“You did?” the judge asked, shocked.

She smiled widely. “Yes, but I wouldn’t have been able to without Reese and Brian.”

God, she was a gem.

“Well, while I have you up here, let me give you this,” the judge said, handing her another trophy that confused Claire.

“What’s this?”

“It’s the best choreography award. You can share it with your director.”

The hell she would! It was all hers! God, Reese was so proud! Phillip was yelling so loud, both arms in the air, as Claire just beamed at him. Screaming out, “Way to go, guys!” received her a grin from both of them before they took a bow and exited to the left of the stage. Phillip was smiling so hard that Reese found that it was too contagious to not do the same as she walked towards the side of the stage.

When she saw Kevin watching her from where he was leaning against the wall, talking to some judges, she looked away, hating that he was breathing the same air as her. She had tried to let it all go, doing as Phillip had said, but it was hard. She still couldn’t understand why someone would do the things he had, but maybe she wasn’t supposed too. Maybe he was brought into her life to make her stronger and if that was the case, that was fine, but could she at least let it go and not hold this grudge towards him? What did she need to make that happen? She was happy. Loved her job, loved her life, so what was the problem? Why did she allow him to have so much power?

When Claire flung herself into Reese’s arms, all thoughts of Kevin were gone as she hugged her tightly. Pulling back, Reese felt her eyes stinging as she looked into Claire’s eyes. She knew with one look that Claire was beyond proud of herself and her confidence shined, leaving Reese dizzy.

“I’m so freaking proud of you, and that award is all yours! You take that home and put it on the mantel!’

Claire laughed as tears welled up in her eyes. “I can’t believe it.”

“Well believe it, girl, cause you are fabulous!”

“Thank you,” Claire said, pulling out of Reese’s hug to look at her trophy. Watching her, something ached in her chest and she had to know something.

“Doesn’t this moment make you believe that you can make all your dreams come true?”

Claire looked up, her eyes swimming with tears. “I know I can as long as I have you and Phillip behind me.”

Reese smiled before looking over at Phillip. She saw the tears in his eyes and that blew her mind. This big, gorgeous, amazing man, tearing up, because he was proud of his niece? Could he be any dreamier? Nodding her head, she looked back at Claire and said, “I’m not going anywhere.”

As she moved her nose along Phillip’s jaw, his coarse hair tickling her nose, making her smile as she took in deep breaths, her body slowly coming down from the staggering orgasm that Phillip gave her. Squeezing his shoulders with her fingers, she lifted up on her elbow and looked down at him. He gave her a lazy grin, moving his hand through her hair that fell in a curtain by his flushed face. Talking was the last thing on their minds once he was in her room and his hands were on her. She wished that she had tried a little harder to make sure he was okay. He was always there for her, and she wanted to be there for him, but her body was screaming for his and she thought he felt the same.

Biting into her lip, she moved her finger along his bottom lip and he nipped at it before grinning up at her.

Smiling back, she said, “Sorry we didn’t talk first.”

He laughed. “I don’t mind.”

She smiled as he brought her down for another kiss and then another before rolling on top of her, pressing his glorious body into hers. Moving her hands up to his face, she positioned him to look at her before she asked, “Are you sure you’re okay?’

He nodded, moving his hand to cup her breast. “I am now.”

“I know that,” she laughed, smacking his chest, causing him to laugh as he cuddled her closer to him, pressing his delicious body against hers. But then she became serious. “But what happened with Claire? Did she scream a lot?”

“Yeah, but it was expected,” he said with a shrug. He looked down and let out a long breath. “What wasn’t expected was learning of the shit she went through.”

“What do you mean?” she asked, letting him go and moving up the bed against the headboard. He lifted himself up on his elbows and played with his fingers without looking at her as his hair fell into his eyes.

She reached out, moving the hair, as he said, “I know you said that I can’t blame myself for how my sister and mother were, but I can’t help it. I hate what they did and how they allowed things to happen to Claire. How could they allow her to beg for food, to have to fight to keep men off her? Why would my sister put her in that position? Why couldn’t she just give her to me? You know? I wasn’t the smartest tool in the shed back then but f**k, I would have protected her.”

Reese felt broken as she listened to him, his voice hitching in spots and slowly breaking her heart. “You’re right, you would have, and you are now.”

“It just sucks because it’s not my sister or my mom that have to deal with the aftermath of their actions, it’s me and Claire. I’m the one that has to fix Claire, to shower her with love and reassure her that she will never go hungry again or ever have to fight off a man. Not that I have a problem doing it, I would die for this girl but still, it shouldn’t be like this. They should be here, healthy and as a family, we should do this together.”