See?
My Halo will get her happy ending and so as her mom I’ll take my happiness there.
As her mom, I’ll ignore my own heartbreak.
I’ll ignore that her hero is my gorgeous villain.
Late-May,in my seventh month of pregnancy, I get what I want.
So all this time, I’ve been trying to figure out how to help Reed. How to set him free from the job he hates, from his dad and that company that’s sucking the soul out of him. When he leaves for the office after dropping me off at school in the morning, he’s all smooth and polished but by the time the day ends, it’s like he’s been in a war.
He, of course, does not want to talk about it.
I’ve even discussed it with Tempest but she says the same thing. That her brother has always been like this. He won’t talk about it. He won’t discuss it. He won’t let anyone know what he’s feeling. It’s just best to leave him alone because he’ll bite your head off if you show even a little bit of sympathy or try to help him.
But I can’t leave it alone.
Flawed and destructive and gorgeous, he’s the love of my life.
I have to help him. I have to find a way to get him free.
So I’ve been mulling it over and over about what to do.
But then a miracle happens.
I get to meet Pete.
Reed’s sixty-year-old friend who sucks at giving advice.
The only reason I get to meet him is because I’ve annoyed Reed so much by asking about him ever since he revealed that piece of information to me. And because I told him if he won’t talk about his job, then I at least get to meet his one and only friend, Pete.
Besides, he’s met all my friends. He knows my entire family.
Why is he being such a jerk about me wanting to meet his one and only friend?
So after a lot of debate, today we’re going to meet Pete.
Through my poking and prodding, I have at least found out that he’s the owner of Auto Alpha, where Reed used to work back in Bardstown High. And he was the one who taught Reed everything about cars.
I’m so excited to meet him.
In fact, I go all out in preparation.
I’ve baked him chocolate chip cookies and vanilla cupcakes with cream cheese frosting. To thank him for being Reed’s friend when my villain never had anyone. I wanted to bake Pete something different and fancier. But idiot Reed won’t tell me what Pete likes so I’ve gone with the safest choices.
Reed glares at the cupcake boxes in my hands as I emerge out of the glass house before taking them from me and depositing them inside his Mustang.
I know his mood is off for the reason only he understands. I mean, we’re going to go meet his friend. How bad can it be?
Even so, I smile up at him. “I’m excited.”
His frown only deepens as he stares at my smiling lips. Then jerking his smooth jaw up, he asks, “What’s this one called?”
I touch my lips. “Oh. Uh, Queen of the Bards.”
It’s dark-green lipstick, almost black, and I’ve paired it with a lime green maternity dress with black printed flowers and black flats.
I’ve given a lot of thought to my appearance. This is the first time I’ll be meeting a friend of the guy I love and I’m trying to make a good impression.
