Reid
How is everything so perfect and yet so devastatingly painful?
I sat down opposite the woman who has come to mean so much to me, and she’s chatting away while we’re having lunch as if yesterday’s events didn’t loom over us. She’s decorated my home for Christmas to welcome me back, and she’s cooked for me - how could fate be so cruel as to give me someone like Willow Creed, knowing that I wouldn’t be long for this world?
When River came to me this morning, I didn’t expect him to deliver the news he did since they gave me the all-clear on the operation.
But he received a call this morning to say that there was an error in one of my MRI scans, and what do you know? They discovered another tumour and is clearly inoperable at this stage. He took some tissue samples this morning and would let me know if it was malignant or benign. But there is an out if it is cancerous, and it comes with radiation treatment and chemo, so that means man
Willow Okay, I knew this would come; I didn’t know it would come so soon after we just made love. Reid looks at me and cups my cheek, wiping away the tears that had formed even before he told me. T hey discovered another tumour and had no idea if it was cancerous or not, but River would get back to him with the results in a day. If all goes well, they will remove the new tumour and proceed with chemo to eliminate the parts they couldn’t remove. But for now, they didn’t know if it was malignant or benign… the test would reveal that. “I didn’t want to ruin our first Christmas together, especially not after what you did for me. But it felt wrong to hide this from you,” he says while his bottom lip trembled. This was more difficult for him than it was for me, knowing that he just got this happiness and it might be taken away just as quickly. “I understand. Thank you for telling me. I’ll still be by your side, no matter the outcome
Willow My head whips to the door, and I take in the sight of the man I deemed my brother before running straight into his arms. Noah knew all the right things to say, and when I told him about what would happen today, he said he would be here for me until I decided to chase him away. “Noah!” I exclaim, wrapping my arms around his neck and taking in the familiar scent of him. I heard the low chuckle in his chest as he held me close, knowing words couldn’t express what I was feeling right now. When he lets go of me, we walk over to the bed I would be sleeping in and sit down, where Noah places his hand over mine. “I thought I used to be a fucking tough rockstar, fighting depression while performing in front of thousands, but what you’re doing blows all that away. You’re an amazing person and an even tougher bird, Specs. I take my hat off to you for what you’re doing, but since I am the only one that can currently see through your bullsh
Willow Building an empire alone is one thing, but building an empire with someone you loved was something else entirely. You strive for the other’s success and knowing you had them in the corner with you meant so much more. A year after his surgery and chemo, we decided to add more rooms to the lake house; two studies and two guest rooms for when the family visits. It cost us a pretty penny, but with the success of my romance novels, and Reid selling the shares in his father’s law firm, we were good for it. I managed to open my own editorial house as well, so now I manage myself and at least four other new authors. My success was growing and so was Reid’s, who had a knack for the business world. Soon after he joined one of the largest marketing firms in Denver did they see a rise in their price on the stock market. Reid started being known as ‘Golden Thumbs’, whatever he touched seemed to multiply in success. I’m so proud of him and e
Willow “Are you certain?!” I jump up from my seat while on the phone with my editor. He has just called me with fantastic news, and I am really not sure if he was pulling my leg or not. “Yes! Bestseller, baby!” He exclaims and I silently scream at those words. BEST SELLER! My book turned out to be a bestseller! Trying my best not to lose my mind, I thank him for his guidance and informing me about the good news before saying our goodbyes. I must admit that I never expected my book to be a hit, especially since I just started this new job as a PA at a newly formed law firm. 23 years old, fresh out of college with my future ahead of me, my life could only go up! “Willow,” My boss, Michael, says as he walks towards me and I look up. He just said his goodbyes to one of his clients after a three-hour-long meeting with her. “That one ran long. I hope she remembers that she’s paying us by the hour.” I say and Michael chuckles
Willow Five Years LaterWhat exactly is romance? Is it like a movie moment where he runs to the airport after realising she was the one he loved after all? Or is it her finding his letters that her mother had hidden after all this time? It could be either of those, but for me, it’s a cupcake presented to you on your birthday morning, a simple ‘good morning, beautiful’ text or the ever-popular ‘let me know when you get home’ sentence. Not that any of the above had ever happened to me, even when I was with Alex. I just happen to liken these moments to romance or love. “Willow,” came the voice of my boss, snapping me out of my thoughts. “I need to cancel my 2 pm appointment. Could you reschedule it for when I get back on Monday?” He asks me, and I smile as I look up into his deep brown eyes. “Already done, sir. Samantha called yesterday.” I say with a wink and watch as he returns my smile, which lights up his tired face. Micha
Willow “Hey, ready to go?” I look up from my laptop into the green eyes of the Grayson PA and best friend, Melissa Carter. She started working here two years after the company opened and we’ve been close ever since. She was a tall, leggy blonde with an athletic figure but a brilliant mind. She may look ditzy, but she had a heart of gold and an IQ higher than those death traps she wears on her feet. I frown at her question and then see the time - 2 pm and our lunchtime. “Yeah, just let me grab my things,” I say and follow her out of our joint office. I don’t know why, but this second rejection hit me harder than the first. Yes, I know that I am not used to the romance genre, but I do think that I tried my best with the minimal amount of knowledge and experience I had. “What’s with the long face?” Melissa eventually asks, pointing to my frown after my long period of silence. I realized then that she had been talking to me this entire time, but I had been too wrapped up in my own min
Willow Mel, looking as gorgeous as ever, was dressed in a tight red number with mile-high Louboutin's, and she had her blonde hair straightened. If you looked up the word ‘bombshell’ in the dictionary, I’m sure Melissa’s picture would be there. “Mr Grayson,” I say, still feeling formal when I see him, and he chuckles. “Please, we're off the clock. Call me Reid.” He says. “I hope you don't mind me being here. Melissa has just helped me put out wildfires, so I want to thank her with a drink.” He finishes then calls a bartender over. I look at Mel with a raised eyebrow, and she rolls her eyes and makes a vomiting gesture by pointing her finger down her throat. I giggle, “When did you have time to dress up, though?” I ask, realising that she was out of her work attire. She shrugs. “I had Matt bring it over while I was at work and got dressed there.” Matt was her twin brother and very much gay. Reid excuses himself
Willow I nearly spit out my drink. “Excuse me?” I exclaim, not understanding what he was talking about. A fake romance? A fake relationship? With him?! WHAT?! “Exactly what I just said, Miss Creed. Think it over and get back to me on Monday.” He says and gets up to leave, but I grab his arm and pull him back. “Why? What could you possibly gain from this?” I ask, not knowing if this was a joke or not. Was I being pranked right now? Well, that’s not possible because he had the personality of a brick, and I don’t think he has any friends anyway. He sighs, “As I said, be my date for my brother’s wedding and any other events we might be invited to. I am tired of my family asking about my love life, so I see it as a win-win situation. As you know, I am a busy man, so I don’t have the time to go around looking for a partner, but I have been in relationships, so I’m not that dense when it comes to romance. Besides, why not you