Perfectly Broken (32 page)

“Let’s not talk about her,” she said. “Besides, she deserved it. She was saying all this....”

“Shut up, Heather. I can’t believe you told Peyton about my dad.”

She sat down beside him, now realizing this wasn’t the meeting she expected. “I can’t believe you
didn’t
tell her.”

“What I do with Peyton is none of your business. I almost lost her because of your shit.”

“
Almost
?” she said softly, surprised. “I thought she broke up with you.”

“We got back together.”

Heather cocked her head to the side. “So why are you calling me? Why are we sitting together in Jackson Square?”

“I wanted to tell you in person to leave us alone.”

She looked away, a tinge of sadness in her eyes, then back at Reed. “What about us?”

“
Us
?” He laughed. “We just have sex, that’s all.”

She reached for his hand. “You know we’re more than that.”

Reed shook his head and moved his hand away. “I thought we were friends until you spread rumors and hit my girlfriend.”

She raised an eyebrow. “
Friends
?”

“It was never anything more than that,” he said.

Heather lowered her head, his words hitting her hard, pushing out a few tears from her eyes.

Please don’t cry
. Reed wondered whether he’d been wrong about her all these years, thinking they were always on the same page.
No strings attached
. But maybe she’d counted on him, grown attached to him, needed him, more than he ever knew. Maybe he’d been as blind as Peyton had been about Griffin.

“How can you just toss me aside like this?” she pleaded. “Don’t you remember holding me when I cried about my dad? Don’t you care about what we’ve been through together?”

“Of course,” he said. He hated seeing her cry back in high school and hated it now, too. The pain and tears were real. For a moment he felt pity for her, knowing exactly what she’d been through.

“Peyton can’t understand you like I can,” she said, as more tears fell.

Reed groaned inside and reached for the back of his neck. This was taking too long and getting nowhere fast. His eyes hardened, remembering Peyton’s lip crusted in blood. “You don’t understand me at all,” he snapped. “You never did.” Heather threw up her hands and stood to leave, but he captured her elbow. “You
will
leave me and Peyton alone.”

Her eyes hardened, too. “Did you tell her about our little trip to the hotel last month?”

“You mean when you couldn’t get me hard? And I left?”

“Not before you kissed me. I’m sure Peyton wouldn’t understand that.”

“Are you threatening me, Heather?” Reed stood up from the bench. “Because I still have that video you let me make of you.”

She gasped. “You wouldn’t!”

“You remember that, huh?” Reed said, his eyes sparkling. “And I’m not in it, either.” Heather sniffled and dabbed her eyes. “Go near Peyton again, and the world will understand you’re nothing but a cum dump whore.”

* * *

Peyton had her own issues to deal with. She’d avoided them long enough. And she knew it was best to do it by phone; she wasn’t strong enough to do it in person. Sitting in her church pew, watching the water pour from her fountain, she held the phone in her hands, praying for the courage to call, this time actually hoping to talk without getting his voicemail. She took a deep breath and dialed.

“Peyton?” Griffin answered softly.

“Yeah,” she said, matching his voice. “I’m sorry I wasn’t here when you left.”

“It’s OK. I’m at my parents’ house for a little bit. Probably should’ve stayed here from the beginning.”

“I liked having you around. It was like it used to be.” Peyton twirled her locket. “I’d like it to be that way again.”

Griffin shook his head. “It can’t.”

“I think it can,” she said hopefully.

“No, I shouldn’t have said anything.”

“I just want us to get back to how we used to be. I’ll explain some things to Reed, and....”

“It’s just too hard to see you with him.”

“But if he understands what you mean to me....”

“He won’t.”

“But maybe with a little time, he ....”

Griffin clenched his hands. “It’s not about Reed!” he barked, startling Peyton, then composed himself. “I mean, I love you.”

Her heart stopped. “I love you, too.”

“It’s not the same,” he said sadly. “I just always thought you and I would end up together. But something was always in the way. First it was the age difference, then I went off to college. Then you had boyfriends. Then you were attacked. And that was the worst night of my life and the months that followed were no better....” His voice trailed off.

“Griffin?” she whispered.

“All those nights I spent holding you, do you remember that?”

“I wouldn’t have made it through without you.”

He shrugged. “And then I moved to Chicago, and life moved on. And now there’s Reed. I guess I just always hoped we’d one day finish what we started in the pool house.”

“Our friendship goes way beyond that,” she said. “I just want us to be close.”

“I just can’t. Not anymore.”

She felt him slipping away. “Can’t what, Griffin?”

“I can’t be your friend. It’s just too hard.”

“Griffin, please don’t.”

“Make Reed take good care of you.”

The phone went silent, and Peyton lowered her head to her knees, another person in her life now gone. She felt a hand on her shoulder and released a sharp cry, pulling Quinn into a deep hug, letting go of the man who saved her.

* * *

Over the next few weeks, Reed and Peyton spent as much time together as possible and did their best to keep life relatively simple and drama-free. He kept the daily appointments she scheduled on his calendar, and if he ever picked her up from work, she made sure to have a slice of his pie waiting for him. And in between appointments and work, he helped Bret with the house, and she helped Quinn with the wedding.

In quiet moments, Reed counted his blessings — for Peyton, for the engagement of their friends, for his mother leading him through the twists and turns of life. But he knew more were coming; in fact, he could see one off in the distance. The season’s first hurricane had just formed in the Gulf, and thankfully it appeared to be a small one – nothing like the bigger one blowing through his mind and heart, churning his entire body, telling him to be brave.

He’d held his tongue his whole life, as a teenager too afraid and scared to say anything, and as a man deciding it was better to keep his distance to avoid confrontation or upset his mother. But he couldn’t hold back any longer. He didn’t want to, either.

THE WIND WHIPPING
her hair, Peyton stood on a ladder and leaned against her shop. She wore a white tank top and tiny cut-off jean shorts, with a sexy pink tool belt dangling around her waist. For a storm so small, a tiny Category 1 hurricane set to slam into the coastline, it hardly seemed worth the effort to board up her windows. But over the past few years, New Orleanians had learned all too well that it was better to be safe than sorry.

Reed got out of his Range Rover across the street and tilted his head to take in the view — from above and behind. He made a mental note to ask about the new wardrobe. The past few weeks, they’d spent so much time naked that he hadn’t gotten around to asking what had inspired the change.

A college-aged kid walked beside the ladder and tilted his head to look up. Reed rolled his eyes and walked across the street. “Move along, dude! You’re blocking my view!” The kid lowered his head, embarrassed, and scooted away down Magazine Street. Peyton turned around and winked at Reed, walking towards the ladder. “I thought I was taking care of this.”

He held the ladder, as Peyton hammered another nail. “Just finished,” she said. She wiped some hair out of her face and started down the ladder.

“I thought I was the handyman,” he whispered, hugging her from behind and pushing himself against her.

“Why do you think I did this myself?” she teased. “I don’t want to tire you out.”

He flipped her around, holding her in his arms, as Julia walked out of the shop, smiling at both of them. “Hi, Reed.”

“Hi, Julia,” he said without taking his eyes off Peyton.

Peyton smiled, shaking her head at him, before ducking under his arms to finish up outside with Julia. He put the ladder away then returned to his truck for a sack and box. When he came back, he gave Peyton a glance to hurry up. She saw Reed disappear into the shop, wondering what he had up his sleeve. But she couldn’t escape Julia, droning on and on about school and her latest dates, and seeking advice on whether she should audition next season for
The Voice
. Peyton finally ushered her along, reminding Julia that a hurricane was coming, then walked inside the shop, her little bell jingling.

“Lock the door,” Reed called out from the kitchen, finishing up placing a few lit candles.

Peyton turned the lock and spotted a box on the table with a note on top.
Put only this on.
She lifted the lid and smiled. A minute later, she opened the kitchen door, wearing only a hot pink apron covered in rosettes. She gave him a slow spin, showing off a little bow tied near the small of her back.

“Pink flowers are now my favorite, too,” Reed said, his heart racing as she stood before him, his dream coming back to him, the one when he couldn’t get to her. But now she was right here. It wasn’t a dream. He leaned back on the island. “Bake for me.”

Peyton slipped past him, turned on by his instruction, and reached up to a shelf for an already-baked pie shell, her ass tightening as she stretched. Reed watched her move effortlessly, comfortably, like she’d baked without clothes a thousand times before, her smooth skin glistening in the candlelight, her cheeks with just a hint of blush. She shaved some chocolate from a bar then licked the melted chocolate from her fingertips.

Peyton bent across the island for some pralines, and Reed came up behind her, wrapping his arms around her. She took his hands and placed them underneath hers, both stirring the pie filling together, the movement of their hands — strong, tender, slow, fast — just like how they’d made love so many times. The warmth of his breath fluttered down her neck, and she closed her eyes to take it all in, thankful she didn’t need to see to make his pie. She knew it all by heart. Reed stepped back, and she turned around, finding him pulling off his shirt. She gently bit her lip, ready to devour his washboard stomach.

He stepped out of his shorts, and her eyes widened, his dick hard before her, pleasantly surprised he’d forgone the usual boxer briefs. She dipped her finger in the pie filling and held it out. He slid her finger in his mouth, closing his eyes, and sucked down on her. He gave her a crooked smile for teasing him before lifting her up on the island, its cool metal no relief for her flaming skin. She reached down to him, feeling him grow even harder with her touch. He undid her apron, pulling it over her head, watching her breasts rise and fall as she panted, wanting him.

He liked having a woman who didn’t need him — but really
wanted
him, and for more than just one night. In truth, he didn’t think Peyton needed a damn thing from him: she could board up her own shop, run her own business, have her own place, and do just about anything else she put her mind to. To Reed, he needed her more than she needed him. But she wanted him, all of him, and didn’t apologize for it. It was sexy as hell.

He wanted her, too. He pushed her down on the island then put his fingers in the pie. “I’ve wanted to do this for months.” He rubbed the pie filling on her chest, slowly, sweetly, lathering her flat stomach, too. “My buffet.”

Peyton arched her back. “All yours.”

He swooped down to her breast, pulling her nipple into his mouth, hard, sucking off the pie filling. She arched again and let out a sharp scream, as Reed continued to lick and suck her, one breast then the other, until her chest was clean and she slithered on the metal island. He pulled her up until her legs were in a straddle and spread wide. She reached for him and slid him inside, her muscles tightening all around. He picked her up, holding her ass in his hands, and rammed her against the refrigerator, thrusting into her, pushing so hard she could do nothing but hold on and enjoy the ride.

Then he slowed down, feeling how wet and open she was, making sure she felt every hard inch of him. He removed one hand from her ass and inserted a finger into her mouth, her tongue stroking him. He pulled his finger out and reached around behind her, rubbing it against her backside before placing it inside. She stopped breathing for a second but quickly relaxed into him. He held his finger there while still moving his dick in and out of her, then he moved his finger a touch further inside, filling her up even more, feeling her build again, her entire body tightening, knowing she was ready to come.

“Let me hear you, baby,” he begged, as she finished and panted his name. “I want to hear all of it.”

He slid out of her and carried her back to the island, placing her on her feet, keeping his arms around her waist to steady her weak and wobbly legs. She rested her head on his chest and looked down at his dick, hard and wet, then flashed a mischievous smile before turning around on the island, dangling her ass in front of him, trusting a man behind her like never before.

He rubbed his hands across her ass. “Bend over.” She did as he asked, her hot breasts smashing into the island. “My God, your ass is perfect.” He pressed a finger back inside, and her breath caught. “One day,” he whispered, “I’m going to have you here.” She reached for her locket, and Reed caught her hand. “Not today, not until you’re ready.” She looked over her shoulder, nodding in agreement.

He removed his finger and reached his hands between her legs, forcing them wider, feeling her drip onto his fingers. Then he moved himself against her, letting his tip linger at her entrance. He ran his fingers down her spine and watched her body roll, pushing back against him, forcing him inside her. “Fuck me!” Reed groaned then grabbed her hips, thrusting into her hard and fast.