Total pages in book: 105
Estimated words: 104498 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 104498 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 522(@200wpm)___ 418(@250wpm)___ 348(@300wpm)
“Double surprise,” Soren says awkwardly.
I hug my little brother who’s not so little anymore. Then I reach up and slap him upside the head. “And don’t call me a slut. When you were in diapers, I was, like, eight.”
Wade laughs.
“Ollie and Lennon couldn’t make it because Ollie has a game,” Soren says. “I figured those two extra tickets could go to someone else.”
“You’re supposed to be in Chicago.” Duh, Jet. Way to point out the obvious.
“If Matt could’ve taken time away from the team, he would’ve come too,” Noah says. “We’re heading back tonight after the concert.” He throws his arm around Wade’s neck and forces his head down. “This little one has school in the morning.”
“Shut up,” Wade grumbles.
“I can’t believe you guys are here.” And I will not start sprouting tears, damn it. I turn to Soren. “You did this?”
He shrugs. “I just asked if they wanted to come seeing as Ollie and Lennon couldn’t.”
I wrap my arms around him and bury my head in his chest. “Thank you.”
Soren cups my face so I’m looking at him. Without breaking eye contact, he says, “Noah, shield your eyes.”
When Soren’s mouth meets mine, softer and more controlled than when I mauled his face, the doubt disappears.
He makes me believe this can work because we love each other enough to try, to put in an effort, and make it work no matter what.
I still don’t wanna do it though.
I groan when he pulls back. “Time apart sucks.”
“I know, but just think, three more days, and we have a couple of weeks together.”
“About that—”
Noah’s phone goes off. “Oh my God. Oh my God, oh my God, oh my God.”
“What?”
“She’s going into labor. The birth mom. She’s … she’s—”
Wade’s hand lands on Noah’s shoulder. “Breathe.”
Noah does as he says.
Huh. Guess Wade might be good for Noah even if there’s like a weird parental role reversal going on right now.
“Her water broke. Matt said he’s driving to Indiana to meet her. She was supposed to come to Chicago for the birth, but our baby is two weeks early.” Noah approaches and hugs me again. “Sorry, kiddo, we have to go.”
I hug him again. “Well, thanks for dropping by, I guess.”
“Sorry.”
“I’m kidding. Go, go!”
“She’s two weeks early!” he exclaims again as if he can’t believe the baby didn’t abide by their parenting timeline.
Ooh, yeah, it’s going to be so much fun watching Noah and Matt try to be parents. I mean, they’ll be great at it, but it’ll be an adjustment for sure. And he or she—wait …
“She?” I ask. “She’s two weeks early? You’re having a girl?”
“Crap. That was a secret. Don’t tell Matt I told you all.”
Wade starts pulling Noah away. “Come on, Dad. We have to go.”
Dad. Jesus. Alternate universe right here.
“I’ll come visit the baby on my way to L.A. in a few days,” I call after them and then wince when I feel Soren stiffen beside me.
“A few days?” he asks, his voice soft.
“I’m sorry. I just got told myself. Harley wants to collab for his new solo album, and Luce is making me do it.”
“You. And Harley.”
“The band and Harley. Benji and Freya will be there at all times.”
I can tell he’s still upset.
“I’m really sorry,” I say. “If the Harley thing is a problem for you, we can record separately on different days or whatever—”
“I trust you. I just … I hate he gets to spend time with you and I don’t.”
“Maybe I can talk to Luce about taking a break in between writing and recording Harley’s song and the band’s next full album. We can still have our few weeks, but just a couple of weeks later.”
Soren kisses the top of my head. “We’ll figure something out.”
“I wish L.A. wasn’t so far away.”
“Hey, that rhymes. You should put it in a song.”
I shove him. “How about you leave the songwriting to the professionals.”
“I’m super good at rhyming. Love, glove, shove, dove, flove.”
“Flove … Flove. I cannot believe you just said the word flove to me.”
“You know, like, flove. Fucking love.”
“I know what it means. Geez. It’s just, someone from Gen X saying it is weird.”
“Hey, fuck you. I’m a millennial.”
I side-eye him.
“I swear. I’m not that old.”
“Mmhmm. You’re lucky you’re good-looking. That’s all I’m saying.”
Someone rushes into the room, startling us. Maddox stands there, panting. “Noah and Matt are about to be parents. The world is fucking ending.”
Damon strolls in behind him, calm as ever. “Was that really necessary?”
Maddox loses the panic. “Yeah. It was fun.”
I can’t help laughing at him. I don’t think anyone can help laughing at Maddox, honestly. “Hey, guys. Thanks for coming.”
We do the handshake, man-clap on the back thing.
But then Damon turns to Soren, and my stomach sinks when he says, “We need to talk.”
I don’t know why, but I get the feeling this can’t be good.