Page 113 of Where We Call Home

I brought the beer to my lips, taking a long pull as the words settled between us like smoke in the air.

Jess leaned back, her expression unreadable, though a flicker of something—curiosity, maybe amusement—sparked in her eyes. “Hmm,” she murmured, tilting her head. “So, is the talk around town about you and Theo Matthews true?”

I froze, the bottle still pressed against my lips. When I finally lowered it, my voice came out low, sharp as steel. “That’s none of your damn business.”

Jess stood, a slow, knowing smirk curling at the corner of her mouth. “I’ll take that as a yes.”

“And what does it matter to you if it is?”

She shrugged, feigning indifference. “I thought we could have a civil conversation, but clearly, you’re not ready.”

I let out a dry laugh, sharp and humorless. “Oh, cut the gaslighting bullshit. I’m not gonna sit here and play nice. I haven’t said a single thing that isn’t true. If it stings, that’s on you.” I waved a dismissive hand, already done with her games.

I was letting her get under my skin, giving her exactly what she wanted—a reaction. Exhaling slowly, I closed my eyes and counted backward from five, forcing myself to let it go.

“Look, I truly hope you’re happy with whatever life you’ve built for yourself,” I said, my voice calmer now. “But leave me the hell out of it.”

Jess’s expression twisted, her eyes flashing with something almost cruel. “Good luck with your mundane, monotonous life stuck in this town,” she bit out. “You and your friends have no clue what real life even is.”

“Alrighty,” Mac cut in, his voice firm as he planted both hands on the bar top. “Time for you to take your tantrum somewhere else. My bar is off-limits to people like you.”

Jess shot me one last scathing look, her gaze sweeping over me from head to toe like she was trying to find something—some weakness, some crack in my armor. Finding none, she huffed and spun on her heel, storming out of the bar.

The second the door swung shut behind her, Boone reappeared like he’d been waiting for the coast to clear. He slid onto his seat, eyebrows nearly touching his hairline. “Well, damn.”

“Do you want to share?” he asked, his voice full of concern.

I shook my head, taking another sip of my beer. Seeing Jess in person and watching her walk away again gave me something I hadn’t expected: closure. I thought trashing her things, our memories, was enough but this was what final felt like. As angry as I was, it wasn’t about her anymore. It was about the guy I’d been—the one who’d stayed stuck in his own head for too long.

“There’s really nothing to say. She came in, sat down, we exchanged a few words, and she left.”

“I heard,” Boone replied with a raised brow. “She hit a nerve with Theo.”

Mac stood and waited as Logan leaned in, both of them waiting, their eyes focused on me.

Rolling my neck, I let out a slow breath. “Fine,” I said. I told them everything. I told them about the moment Theo and I shared in the basement, how I’d confessed my feelings to her. I talked about how I couldn’t imagine my life without her, how she and the baby were becoming part of my world. I spoke about how lost I had been after Jess, and how, for the first time in a long time, I was finally feeling like myself again. It was as if the universe had conspired to bring Theo into my life, and I into hers.

The guys listened quietly, nodding, their faces lighting up as they celebrated my happiness. Mac bought a round of shots, and we all toasted to the journey ahead.

By the time the night had stretched on longer than expected, I left and headed home, eager to find Theo waiting for me. I expected everyone to be gone, and Theo wrapped up in my bed, naked, but when I walked in, I found three women asleep on the couch, the TV blaring.

A smile tugged at my lips as I took in the scene. This was us now. We’d grown together, through the mess and the chaos, into something real.

I leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to Theo’s forehead before turning off the TV and heading to bed.

She’d hear about Jess tomorrow. I know she would laugh, maybe even roll her eyes and come up with something witty about the ridiculousness. I did want to tell her, because she deserved to know, but that chapter finally closed. For now, I just wanted to bask in the peace of knowing I’d finally found my way home.

Forty-One

Iwasn’t sure if this was my brightest idea, but I refused to tell Rhodes I’d been experiencing contractions since early this morning. The moment I confessed, he’d scoop me up and drag me to the hospital without a second thought.

From all the baby books I’d read, I knew labor could take hours, sometimes even days, after contractions started. I’d been carefully counting the time between each one, and so far, they were five minutes apart, lasting roughly a minute…

Oh, shit.

I glanced over at Rhodes. He was fast asleep, sprawled on his stomach, his back rising and falling with each peaceful breath. He looked so calm, so undisturbed. Maybe I should let him sleep a little longer.

I was stalling.

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