Wilde at Heart (Wilde Security, #3)(79)

“I could say the same to you,” Reece murmured, but the line had already gone dead. He pulled the phone away from his ear and stared at it for a long time.

Do what makes you happy.

Well, he sure as f*ck wasn’t happy sitting here in this hospital. In fact, he hadn’t been happy since he walked away from Shelby. Sure, he had every right to his anger, but was he angry enough to completely give up on her?

She hasn’t had a lot of good in her life…

No. He wasn’t that angry. Despite it all, he still loved her. It hadn’t been the Xanax or fear talking when he reached that conclusion on the bathroom floor. And if he’d learned anything from his parents—and from his brothers—it was that love wasn’t easy, wasn’t neat and tidy, and sometimes wasn’t even fun. But it was worth the trouble.

And he didn’t want to lose it, wasn’t ready to give up on her.

Reece shoved up off the bed and shuffled over to the closet for his bag of personal belongings. Fuck this. If his wife wasn’t going to come to him here, he’d just have to drag his sorry ass home to her.





Chapter Thirty


“What the f*ck are you doing here?” Jude said when he opened his door the following morning to see Reece standing there. “You should still be in the hospital.”

“I checked myself out last night.”

Jude shook his head and stepped back, opening the door wider. “You’re supposed to be the smart one, remember?”

He stepped inside. “Yeah, but I’m also a Wilde.”

“And there’s no hope for us as a species. C’mon, sit down before you fall down.” Jude motioned to the living room in a sweeping gesture with his coffee mug. “Libby’s in the kitchen making breakfast. I’d offer you coffee, but that didn’t go so well for you last time.”

“Oh, man.” He groaned as he lowered himself to the couch. “I’m never going to live that down.”

“Eh, eventually.” Jude sat in a recliner and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, hands linked in front of him. “Okay. Why are you here?”

“I went home last night. Shelby wasn’t there.”

“Well, what did you expect? You told her to leave, didn’t you?”

“Yeah. I did. I’m good at opening my trap and saying things I don’t mean.” He lifted his gaze and felt like a heel all over again for some of the things he’d said to Jude in the past. If anyone understood what he was getting at here, it’d be his youngest brother. “I see you when I look at her.”

Obviously uncomfortable, Jude glanced away and sat back in his chair. “Dude. I love you, but that’s just nasty.”

“Not like that. Jesus, you can be such a douchebag sometimes.”

“Takes one to know one.”

“A douchebag with a five-year-old’s comebacks.”

Back on familiar ground, Jude grinned, all smug and unapologetic. He picked up his coffee mug again, lifted it to his lips. Drank. Waited in silence for Reece to continue, which said something about the level of his smugness, because the youngest Wilde brother was not known for his patience.

Reece heaved out a breath in frustration. “What I mean is everyone has always kept her down, talked down to her. Like we did to—no, like I did to you. Nobody has ever given her a chance to be something more. Including me.” His throat tightened. “I want to be the one to finally give her that chance.”

Jude’s smile faded into a rare serious expression. “Bro, I’m going to ask you something, and I don’t want you to think about it. Just answer from your gut. Do you love Shelby?”

He hedged. “She’s my exact opposite…”

“Answer from your gut.” Jude patted his abs. “Stop thinking about it. Does the idea of not seeing her every day make your chest tighten up like you can’t breathe?”

“Yeah.”

“You love her?”

“I love her.” He tried out the words, and the world didn’t burst into flames around him. He couldn’t even remember why he thought it would, because the words felt satisfying as hell, like the last puzzle piece snapping into place and showing him the image of the rest of his life.

With Shelby.

If he could make it up to her.

He slumped back on the couch. “Oh shit. I f*cked up. She’ll never forgive me.”

Jude lifted his mug in a toast. “You’ll be amazed at what your woman is willing to forgive.”

Surprisingly, that bit of sage advice gave him a sliver of hope. After all, Libby had forgiven Jude his stupidity. Of course, it was after eight years, and the wounds between them had time to heal. Would he have to wait that long too? He didn’t want to, but if that’s what it took, he would. He’d do anything to win her forgiveness for being such a jackass.

Even if that meant he had to beg his annoying younger brother for help. “What do I need to do?”

Jude gave his best Dr. Evil laugh and rubbed his hands together. “Oh, am I going to enjoy this.”

“I swear,” Reece said through his teeth, “I will slug you.”

“Nah. You adore me.”

“Won’t stop me.”

Jude waggled his brows, then got serious again. “Tell me how you f*cked up with her.”