"I figured," I said, swallowing. I hadn't spoken with Laura yet and was not ready for whatever anger she would let out.
Laura looked at Gina. "You heard about their fight, right?"
Gina looked at me, seeming unsure of what to say to her. Laura then looked back at me. "Well, maybe someone will be able to talk some sense into you."
"I apologized," I said.
"That doesn't make up for the fact he has a black eye, Lucas."
"If it's any constellation, he felt bad about it," Gina offered.
"He should," she stated, still glaring at me. "While Miles is quick to forgive, I'm not as easy. So trust me, Lucas, you will make this up to us."
I felt a chill run down my spine, afraid of what she would ask of me. I'd heard plenty of stories about when Miles pissed her off, and she had him doing manual labor to make up for it.
"Sweetie," Miles wrapped a hand around her shoulder. "Let him off, we talked."
Laura still glared, and I could see her protective side kicking in. I understood it. I had crossed a line and knew that Laura would come at me at some point.
"I'll make it up to you," I said, being sure to look at Laura while I said it. Her shoulders relaxed a little, and Miles kissed the top of her hair. "Good," she said. "You can start by babysitting for us in a week so we can have a date night." A smirk pulled at her lips, and I couldn't argue with her.
"Fine," I said, feeling the tension finally disappear.
"It's going to start raining, so Ayden said to come and tell you guys to head inside. He's going to bring the burgers up, and everything else is set up in the kitchen," Miles said, patting Laura on the shoulder.
We all headed inside, the kids running ahead of us, yelling about who got to pick the TV show they were all going to watch. Inside, it was louder, and everyone seemed to be talking at once.
"So, Gina, what do you do?" Wendy asked, sitting down at the island. Ashley took a seat next to her while Laura went to set the kids up on the couch.
"I'm an IT specialist."
The girl's eyebrows all went up, and Wendy was the first to speak. "Are you serious? You must be a genius. Ayden and I were looking to set up home security at our house, and we couldn't understand a damn thing. I swear, they speak in a second language."
"It's pretty simple once you learn everything," Gina offered.
"You must do well for yourself then," Ashley said, reaching for a fry from the pile. "Those pay pretty well."
"I do decent," she said.
I glanced at her. I'd seen Gina's stuff from a glance. She did more than decent. She did extremely well for herself. She hadn't been kidding when she said she made money.
"How long is the food going to take?" Wendy grumbled.
"How is that house coming along?" Ashley asked. I've always wondered what the inside looked like. A few months ago, I ran by it a couple of times when I was really trying to see how far I could go. It's a beautiful house with lots of character."
"It's coming along pretty good," Gina said. "It certainly needed a lot of work. Doesn't help that I started the kitchen on fire."
"I bet," Wendy said. "Pity the house sat for so long."
The conversation turned to decorations and places to shop downtown. Gina seemed to relax as the girls chatted with her. It wasn't long before Ayden brought up the food, and everyone was dishing it up.
Wendy and Ayden were trying to get their meals, along with the kids. Laura was watching Micheal dish up with Miles, who was joking with him. Ashley was asking Owen to dish up for her and the kids while she took Ivy to the bathroom.
I couldn't help but think about the fact that Gina was pregnant, and that would soon be us. I glanced at her, and I could see the empty look in her eyes. She placed her hand on her stomach and frowned.
"Gina?" I leaned down slightly, "You okay?"
She nodded. "Yeah, I think I just need a little fresh air." She pulled herself out of her chair. "I'll be right back."