Page 109 of Reckless

“Language!” Lucas shouted from the kitchen, and I rolled my eyes. Tyler grinned from ear to ear, happy that I was in trouble. Daphne chose that moment to produce a loud and smelly poop. I scrunched my nose.

“She needs a diaper change.” I extended my hands again, hoping he would at least give me that little task. She was pooping eight times a day, after all. There was enough poop for the both of us.

He twisted to the side, showing me I wasn’t getting my hands on her and took her upstairs.

“Are you fucking kidding me?” I asked outraged.

“Language!” Lucas shouted again from the kitchen.

“Oh, fuck off, Cole! She’s not even in the room.”

I waited in the living room for Tyler to come down again. Daphne was lying safely in his arms. I could swear that him rocking her was the prettiest picture I had ever seen.

We joined Clem and Lucas, who were sitting at their kitchen counter almost passed out from exhaustion.

“What is happening here?” I asked.

“Daphne cried all night,” Clem yawned. “Again. We didn’t sleep at all.”

“You could have helped them,” I said to Tyler, who looked fresh as a daisy.

“I helped,” he looked at me offended. “I haven’t slept either.”

“You don’t look like you haven’t slept.”

“I guess there are some perks in partying all night, little Spencer. I’m used to not getting much sleep and I still look handsome. Look at these two. Would you tell they are younger than me?”

“Give her to me, Hartley,” I said, extending my arms again. “You should go get some sleep.”

He narrowed his eyes at me for a few seconds, then walked away with Daphne. I cocked my head sideways, listening to the sounds coming out of his mouth.

“Is he singing?” No one answered, so I asked the more important question. “When is he leaving? I can’t stand him anymore.”

Lucas and Clem shared a look.

“What? Spill it.”

“He’s not leaving,” Clem said.

“I hope he will at least leave this house at some point,” Lucas murmured.

“In case you haven’t noticedheis taking care of our daughter while you and I talk to someone that doesn’t smell like poop.”

“That’s the only reason he’s still here,” Lucas said, but then corrected himself. “When Daff starts to sleep through the night, he has to leave the house.”

“Excuse me?” I cut them off. “You can argue about that later. What do you mean he’s not leaving? He lives in Boston.”

“He moved back to California,” Lucas answered while I stared at Clem’s guilty expression. “He’s been living in our house since the baby shower.”

“And he’s just stayed in your house for months doing nothing?”

“No,” Clem defended him. “He…has a project.”

“A project?”

They both nodded.

“You should ask him about it,” Clem suggested. “He would love to tell you.”

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