Page 157 of Butterfly Effect

Teeny nostrils flare through an inhale, followed by a soft squeak and a wiggle.

Uh oh. What have I done?

Akhila’s petite arm shakily emerges from the blanket. When the fist expands, I count five fingers, five tiny fingernails. She’s unbelievable. The hand spreads, and by instinct, I offer her the tip of my index finger. Her tight grasp makes me lose my breath. But when she opens her eyes with a squint, jet-black pupils encircled by a pale blue ring? My face is wet.

“Oh, my God. Are you crying?”

Leave it to Donovan to call me out.

Indi hums. “What happened?”

I shift to face them. “Look at how her tiny little hand holds my finger.”

“Aw,Wade.”

Shuffling over to a couch, I take a seat, clutching her close. Akhila falls asleep again but doesn’t let go.

“I’m never giving her back.”

Landon’s tone goes stern. “Excuseme?”

“This is my baby now.” I protect her from him, rolling her closer to my heart. “You two can go make another one.”

“That’s enough, buddy” —he makes grabby hands at the end of arms extended toward me— “Gimme back my girl.”

“Nuh-uh,” Fletch intervenes. “I was in line first.”

“I’m her dad!”

Fletcher doesn’t budge. “Then you can hold her when we go to practice.”

“I’m bringing her with me to practice,” I confirm. “Donovan, you can have a turn then. But only two minutes.”

“Baby hog,” he snaps back.

“By the way,” Gabe pokes Radek in the shoulder, “Can I be the first one to report her birth? Fans wanna know!”

“Alright, alright. Everyone out.” Landon shrugs her touch away and steals the baby from my arms. “I thought this was gonna be a nice, wholesome moment. Leave it to you useless goons to fight over my f—” He stops the obscenity under Indi’s narrow gaze. “My daughter.”

Gabe flips her hair over her shoulder andhmphs. “I’m taking that as a yes to announce her birth.”

“Yeah, yeah. Whatever. Shoo.” He waves us off.

“Wade, we need to get outta here,” Gabe hisses through her teeth, digging her nails into my bicep as we book it out of the building.

“Why? What’s wrong?”

“Listen, Pretty Boy.” In a swift, aggressive swing, she slams my back into the Ranger Rover and curves her hand around my throat. “My ovaries just high-fived each other. We. Need. To. Go.”

We won the last game of the conference finals without Radek.

It didn’t hurt that he bought a drink for everyone in the arena that night, in celebration of Akhila’s birth.

Adrenaline buzzes in the locker room after, but when it dies down, my mind fixates. Seeing Landon and Indi bring their love to life has me in pieces. I’m dying to know what that feels like. To love and be loved so sincerely and deeply.

I corner Jaeg as we kick off our skates.

“Hey, Derrick. Can I ask you something?”

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