Page 81 of Not Over You

I opened my mouth to speak but closed it. I hadn’t heard Scarlett call Reed Daddy all evening. Hearing it made my belly flip-flop.

“Please?” she begged. “I promise it only takes two seconds for me to fall asleep. Then Daddy can carry you to bed like he does me when I fall asleep on the couch.”

She was too adorable for words, and I would have danced on the moon if she had asked me to.

“As long as it’s okay with your daddy.”

Scarlett yelped when Reed gave his blessing, spinning around like a prima ballerina.

“When I grow up, I want to be a cupcake.” Scarlett giggled, her eyes lit with delight as she peered up at me.”

“Why a cupcake?” I replied.

She rolled her eyes, like everyone else, except me, knew the answer. “Cupcakes make everybody happy.”

The three of us lay inside The Castle bordered by pink and purple twinkling lights and sheer curtains—Princess Scarlett of Tasmania snuggled in between Reed and me.

Scarlett leaned into Reed and whispered, “Can we keep her?”

Reed chuckled. “She’s not a puppy, sweetie, but we can ask if she’d like to stick around, maybe join us tomorrow on our trip to The Hamptons.”

Scarlett turned her head to face me, dark lashes fluttering. “Will you come with us tomorrow, please?”

How could I resist? “I’d love to.”

CHAPTER 15

Reed

* * *

I prayed every night I’d run into her again.

The grocery store. The park. Any-fucking-where.

When Giana showed up at the door, pizza boxes in hand, she stole my breath away.

Her eyes looked like she’d cried for a thousand hours. I had too.

Scarlett had been quickly taken with Giana, especially since I’d never invited a woman over, had barely even dated. Watching the two laughing and playing together made fireworks go off in my stomach.

And while I didn’t want to break up the fun princess tea party, Scarlett’s bedtime had long passed. And more than anything, I needed to get Giana alone, find out the answer to the question storming through my brain.

Once Scarlett drifted off to sleep, I whispered to Giana, “Let’s go talk.”

I closed Scarlett’s bedroom door and guided Giana into my bedroom, which was clear on the other side of the two-bedroom apartment.

I shut the door and locked it to ensure we’d have privacy. “This is the only place we can talk without waking Scarlett.”

When Giana eased down onto the foot of my bed, hands folded in her lap, I eased down beside her.

“What happened in Barbados?” It was the only question on my list, the one that kept me up at night.

Giana turned to face me, eyes glistening with tears. “When you excused yourself to use the restroom, I was going over menu options. I heard a phone chirp. I thought it was Stacy, so I grabbed the phone on the bedside table, not realizing it was yours.”

My mouth dropped open. Scarlett sent me several texts that night, one of which was I love you. “You thought a woman sent me those texts.”

Giana lowered her gaze to the floor. “Yes.”

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