tighter, my fingertips rubbing the skin right above her ass.

  “I was eighteen, Reece. I was an adult, about to go off to college.”

  I laugh darkly. “You were starting high school, and all I wanted to do was tell you to wait for me. I had to hold myself back from begging you to save that sweet cherry for me. I wanted to wait until you were older, and it was okay for us to be together.”

  “I did. I waited for you. There was never anyone for me. No one interested me like you did. The further you pulled away, the more I craved any detail your parents would share when they were around. You starred in all my fantasies growing up, Reece. You were everything to me,” she rasps into my chest.

  “Fuck, baby, I’m so sorry for pushing you away and into someone else’s arms.” I pick her up, needing to be closer. I sit on the couch and hold her in my lap, her legs straddling me.

  I lift her chin to see her big, beautiful brown eyes are full of tears. I wipe them away as they fall. She needs to get it all out. All the pain. She needs to get rid of the poison between us, and I’ll gladly take it all.

  “I saved myself for you, Reece. I wanted you to be my first, my only, my last. I couldn’t see giving myself to anyone else. When I was in high school, I always pictured us ending up together. When you shattered my fantasy, I convinced myself that my feelings were those of an unrequited crush.”

  She traces my jaw with her pointer finger, staring as it follows the edge of my unshaved jaw to my ear, and then down my neck.

  “It got worse in college, though. I compared every man to you. No one ever measured up, and that pissed me off. All I wanted was to get over you. I wanted to prove to myself that I mattered to someone. That I could be loved like I wanted you to love me.”

  I grab her finger, pulling her hand to my chest, covering my heart. “You mattered, Maci. You were in the forefront of my mind through boot camp and every tour I enlisted in.” I move a piece of hair from her eyes and tuck it behind her ear. “I remember the day of the barbeque so clearly. You looked so beautiful in that blue summer dress. I couldn’t even bear to look at you when I left, because I knew I would turn back around and tell you how much I wanted you.

  She looks me in the eyes now. “Why didn’t you ever say anything? Why did you make me believe that I meant nothing?”

  “I was such a stupid asshole. I’m stubborn, baby. I stayed away at first because I didn’t know what was going to happen over there. I couldn’t do that to you. It was bad enough I was doing it to Mom
and Dad. After a few years, all I could think about was getting back to you and making things right with us. When I got home and asked about you, Mom told me you were married and had a son.”

  She snorts. “If you’d like to call it that. We were only together for six months when I got pregnant. Bennett was an accident. A beautiful, wonderful, wouldn’t change it for the world accident. David and I got married because he asked, and I was scared. I thought that was what you were supposed to do when you got pregnant. A year after Bennett was born, I found out he was cheating on me with a mutual friend.”

  “What a fucking prick. I would never do that to you, sweetheart. No man worth anything would do that to their woman.”

  She smiles, like my words mean something to her. “Shh, Reece.” She puts both of her hands on my neck and scratches the back of my scalp lightly. I wonder if she realizes how hard she’s making me. Through my anger and her pain, her touch still gets to me.

  “It didn’t hurt as bad as I thought it would have. Sure, I felt betrayed and humiliated. I was pissed that he would do that to our family, but I was surviving because my heart wasn’t in it—not like it should have been. He asked me to take him back, to forgive him. I couldn’t. He gave me the excuse I needed to move on, and I took it. I should have never married him in the first place. I would have been fine as a single mother. I know that now. God, I mean, even when we were married, he was never there. I did everything for Bennett. I still do.”

  I pull her closer and kiss her forehead. “I’m pissed that he betrayed and hurt you, baby. Selfishly, I’m happy, because now we are at a place where our forever can finally begin.”

  Maci rubs her nose against mine. “You want to begin with me, Reece?” She kisses my cheek, making her way slowly down to my lips.

  “You were mine since you were born, Maci. I regret every day I didn’t give into loving you. I’m not making that mistake again. I’m never letting you go. Never giving another man a chance to have what has always been mine.”