As she ambles past, I shoot her a look—a telepathic wtf is going on?—but she just smiles knowingly and tells us to take our time.
"You know what would be better than talking at a few days old?" I hear her coo to the baby as she heads into the hall. "Getting potty trained! Ooh, fun! What do you think about that, Little Luna?"
Once she's closed the door, I turn my gaze back to my boyfriend, but I don't know what to do.
Hell, I don't even know what to say.
I'm just so damn surprised to see him.
His lips twitch in amusement at my uncharacteristically quiet state. After a beat or two, he motions me towards him.
"Get your ass over here, babe."
When he cocoons me in his embrace, that familiar scent overpowering me as he rubs soothing circles on my back, I honestly get the urge to cry.
It feels like a lifetime since he's held me like this.
"What are you doing here?" I question.
"Visiting you." He cups the back of my head, burying his nose into my hair as he adds a muffled, "I missed you, baby."
"I missed you, too," I mumble against his broad chest. "So much."
With the birth of the baby and my substantial involvement, I haven't had much time to chat with him this week. Things are still weird between us, some unspoken conversations still left untouched. But I came to a firm decision a few days ago, and it's crucial he knows where I stand with everything.
Now's the perfect time to tell him.
"Weston."
"Mhmm?"
I glance up, cheek pressed against his shoulder as I lock eyes with him.
"I want this to work."
He tucks a strand of hair behind my ear, his thumb gently grazing my temple. "What do you mean?"
"Us. Our relationship. I want it to work." Ramblings begin to pour from my mouth. "At first I thought it'd be impossible, but you know what? Screw the distance. 5,000 miles? We can handle that. We're totally strong and secure enough to handle that. I mean, obviously steps will need to be taken to ensue ample communication time. I'm thinking two designated phone calls every week, minimum. Rayne and I will get up early and watch your games together. I'll paint your number on my face, she'll tell me when to cheer, and it'll almost be like I'm really there. And oh! Mandatory Skype calls once a week, too. You know, for the 'good stuff', and—"
"Lex," Weston interrupts, snapping me out of it. He frowns and shakes his head. "I don't want to do all that."
"Oh." A rush of disappointment washes over me. "Why not?"
"Because," he begins, "Why the hell would I wanna see you taking your clothes off on a lagging computer screen when I could just come to your apartment and rip them off for you?"
"But you'll be...Arent you going to..." I cock my head, brows creasing together. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying this isn't a quick, 24-hour visit. It's a permanent one."
"What?" Hopeful excitement laces its way through my voice. "Are you serious?"
"Dead serious. I'm coming back."
His contagious smile has one appearing on my face.
"Just to get the record straight, I would've kicked ass over there," he reveals as if I didn't already know that was the case. "But it wasn't for me. You were right, babe. About everything."
Taking a page from his book, I point to my ear. "Say that again? Didn't catch it."
His eyes roll as he laughs. "I was wrong. You were right. I let pressure and shit mess with my head. Can you forgive my dumbass?"
I scrunch my nose, pretending to think it over even though I already have my answer.
"I suppose so," I tease. "But promise me one thing. Next time you have a temporary lapse in judgement, listen to me."
"Believe me, I will." He presses his lips to my forehead. "No doubt about that."
"I'm just so freaking happy you're staying," I mumble. "You have no idea."
I stay in his arms for a long time, basking in the relief that there's no need for me to burn this to my memory. I won't have to try and conjure up this feeling when I'm alone at night and miss him terribly.
I don't have to imagine anything because I'll be able to hug him like this whenever I feel like it.
Thank God.
After a while, he speaks.
"What do you think our babies would look like?" He pulls back, nodding towards a framed photo of Luna wearing a massive purple bow. "As cute as this one?"
Our babies?!
Cue shocked me, heart fluttering and jaw dropping at hearing those words come from his mouth.
It's still difficult for me to comprehend how much I tamed this guy...this wild playboy who was destined to fuck his way into perpetual bachelorhood.
I tell him that, and he gives me a grateful smile.
"You changed everything, Barbie. Made me think about everything in a new light. Never even considered creating little devil-spawns, but I wanna put a baby in you so fucking badly." He tugs me close, spreading a hand across my stomach with a cheeky smirk. "Like six of them."
"Six?" A loud laugh erupts from my throat. "Jeez. You're ambitious."
"For real, though. Our kids would be cute as shit. You can't deny that."
Before I can respond, Chelsea's muffled opinion comes from behind the door. "Oh, yes! Absolutely. Just look at the two of you. How could you produce anything other than tall, genetically-blessed children? You'll be fighting off those model-scouts every time you take those cuties to the mall!"
"Thank you, Chelsea," I call out as I shake my head.
I give Weston a quick squeeze. "Definitely down to have some miniature Westons and Lexies running around, but not for a few years."
"25 would be a good age, Lexie!" Chelsea offers. "But make sure that boy puts a ring on your finger, first!"
"Thank you, Chelsea." I roll my eyes good-naturedly. "These walls are really thin, aren't they?"
"One-ply toilet paper-thin," she confirms.
I laugh as Weston spears me with a heated look.
"Well, we don't have to make babies right away..."
He leans in close so Chelsea can't overhear. His hand travels to the curve of my lower back, his whispered words tickling my ear and sending a shiver down my spine.
"But that doesn't mean we can't practice."
Epilogue
Fourth of July
The Lakehouse
"Happy friggin' Birthday, America!" Diego drunkenly shouts into the sky. "God bless the U.S. of A.!"
Wearing his festive American-flag swim trunks and Uncle Sam hat, the guy seldom misses an opportunity to get into costume.
"Freedom, dudes and dudettes. Free as a majestic bald eagle. Let's celebrate." He reaches into a cooler, pulling out cold beers and tossing them into everyone's hands. "Catch, El!"
The can strikes an unsuspecting Ellie on the arm before landing on the ground beneath her.
"Diego!" She glares at him as she rubs her elbow. "That hit my funny bone!"
He clicks his tongue in disapproval. "You have bad reflexes. Gotta work on that, mamacita."
She rolls her eyes and bends down to retrieve the drink. "Why are you handing these out? What are we doing?"
"Shotgun time! We need a key."
"Got it." Cam reaches into his back pocket and pierces his can before passing it to Parker. Everyone takes a turn stabbing their booze, careful not to spill.
Once the keys are back in Cam's hands, Vaughn counts us down.
"Ready? Three...Two...One...Go!"
I tilt the can up, put my lips to the puncture, and immediately pop the tab. Brain-freeze-temperature liquid bursts into my mouth and I guzzle that shit down with strategic gulps.
There's a technique to the trade, and I'm a damn pro.
I hear a squeal and glance out of my peripheral to see Ellie's horrified face covered in beer. It's all in her hair and drenching her shirt and shorts, too. Not sure how she managed that, but it's freaking hilarious. Liam starts dying laughing, sputtering on his own drink that's now dribbli
ng down his chin. And those two are officially out of the running.
Less than two seconds later, I'm finished. Just before I toss the empty beer down in triumph, another can drops right by my feet. A pale pink tennis shoe steps on top of it, grinding the aluminum into the ground for good measure.
My eyes trail up the leg that's attached to the shoe, grazing over the toned thigh, past the cut-off shorts, and straight to my girlfriend's pompous smile.
Maybe I should be pissed that she's showing me up in front of my boys, but damn if I don't love that smug little attitude she gets sometimes.
Sexy as hell.
A multitude of drained beers come raining down in the next few moments. Pretty soon, Rayne's the only one left still struggling to finish the drink.
She's obviously not a fan of this cheap crap Cam brought. I mean, the girl's got her nose plugged for fuck's sake.
"Yuck!" she yells as she drop-kicks the can a good twenty feet. "That beer sucks. Oh my God." She sticks out her tongue and tries to wipe off the taste. "Who won?"
"Barbie," Vaughn answers. "Smoked us all."
"Not surprised." Rayne nods knowingly. "She's good at this. Not sure how, though."
"I know how. She practices all the damn time. Even shotguns beers while she does homework." I throw her under the bus with a taunting grin. "I think she might have a problem."
Lexie's quick to defend her victory. "Lies! Don't try and make excuses for why I won and you lost. And by the way, people, I do not shotgun beers while I do school work. You chug a beer once during a study session and your dumb boyfriend never lets you forget it," she teases as she bumps her hip against mine.
"Dumb boyfriend, huh?" I arch a brow before wrapping my hands around her waist and tugging her towards me. "You wanna say that again?"
I flip her around so we're face-to-face.
"Say it again," I urge, pulling her flush against my body. "See what happens."
I see a hint of a smirk appear.
"Dumb boyfr—"
My mouth is on hers before she can get the word out. She instantly jumps up, looping her arms around my neck and wrapping her legs around my middle. I nip at her plump bottom lip until she opens, my tongue eagerly darting inside.
She rocks against me, fingers threading through my hair, and I'm really starting to get turned on when some asshole interrupts our beer-soaked kiss.
"Oi! Too much PDA. Take that shit somewhere else!"
I reluctantly unglue myself from Lex, eyes traveling to Liam's amused face.
"That's nauseating, mate."
With a laugh, I flip him off. "Go fuck yourself."
I give Lexie one last steamy kiss just for the hell of it, middle finger still directed at my roommate.
As she unwraps her legs from my torso, she manages to accidentally kick my cell outta my back pocket.
I pick it off the wet grass and notice a few unread texts on the screen.
Rhett: Happy 4th, bro!
Rhett: Got four extra tickets for a home game first weekend of Sept. You, Lexie, Liam, and Ellie should come. Don't worry about flights and hotels and shit—my treat.
"Hey, babe." I motion Lexie closer and hand her my phone. "What do you think?"
After a quick glance, she's nodding her head so fast she looks like a dashboard bobble-head on a dirt road.
"A weekend in London?! Um, sign me up! I've never been to Europe. I'm definitely in."
"Alright, so I'll tell him it's a 'maybe' from you," I joke.
Laughing, she places the device back in my hand. "I'm guessing you and your brother are on better terms now?"
"Yup. We're cool."
Rhett was really chill about everything, sending me off with a promise we'd stay in touch this time. Both of us have kept good on that pledge; we haven't gone a day without exchanging a few texts since.
Lexie gives me a warm smile. "That's great, baby. I'm glad things worked out with him."
"Same, but if he so much as checks you out when we go visit, I'm gonna have to beat the shit out of him."
"So possessive," she mutters with a sinful grin. "I like that."
"I know you do." I raise a brow, about to elaborate when a loud groan comes from our left.
"I am dyinggg. I've had too much alcohol and not enough actual nutrients," Sydney whines as she juggles a soccer ball on her knees. "I'm in desperate need of some food. Who wants to help me man the grill? Anybody game?" She looks at her older brother expectantly. When he doesn't move a muscle, she nails the ball at his chest. "Vaughn! You've just been chosen. Congrats!"
He rolls his eyes. "Damn, fine. Put me to work." Tossing the ball from hand to hand, he tips his chin towards the house. "Go grab the spatula, Syd."
———
Along with the burgers and brats the Steel siblings fire up, we chow down on barbecue chips, coleslaw, and some fruit salad Ellie scooped onto all of our plates because apparently "y'all need one healthy dish".
Just as the sun makes its descent, everyone heads down to the fire pit to cook s'mores before the fireworks start.
"I'm so glad we don't have practice tomorrow," Parker comments. "Coach must've been feeling generous."
"Yeah, I'm surprised," Vaughn says as he breaks off a square of chocolate and hands it to Rayne. "We've always had practice on July 5th. Dude's really flipped his switch these last few weeks."
Liam nods. "Finally not being a moody bastard anymore. Wonder what changed."
"Oh shit." Cameron suddenly jerks forward in his seat. "Can't believe I forgot to tell you guys. Coach told me what's been going on with him. Now that everything's all figured out, he said it's fine if the team knows."
"Spill the beans," Diego demands.
"Yeah, dude. Don't leave us hanging."
"Okay, get this—Coach and Erika are adopting a kid."
"Seriously?" I ask, relieved my divorce suspicions were way off base. "That's fucking random."
"Like a baby or what?" Vaughn questions.
"Nah, a twelve-year-old girl. Erika's niece, to be more specific. Coach has been stressed as hell because the entire process was a bitch to deal with. They finally signed the papers a few weeks ago." Cam pulls his stick from the flames, frowning at the charred marshmallow on the end. He plucks it off and tosses it to Diego. "And guess who they want to mentor the kid? Yours truly."
"That's exciting!" Ellie claps her hands together.
"You're going to be the Hanson's nanny." Parker smirks. "For a tween. Sounds fun, man."
"Dude." I laugh. "That blows."
"We'll see how it goes," he grumbles.
"Crazy, mate," Liam says. "And speaking of kids, El and I have an announcement to make."
Rayne, Sydney, and Lexie's heads collectively snap to Ellie.
"Oh my gosh, El. Are you pregnant?!" Rayne asks.
"No, no. She's not pregnant." Liam shakes his head before throwing a worried glance at his girlfriend. "You're not, right?"
"No! Y'all can calm down. Liam's starting rumors over here with how badly he worded that." She narrows her blue eyes at him. "The kids he's referring to are the 2nd graders I'm student teaching with next year. The elementary school's kinda far away, so we're moving further off campus for a shorter commute."
"What?" Surprise punches me straight in the gut as I turn to Liam. "You're leaving the Redhouse?"
"We just found an apartment a few days ago," he explains. "I was going to tell you yesterday, mate, but it slipped my mind."
Ellie leans back onto Liam's chest with a pout. "It's sort of sad, isn't it? I feel like the three of us have been together forever. Our threesome is over!"
"What the fuck, El? Talk about wording things badly..." I say as I shake my head.
She giggles. "Sorry. You know what I mean. It's just gonna be weird."
"It's all good," I assure her, but I'm not gonna lie—I'm kinda bummed. I'm gonna miss those two annoying me day-in and day-out.
"We'll come visit all the time, West," Ellie promises.
&n
bsp; "Wait." A sudden realization has me throwing my hands up in confusion. "Who the hell is gonna be my roommate then?"
"Everyone else on the team already has housing sorted for the year, so I dunno. Maybe a transfer student?" Liam shrugs before an evil grin twists his lips. "Whatever the case, I hope they're a proper arsehole."
"Yeah, me too," I agree as I fling a gooey marshmallow at his face. "It'll be like you never even left."
Sydney clears her throat. "While we're on the topic of the new year and new changes, I also have something to announce." She stands up on her seat and holds her arms out wide. "You're looking at the newest member of the Windhaven Warriors Women's soccer squad!"
"No way!" The girls squeal and shriek and jump from their respective boyfriends' laps. They practically tackle Sydney as they suffocate her in a group hug.
"That is badass!" Rayne says as she squeezes Sydney's shoulders. "I didn't even know you were applying here."
"I got a super late start on the application, so it took a zillion years to get my acceptance letter. Also, I kept it on the down low because..." Her words trail off as she glances sheepishly at her brother.
Her brother who looks like he's about to have a damn stroke.
"I'm happy for you, Syd, and I'm really glad you'll be around, but holyshit I can already tell you're gonna give me gray hair before I turn 22. Keeping you out of trouble, making sure you're not getting involved with any douchebags...It'll be a full-time job."
He plows a hand through his hair and sighs before continuing.
"And let this be the first of many warnings to all you single guys." His eyes zero-in on Cameron, Diego, and Parker one-by-one. "Off-limits. You hear that? Off fucking limits."
"Vaughn, chill." Sydney rolls her eyes, but she's got a smile plastered on her face. It's obvious she appreciates how protective he is.
The boom of a firework catches everyone's attention.
"Oh my Lord! It's about to start! Prepare yourselves, people," Ellie shrieks.
She is way too excited for this shit.
As we all turn our chairs to get a good view of the lake, Lexie saunters back over to me.
[No data] Page 32
