Phillip hated when Piper did her ninja sneak in but at this particular moment, he could use her help. “I get that, but I have fought. I put all of me in, and she threw me away. How do I come back from that? You weren’t going to fight for him after he left you. You were done, and now I am done.”

Piper paused and then nodded. “You’re right. If you’ve done everything you can, put all your cards on the table, then all you can do is wait and hope she gets her head on right.”

“But I don’t want to wait. I want her to know. I’m scared that since she doesn’t know now, then how will she ever? I gave her my heart, and she didn’t want it. It was different for you two because you knew that he loved you and that he wanted to be with you. Plus you two had Dimitri coming, and that was bound to make him grow the hell up.”

“Hey,” Erik said, glaring.

Phillip went on. “But I have nothing but my love for her, and she won’t even take it. I am giving her everything she wants and needs, I am being the man she deserves, and she is ignoring it because of fear. Fear that I have no problem helping her push away, but she has to want to push with me. All she did, Piper, was look me in the eye and say sorry. She didn’t even want to try.”

Piper looked away and then shrugged. “Then as much as I don’t want to say this because I think you’re amazing for my sister, maybe it isn’t meant to be.”

Yeah, that was what he was thinking, too.

“Yeah, but that doesn’t feel right either.”

“Then what does?”

“Us, together.”

“Maybe she needs time to think it over?” Piper suggested. “To miss you.”

Standing up, Phillip wrapped an arm around Piper’s shoulders. “I’m going to try, but I can’t promise anything.”

She smiled as she slowly shrugged. “I understand, but I hope it works out.”

“Me too.”

Chapter 29

“GET THE cake and the plates, and make sure they are blue! Oh, and get some chocolates for the poopy diapers!”

Reese wished she had never answered the phone when Piper called that morning. She should have denied the call, but she couldn’t with it being baby shower day. As she stood in line at Audrey Jane’s, waiting on Harper’s cake, her phone kept going off with texts from Piper asking her to do things. When the last one came in, saying to pick up Claire, she let out a long breath. Tears gathered in her eyes and her chest constricted, as she fought the urge to run back to the car, go home, and never leave.

She hadn’t seen Claire or Phillip, and she missed them. Desperately… but she couldn’t face either of them, not after what happened with her and Phillip. She was worried that her promise to always be there for Claire was going to be hard to keep because, at that moment, she felt like running. Leaving everything and starting over somewhere else, but she couldn’t bring herself to do it. She couldn’t run not when Claire did nothing wrong, nor did Phillip. This was her fault. Her breaking heart, the hollowness she felt, was all on her.

She caused this and like Phillip said she would, she regretted it. The only thing was she didn’t know how to tell him that. She didn’t know how to look him in the face and tell him that she was wrong and he was right. That she did love him and wanted to be with him but didn’t know how. She didn’t know how to let go of what Kevin did to her and allow herself to try again. She was scared.

When it was her turn up at the counter, the girl behind the counter handed Reese the cupcake cake that was covered in pretty blue flowers and said ‘Congratulations on Journey.’ Stupid name, she thought as she handed the lady her card.

“Audrey said it’s on the house.”

Reese shrugged. “Thanks.”

She took the box and made a few more stops before turning on the road that would take her to Phillip’s house. Her heart picked up in speed when she saw his house and then his car, meaning that he was home. She wanted to text Claire and ask her to come out, but that was rude and made her a coward. She had to live with the decision she made or she had to change it so, with a heavy heart, she pushed her car door opened and made her way up the driveway she had came up so many times. When her lips started to wobble from all those amazing memories, and how she’d probably never get the chance to have them again, she heaved out a sad breath. She bit into her lip to keep it still before knocking on the door. Her heart was in her throat when she heard the footsteps. When it opened to Claire, her heart broke as she met the same eyes of the man she loved.

“You ready?” she asked as normally as she could.

Claire nodded, and Reese took in how cute she looked in a pair of jeans and a pastel blue shirt and white scarf. Her hair was up in a messy bun, and she was wearing tall, brown boots over her jeans. She looked a hell of a lot better than Reese did, that was for sure. In a pair of ratty jeans and an old Beatles shirt, Reese was pretty sure everyone at the party was going to think she was homeless, but she really didn’t care. Turning before she saw Phillip, she headed for the car with Claire right behind her. She waited until they were both buckled up before driving out the driveway and heading for Elli’s house. She didn’t want to talk to Claire, or anyone for that matter, and she really didn’t want to even go to the damn baby shower, but she knew she had to go on with her life. She had to ignore the desire to hide under a rock and live somewhat of a life after Phillip.

Or she had to get him back.