Phillip looked back down at his phone. He knew it was worth it. Reese was meant for him. Like the way a stick was meant for a puck. The way skates were meant for the ice. It was natural, perfect even, and that was the way he saw him and Reese. The perfect match. All she had to do was break away from all the things that had her tied to the motion that being alone was what she was meant to do. It wasn’t. She was meant to love him, damn it.

Letting out a breath, he reached for his phone to tuck it in his pocket, so that he’d stop looking at it, but as he did it, it went off and he saw that it was a text from Reese.

Thank sweet baby Jesus! It was about damn time!

Sorry, I’ve been asleep. I wish you were here. I feel like poo. I could use a hug or two.

Relive flooded him as he smiled, and Karson said, “There she is.”

Phillip nodded. “Yeah, she’s been asleep. She’s sick.”

“Cool. Well, while you talk to your girl, I’m going to go find one to fill the void I’m feeling. Talking about Lacey f**ks me up, and it looks like JT has found the motherload of females.”

Looking out at where JT was surrounded by many gorgeous ladies, Phillip smiled. He then reached out, cupping Karson’s shoulder. “Have you tried contacting her?”

Karson laughed. “Once and her brother answered, telling me to get lost, but I kept calling and then her phone was disconnected. Oh well, I always hope that when we go to Chicago, I’ll see her, but I won’t hold my breath. She probably hides when we come into town.” With a sad shrug, he tilted his head at Phillip before saying, “See ya tomorrow, have a good flight.”

“Thanks, man,” he said as Karson turned and headed towards JT and the girls. Phillip watched them for a moment and then looked away, picking up his phone. He hated that Karson’s love life sucked, and he had every intention of making sure his didn’t. Opening Reese’s text, he wrote back quickly.

What’s wrong?

You really don’t want to know, I promise. It’s TMI.

Lol. Sure I do. Tell me.

Fine, don’t say I didn’t warn ya.

You did.

My uterus and vagina are dying a slow, bleeding death.

Phillip cringed as he shook his head. Gross, that blows.

Lol, told you! I just want cake with lots of frosting, and maybe ice cream and a heating pad cause mine broke, but I can’t move, so I’ve been loading up on pain pills and sleeping it off. I need this shit to stop. I have classes tomorrow.

I’m sorry. If I were there, I’d hold you to make you feel better.

And bring me cake right? I really want cake.

He smiled. Yes, I’d bring you cake.

Cause you’re awesome.

So are you.

When she didn’t text him back, he figured it was because she went to sleep and he was fine with that. At least he heard from her and knew that things were okay for the most part. He needed to go out and meet the car that was waiting for him. As he gathered his things and headed that way, his phone went off and he looked down at it, smiling at the words he saw.

So can I say I kinda sorta miss you, and it not be weird?

Yeah, you can.

Good, cause I kinda sorta do.

His grin grew as he typed back: Well, I miss you too.

☺ Good to know.

And you miss me.

Kinda sorta.

No, you do.

Maybe.

He laughed. Fine, I know the truth.

Lol. Okay, I’m going to go back to sleep.

Okay. Sweet dreams.

You too.

Sliding into the car that was waiting for him, he leaned back in the seat with his mouth curved up at the side. He may not be able to have naughty time with her when he saw her, but he could make her happy in another way, and that was what he intended to do.

For the rest of his life if she allowed him too.

Reese should have known when she was a blubbering mess the other day that it was because she was about to start her period. Wrapped in a ball in her bed, she groaned as she reached for the water that sat on her nightstand. God, the things she’d do for a heating pad. Glancing at the clock, she wanted to cry. She had classes in five hours, and she was pretty sure her uterus had no plans of relaxing. She should be used to the pain by now—she had been dealing with her period since she was fourteen—but she was a baby. She hated pain, and she especially hated the pain her period brought on.

Rolling over in the bed, she wrapped her legs around her pillow and then cuddled into another pillow as she closed her eyes, hoping sleep would take her until she needed to teach classes. Thankfully, it was just her rec classes and little bits tonight. She wouldn’t have to do much and that was blessing, because she was pretty sure her uterus was about to fall out of her and just die. Blah, she felt like poo.

When her phone began to ring, she groaned as she reached for it and looked at the display to see that it was Piper. She almost ignored it, but she hadn’t spoken to her sister in day, so she hit answer and said, “Hey.”

“Hey, what are you up to?” Piper asked, way too happily in Reese’s opinion.

“Nothing much, my uterus is just dying and all.”

“Ack, that time of the month?”

“Yup, and I’m dying.”

“I know, I’m sorry. I hate that, and I miss not having it. I almost want to get pregnant again just to make it go away for nine months.”

Reese laughed but stopped because it hurt. “But that won’t happen.”

“No f**king way, Dimitri ruined childbirth for me,” she said but then she quickly added, “But Mama loves you and wouldn’t trade you for the world.”