Second Chance at Forever (Forever Book 2) (46 page)

“You know me so well, but what I have to tell you will hurt you. And I can’t bear to ever do that to you. You have been through so much already, baby. I love you so much.”

“We’re together now, and no one or anything can ever hurt me again.”

“Let’s hope that’s true, baby,” I replied.

He took my hands in his and let out a few deep breaths.

“REESE, FROM THE minute I saw you walk into that New York restaurant and back into my life, it has been a non-stop ride of revelations. Secrets that have been kept from me for all of these years were finally revealed. I not only heard from you, but literally from beyond the grave—my father’s grave. He must have known his time was coming. In the end, my father was very sick. When he came out to California to talk with me, I guess he was trying to make amends and say his goodbyes. He left me a box of personal items in it and a dossier of the crimes he committed against you and me.”

“I was out of my mind when I discovered it all. It was one thing to hear it from you, but then to read it from his own hands completely decimated me. I confronted Miles Jacobson, his lawyer, to tell me the truth. I could have killed Miles, if it weren’t for my mother interrupting us. He took his beating like a man, and then told me everything. The story didn’t end with my father; it was only beginning. The true master of this grand illusion was Henry Townsend.”

“Elizabeth’s father?” Reese questioned.

“Yes, the one and only. You see, he had the deluded notion that if he removed you from my life, then it would pave the way for Elizabeth and me to be together.”

Reese shifted out of my arms and stood up to look out to the lake.

“He succeeded, Walker. They both did. You married and had a child with Elizabeth.” I watched my girl cover her eyes to hide the falling tears that were now drenching her beautiful face.

“Reese, I’m so sorry. Please, baby, look at me.”

“You’re sorry? Why would you say that to me, Walker? You have nothing to be sorry for. You thought I had left you for good with no hope of ever returning. How could I expect you to wait for me when I did the same thing with Samuel? It may have appeared to the outside world that I moved on, but here is where it counted. I never strayed from our love.” She held her hands over her heart as she once again cried out her feelings for me.

“I feel the same way, Reese. Yes, my feelings for Elizabeth were real, but never in the same way as how I felt for you. And you said it yourself that we can never regret our children.”

“Of course not! I will always be grateful to Samuel for giving me the chance to become a mother, but Walker, you were the man that made that dream happen for me first…with our son. Why didn’t he make it? I wanted him so much, and I couldn’t wait to tell you that you were going to be a father.”

She cried, holding her face, and then fell slowly to the ground. She was mourning our son,
my son
. Damn, this hurt. It felt like a thousand knives piercing my heart. God, I hated this! It was breaking my heart to go through this with her, again and again. I could never bear to see her cry, and I would do everything in my power to prevent her from ever shedding a sad tear again.

“Reese, look at me, please?” She dried her eyes, and did what I asked. “Reese, I know how hard you fought to protect him, but some babies are not meant for this world. And, sadly, our son was called home before we had a chance to be his parents. I will never blame you for losing him. Please believe that.”

“I dreamed of him the other night, but he wasn’t alone. I wasn’t sure if I was going to tell you, but for the first time since losing him, I actually felt peace and a sense of closure.”

“Our son? You said he wasn’t alone? Who was with him?”

“Elizabeth. She was holding him and rocking him to sleep. She looked beautiful. Our baby was healthy and looked like you. You said that Elizabeth would want you to be happy and move on with your life. Did you mean that, Walker? Was she this saint that could do no wrong and die a martyr? I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have said that about her.”

“Reese, you didn’t say or do anything wrong. Elizabeth was simply a kind soul. She loved fiercely with her heart, and I think she would laugh at the saint reference. If I can be certain of anything, I know Elizabeth would want me to be happy again. For so long, I’ve been alone just raising my son and working. My assistant told me to get a life when I left for New York. Little did she know that my life has never been the same without you in it, beautiful girl.”

“We have been given a second chance, and I will never doubt fate again. I’m done living in the shadows of being half of a man who is so closed up and unwilling to let someone in. You’re in, Reese. God, you never left. I want you, and I know you want me. Please believe in what we have now, because we’re starting over. We cannot change our pasts and how we lived our lives. We have today, tomorrow, and the rest of our lives to be happy.”

I took her into my arms and held her closely to my chest, so I could feel her heartbeat against mine.

“Reese, it was too late for my father to make amends to us for what he did. He left me several letters with words of regret and apologies. I don’t know if I will ever truly be able to forgive him, but I can promise you that his machinations will never be able to hurt us again. As for Henry Townsend, he is only still breathing because of his grandson. I can’t hurt him, Reese, not only for Jackson, but for Elizabeth. She would not want me hurting her father, no matter what he has done.”

“For the sake of her memory, and my son, Henry gets to continue on with his life and live out his retirement out in Arizona. As for continuing a relationship with me, well that’s over. He is dead to me. Jackson knows the truth, but is still hurt and confused by the actions of his grandfather, who he loves. While we’re on the subject, I also took care of Ralston.”

I felt my girl shake with the mention of that bastard’s name. “Yes baby, he will never be able to hurt you again. I gave him a beating he won’t soon forget.”

“Oh my goodness, Walker. What if he comes after you? What will you do then?”

“He can’t hurt me, and he certainly can’t hurt you, not anymore. He may have thought he was only doing his job, but his actions cost us our son.”

“You don’t know that, Walker. I was sick, and it was a tough pregnancy from the beginning.”

“Reese, I know enough, and he got what he deserved. If anything, I was easy on him. Listen, enough about my father, Henry Townsend, and Ralston. They do not matter to us, and you don’t ever have to think about them again.”

“Walker, before we go any further here today, I now need to tell you something. Something that will hurt you, and once again I will be the bearer behind that hurt.”

“Reese, you can only hurt me by leaving me again, and I think you know I will find you this time. So please, baby, no more tears.”

“Not until I tell you this. Please, you have to know.”

I felt it deep inside my core that it was about Samuel, who I didn’t want to hear about, but until I allowed her to say the words, I was just going to continue to fight against my internal struggle.

“Okay Reese, you have my attention. I promise you that whatever you’re going to tell me is not going to change how I feel about you.”

“You may want to hold off on that until you hear it, baby.”

Looking at Reese’s beautiful caramel eyes drew me in like a moth to a flame. She was breathtaking, and if I could, I would climb inside of her and stay there for the rest of my life.

“No one was more surprised than I when Riley opened our hotel room door to find Samuel standing on the other side of it. He looked hopeful and happy to see his daughter. Then he rushed over to me like he was seeing me for the first time. Samuel was in complete denial of what was taking place in our marriage. I asked him for a divorce, and of course he told me that would never happen.”

“He fucked me across his desk and then apologized like he just spilled coffee on the rug. He never got it, and still doesn’t. I didn’t want to leave with him, Walker, but he gave me little choice. And I was back to a place of being scared and letting another person force me to do something I never wanted to do. Thoughts of your father’s bossiness flashed in my mind at that very moment, but I was ordered to pack my things and leave for this magical family trip he had planned for us.”

“Reese, why are we discussing this at all? Baby, I know all of this already. Remember, I was the one who rescued you.” I wiped away more of her falling tears.

“Please, Walker, let me finish. If I’m ever to truly move forward with you, then I have to be completely open and honest with you and tell you everything.”

I held her hand reassuringly. “Okay. Go on.”

“Riley was crying and did not understand what was happening. Samuel took her phone and wouldn’t allow her to call Jackson. I barely had time to think or react. I’m so sorry, Walker, but I cheated on you. I wasn’t strong enough to say no, and he reminded me that he was my husband and that my body belonged to him, so I had sex with him. And I have regretted it ever since.”

“Samuel must have known something, but never said anything. We fought on the island, and I begged him to let me go. He did, Walker. He finally accepted my wanting a divorce. The minute he made the connection to who Jackson really was, it didn’t take him long to figure the rest out. He made Riley leave the house and came after me. He smashed things around the room and confronted me about you. He said we wouldn’t be divorcing, and he would never let me go.”

“I decided that I had enough and screamed back. He asked me coldly if I had ‘fucked you’ and I screamed back, ‘Yes.’ Samuel’s words were ugly and sounded so cold. I wasn’t ashamed, and I was done hiding the truth. God! For years, I was living my life in hiding, and I was so done with it all. I repeatedly told Samuel that I loved you, and yes…I did fuck you, and it was the best sex of my life. Well, he hit me after that, and the room went dark for the second time that day. Then you came crashing through the door. Yes my love, you rescued me.”

“Please, Walker, say something.”

I sat there, just silent, and the color slowly drained from my face upon hearing her harrowing plight with that horrible man. I paused for a few more seconds and began to smile. “Best sex of your life, huh? I guess I haven’t lost my touch.”

Reese lunged herself at me, holding on as tightly as she could.

“God! I love you, you amazing man.”

“I love you too. Reese, you didn’t cheat on me, and everything you just said to me does not change anything. I told you this, and I need you to believe it. No one can understand having control better than me, Reese. I crave control. I couldn’t have run my business, and be the man that I am, without it, but I would never use that type of power over you.”

“I want you to completely submit your mind, body, and soul over to me because you want to, not because I demand it. I will give you all of me, if you’ll have me. Reese, it’s all I want. You’re all I will ever want or need. Now dry your eyes, baby, because I want to give you something. And any tears I see from here on out will be happy ones, I promise.”

I walked her over to where our blanket was laid out onto the ground. We were surrounded by flowers, and a warm breeze bounced off the lake water. I poured us both a glass of crisp Prosecco and topped it off with fresh strawberries. Reese’s smile widened with the memory of this simple act. We shared this delectable white wine many years ago, countless nights of making love in front of my fireplace. I fed her a few berries and kissed the sweetness off of her lips. I would make it my life’s mission to make her smile every day.

I dreaded to tell her anything about what I learned about my father’s role in separating us, but it was a part of our story. We needed to find closure to move on from it once and for all. She also needed to bear her soul to me, and by god she did it today. I think we both had been cleansed and re-born.

“Reese, close your eyes baby.” I said to her.

“Walker, what are you up to?” She closed her eyes but began stroking my chest up and down, until I let out a desirable moan for her.

“Behave yourself, or you don’t get your surprise.”

“I’ll run the risk. I want you, Walker. I’m desperate for you to be inside of me. Please, Walker, let’s make love.”

Well that did it. I captured her mouth with mine, and I sucked on her tongue. She tasted delicious with the mix of wine and berries. We were alone out there, and I could easily strip her bare and make love to her, but first things first. I needed to show Reese just how much I loved her, and I wasn’t going to wait one more second.

“Reese, please allow me to give you your gifts, and then I promise to fulfill all of your desires.”

“Gifts? I thought I was only getting one gift?”

“I never said just one, you need to pay closer attention. Now close your eyes, baby.” I placed another burning kiss on her sweet lips, and she did what I asked. I held her platinum locket in the palm of my hand. I meant every word I had engraved on it all those years ago, but my bastard of a father forcefully removed this from her neck, taking what she had left of me. Along with the ring that will soon grace her finger, my heart locket will once again return to its rightful place.

“Come on, babe, I can’t wait. What is it?” She still had her eyes closed.

“Reese, I will never forget the night I gave you this, and what it meant for me to see it on you. I loved you then, and I love you even more now. You will always be my forever, and my heart is yours…always.”

Her hair was already up, making it easy for me to place the necklace around her neck. I secured the clasp and allowed her to open her eyes. She gasped in surprise as her fingers touched it at the base of her neck.

“My locket? Oh my god, Walker, I thought this was lost to me! How did you ever find it?”

“My father. I never gave him the chance to hear him out when he visited me in California before his death. With a letter addressed to me, he left your locket in my study back at the house. When I went through his papers back in New York, he told me about it and where to find it. Reese, I nearly fell to the floor when I held this necklace in my hands. I hate him for hurting you, baby. I hate him for taking this from you. He caused you an unmeasurable amount of pain, and to be here with you right now just proves that our love can sustain anything, even Phillip Reed.”