by K E Osborn
I place the box on the kitchen counter as Lyri walks Polly over to his new bigger, more elaborate cage set up in the back of the kitchen.
“Rawrr... feed me, feed me.”
Lyri groans. “God, we’re here all of thirty seconds, and he’s made himself at home.”
She hands him a slice of apple, and he promptly spits it out to the floor where Mikey quickly takes advantage of the free food. She glances at me, so I walk over to them and hand Polly a slice of apple. He takes it and begins to munch away on it. “Good boy,” I run my finger along his feathers.
Lyri throws her hands in the air. “You’re an asshole, Eddie.” Her tone doesn’t match the happy demeanor on her face.
I reach out, grabbing her around her waist, and pull her to me. “Yeah, but this asshole belongs entirely to you.”
Her hands slide up my sides and straight into my hair as she sways us from side to side. “Hmm… so does this mean I can do with you whatever I please then, oh asshole of mine?”
“Anything you like, hummingbird.”
“Good, then I need you to unpack my steamer ’cause I have a hankering for cauliflower rice tonight.” She pulls apart from me, slaps my ass, then walks over to the piles of boxes on the counter and starts rifling through them.
I groan, my hard cock going to waste. “You’re in full house-set-up mode, aren’t you?”
She grabs a vase and looks all around as if she is trying to figure out where to place it. “Yes. You asked me to move in. So, now, I’m here to take over. You asked for it, Eddie. I hope you’re prepared for this.”
My chest warms as she walks down the steps into the living room, placing the vase on the counter. She swivels it into position, then walks back over to grab some more of her shit. I don’t care what she does with this place. It never felt like home to me anyway. It was just a place where I lived. With all her boxes here, it already feels more like a home than it ever has.
She continues to move about putting her stuff everywhere, daring me with her eyes to make a fuss or not about what she’s doing. The thing is, it’s only making me love her more. The thought of Lyri being here makes my heart so fucking full.
For the next couple of hours, we unpack and get everything set up. Mikey’s good to go with his beds, bowls, toys around the house, and a kennel in the backyard. Polly’s cage is crazy big—he’s in for the night after swearing up a storm every time we walked past him. I’m going to love having him here. And now we’re about to rest on the sofa in the sunken living room and continue to binge-watch our favorite show.
We both fall to the sofa, completely spent after a day of moving. Lyri feels too close to her home, so she didn’t want to sell it. We’re keeping it, and we are going to rent it out for now. In the meantime, Lyri is going to get the garden over here in better shape. It’s fine the way it is, but it could do with some color, and Lyri’s just the woman to make that happen. I’ve given her free rein. She can do anything she wants—inside and out.
First thing we’re doing this weekend is painting the inside walls. White doesn’t do it for her, so I’m stepping out of my comfort zone, and we’re changing up the color scheme. It won’t be bright and fancy like her home, but some nice pastels will add color to these old walls. I think this place is going to be a mesh of us both by the time we’re through with it.
Just as I move to flick on the television, the doorbell rings. I glance at Lyri in question. “Did you order dinner already?”
“No, not yet. You expecting someone?”
I stand. “No one,” I reply, walking in my sweatpants and nothing else.
I move my eye to the peephole, check it, and my eyes widen in shock as I see who’s behind the door. I let out a long exhale as I yank the heavy timber open. “Dad? Mom?”
They both smile at me, holding a bottle of champagne. “EJ.” Dad places his hand out for me to shake. I take it as Mom steps forward, placing a kiss on my cheek. “We wanted to welcome Lyric to the neighborhood.”
I tense all over. Dammit! If Dad’s here to try and sign her again, I swear to God I’m going to lose it.
“Thank you,” her kind voice echoes from behind me. “Sorry I’m not dressed for this occasion. We didn’t know you were coming,” she offers as she approaches wearing just one of my long LA Rams jerseys, which barely covers her panties.
Mom steps forward, pulling Lyri into a tight embrace. “Oh, my dear, it’s so good to finally meet you. It doesn’t matter what you’re wearing… you’re simply stunning. And honestly, honey, I’d kill for those legs.”
Lyri blushes. “Thank you, that’s so nice of you to say.”
Mom links her arm with Lyri’s. “I only speak the truth. Now c’mon… let’s go into the living room and talk all about how you met my son. I want to hear every fine little detail.”
“I’ll meet you in the living room, I’m gonna put on some pants.”
Mom chuckles shooing Lyri off with her hand. She rushes down the hall while Mom heads for the living room. I turn to Dad, exhaling. “You came here to talk about how we met?” I ask.
Dad closes the door behind him. “Your mother and I realized with Lyric moving in here today, you guys are getting serious. The one time I met her, I made a terrible impression. I want to fix that, and your mother so badly wanted to meet her. You know how she adores you. She was desperate to meet the woman who’d captured your heart.”
I narrow my eyes on him. “So, you’re not here to convince Lyri to sign with Ego Star?”
Dad scoffs. “Hell, no. That ship sailed. I know she doesn’t want that… I know you don’t want that. I respect your decision, son. I respect you.” My stomach twists. I’ve never heard Dad say anything like that before. “I just want you to know I only did what I did because she’s worth it. She is a star.”
I dip my head. “I know she is.”
Dad reaches out, grabbing my arm. “But sometimes stars don’t belong in a galaxy. Sometimes stars can shine brightly on their own.”
My chest swells. “Exactly. She’s her own galaxy, Dad. She doesn’t need to shine for anyone but herself.”
He dips his head. “And I get that now. I’m sorry, son. I’m sorry I came after her the way I did. I should have run it by you first.”
Warmth fills my chest. “Thank you.”
“I just want to get to know the woman who moved into my son’s home. The woman who has single-handedly changed you.”
I dip my head. “Then come on in, Dad. Come and meet Lyric. She’s a florist. She’s an animal lover. She’s the most kind, the most caring, slightly eccentric woman of my dreams, and I’m deeply and madly in love with her.”
Epilogue
A YEAR LATER
Lyric
Mikey’s running through the house like he’s laced with adrenaline. The poor dog doesn’t know how to cope with so many people here at once. He keeps running into everyone’s legs as they stand around drinking. We’re having a dinner party, and I’m trying to keep my shit together, but it’s hard when it’s such a mishmash of mine and Eddie’s people—the free-spirited and the uptight suits.
I stand in the kitchen with Paisley chopping up the chives for the hors d’oeuvres when a guy Eddie knows—broody appearance, five-o-clock shadow, dark hair, ominous vibe—walks up to Polly’s cage to admire him.
This bad boy’s a bit of a mystery.
A delicious-looking mystery.
I peek at Paisley as she pauses mid-chop to observe.
“This should be fun,” Paisley mumbles as the man wearing worn jeans, a black, tight-fitted tee, and a leather jacket moves in, tilting his head at the parrot.
“And what’s your name, little guy?” he asks.
Here it comes.
“Rawrr... fuck off, fuck off.”
I tense, turning around, waving my knife through the air at Polly. “Polly, behave!”
The guy has the faintest smirk on his face. “Quite the vocabulary he has on him.”
I widen my eyes. “Oh, yo
u have no idea.”
“Rawrr… asshole, asshole,” Polly squawks out so loud everyone in the near vicinity turns to look.
Paisley bursts out laughing as she turns to the guy. He’s attractive. Too attractive because Paisley’s eyes are wandering up and down his toned body a little too obviously. “Seems Polly’s got your number,” she quips.
“Rawrr… love her, love her.”
His eyes linger on Paisley, ignoring Polly. “Every woman needs an asshole at least once in her life… you game?”
A loud snort escapes me as I go back to chopping.
Paisley places her hand on her hip. “Think I’ll pass and stop harassing the bird,” she jests, turning back to face me with her eyes wide as she mouths ‘Oh my God.’
I smirk as he walks past. “Offer’s still there if you want it, gorgeous. The name’s Soren. I’m in town for a while.”
Soren!
He’s the guy Eddie told me has the private investigation business that Eddie lied about pretending to be part of. He hands Paisley a business card. Her cheeks instantly flush as she takes it from him. “Don’t wait too long to call me.”
“Rawrr... watch out, watch out.”
“Polly, shush,” I blurt out as Soren walks off, his woodsy-smelling aftershave still lingering around us. Once he’s out of sight, Paisley and I quietly giggle. “He was hot, Paise,” I murmur.
She scoffs a little too zealously. “Was he? I didn’t notice.”
I face her. “He was totally into you. You should put yourself out there, girl.”
She shakes her head. “No. Thank. You,” she drones sarcastically but places the business card into her bag anyway, just as Jase walks past. He picks up a cube of cheese and shoves it into his mouth. A leggy brunette hangs off his arm, her boobs arriving a half hour before she does.
I swat at his hand, making him wink at me. “Jase, stop! These are for the guests.”
He scoffs. “Am I not a guest in your home, Lyri?”
I groan. “More like a piece of the furniture… you’re here that much.”
“Yes, a piece of furniture you love and adore, but anyway, Miss Hostess, don’t be so rude. Andy here is your guest.” He gestures to the bimbo on his arm I’ve never met before.
She grimaces. “Umm… it’s Candy,” the bimbo corrects.
Paisley narrows her eyes at me as he leads her over to the drinks station. “I don’t know what women see in Jase Malone.”
I remember when Eddie used Jase’s surname as his own but then concentrate on the task at hand. “Jase is freaking gorgeous. He’s got the body of a god, and he’s charming when he wants to be.”
“I hope you’re talking about me.” Eddie walks in from behind me and wraps his arms around my bigger-than-normal waist. His hands smooth up and down my bump as he rests his head on my shoulder. “I was explaining to Paisley the appeal in Jase… she doesn’t get it.”
Eddie smirks. “You sure about that?” he whispers in my ear.
I turn to see her staring at Jase, gnawing on her bottom lip longingly.
Maybe that’s why she’s not interested in Soren?
I choose to ignore that situation and deal with my own. I turn in Eddie’s grip and face him, my small bump coming between us as he holds me to him. “Most of the people here are douchebags, Eddie.”
He dips his head closer to me. “I know, babe, but Dad wanted to have people from the company here for tonight’s dinner.”
I groan. “I don’t even know them. And how are they going to react when my family starts getting lively?”
He rubs his hands on either side of my waist. “Well, that’s when the night really starts to get fun, now, doesn’t it, hummingbird?” He leans in, pressing his lips to my temple, then runs his hand across my tummy one more time. I’m only four and a half months along—the baby’s about the length of a cucumber. But, I’ve seen all different sizes of cucumbers. There are some of those monstrous long ones, and then some tiny miniature ones, so when they told me, I was really none the wiser. Damn them and their fruit and vegetable analogies.
“How’s my little dove?” Eddie asks, bending down, his face in line with my stomach.
I run my hands through his hair. “She’s fine. But I think she’s going to be a placekicker for the LA Rams.”
“Yeah, she is!” He kisses my loose-fitting kaftan top. “She can be anything she wants to be.” He slides up against me. “Just like her mom.”
“Okay, everyone, time to head outside. The food’s almost ready,” Eddie’s mom, Sophia, calls, ushering people out the back of the house. I turn around, looking at the untouched platters of hors d’oeuvres Paisley and I have created, then slump and groan.
Eddie wraps his arm around my waist and starts walking with me to the back door as I see Paisley stuffing her face full of the pint-size croutons with our smoked salmon salad construction on top. I guess if no one else is eating our creations, Paisley may as well.
Eddie leads me outside to our back garden.
When I moved in, Eddie let me decorate it however I wanted, so it’s my dream garden. An array of flowers line the walkway to the pool house and around the decking. There are various filler flowers in the gaps between the sporadically placed dahlia bushes. I don’t miss Pixy gnawing on some of the roses as Chance and his wife, Aubrey, stand by the side of the deck. I’m so glad they could come down for a visit, though I know Eddie’s suits are wondering why there’s a goat in our backyard.
Mikey comes running past as Polly screeches out from his cage inside so loudly we can hear him. “Rawrr... feed me, feed me.”
Everyone turns just as the sun sets and the overhead lanterns turn on. Tiki torches light the yard giving it a Hawaiian feel. I love how unique our place is. Sophisticated like Eddie and a little bit boho like me. Eddie drags me through the crowd to the front of the deck where Mom, Dad, Clef, and Aria are sitting, drinking away like they’re ready for a good time. My family hasn’t all been together since Eddie surprised me a year ago, so it’s nice to have them back here again for tonight, even if it’s only one night. They’re all dressed like the rockers they are, while all of Eddie’s people are in more businesslike attire.
It’s a real clash of lifestyle, but I like how we’re integrating society here tonight.
Jase walks up to us sans Candy, and he smiles at Eddie. “You ready, big man?”
Ready? Ready for what?
Eddie nods. “Let’s get this party started.”
Jase lets out a loud whistle, gaining everyone’s attention, especially Paisley’s as she practically drools over him. He winks at her, but she scrunches her face up in mock disgust and throws him the bird for no reason.
Jase takes an overly dramatic bow as everyone cheers for him.
“Welcome, ladies and germs, to the first annual Ego Star everyone gets together and gets shit face—”
“Networking!” Eddie yells, interrupting Jase, who chuckles.
“I stand corrected, ladies and germs. Welcome to the first annual Ego Star Networking…” he turns and winks at me, “… dinner. This has been months in the making. It’s about bringing people in the industry together to make it a better working environment, and to get all our minds together to make Ego Star into something un-fucking-stoppable. With the minds in this room—”
“We’re outside, idiot,” someone calls out from the back, making everyone laugh.
Jase dips his head. “With the minds here tonight, we can build our relationships and only make this industry better for all of us. Who’s with me?”
Everyone simply nods, which is a far cry from the roaring cheer Jase was obviously seeking as he throws his hands in the air, waiting for roaring applause. I can’t help but snicker as Eddie lets me go, stepping toward Jase to rescue him. “What my marketing guru here is trying to say is everyone, please… have a great night. Make connections. And in the end, we hope we can all look at making Ego Star work better for you and your needs.”
“Yeah, that’s what
I meant… but he said it better.” Jase points at Eddie.
Everyone chuckles as the crowd starts to turn away, heading off for their networking, but Jase coughs, clearing his throat once more. “There’s just one more matter of business we need to attend to.”
I cling onto Eddie. “There is?” I whisper.
He rolls his shoulders as everyone turns back around to face us as ‘Walking Away’ by Unspoken starts to play from out of nowhere. My eyes widen. It’s the song I was singing in the karaoke bar more than a year ago when Eddie and I fell to shit.
It’s the song I sang to tell him that I love him.
My chest squeezes as he spins to face me.
Clef lets out a loud whistle as he and Aria chuckle to themselves.
Eddie steps up to me. My heart beats rapidly. I have no idea what’s happening right now, but I seem to be the center of attention at our party. I’m so confused.
Eddie leans in, grabbing both my hands in his, his eyes meeting mine. He looks scared. Petrified even. And that sends the fear of God through me.
“Eddie, what’s wrong?” I whisper.
He exhales, shaking his head. “Just let me get through this, okay, hummingbird?”
Panic slams into me. “Jesus Christ, Eddie, are you sick?”
He clenches his eyes shut like he’s exasperated as I lean in, feeling his forehead. He’s sweaty as all hell, making me even more terrified.
I have a baby on the way.
I love Eddie more than anything.
Oh Jesus! If he’s sick—fuck, I can’t lose him. Not now!
“Eddie, you’re scaring me.”
“Man up, EJ,” his father calls out, and it seems to be the push he needs.
Eddie’s eyes meet mine, so full of hope, shining with love, a beacon in the life we will share together. He grabs my hand, then suddenly falls to the floor. I gasp, my free hand clutching at my chest before I realize he’s dropped to one knee.
Now my heart really begins to hammer.
It’s all making sense.
He’s nervous, not sick.
Oh, fuck! Now I’m nervous.
My hands begin to tremble as he pants hard for breath like he’s trying to find the right words or maybe he’s stuck. I go to say something, but he pulls out a ring box with his free hand and doesn’t open it.
