Page 62 of Don't Leave Me

“You make her feel like she’s perfect, Peck. She feels like she doesn’t have a single flaw with you. In two weeks, you’ve given her this confidence she’s never possessed. Sure, she faked it for the longest time, but now it’s genuinely there and I have no one except you to thank for that. You’re a good man, Peck, and you protected my little girl with your life. As far as Addi and I are concerned, you have our blessing.” Wes pats me on the back and stands to his full height.

“Are you finally going to let me help with the gingerbread house?” Blake scrambles to stand too.

“Is it really a house?” Wyatt quirks a brow. “It looks more like an estate.”

“Just wait until Linc gets here to work on the landscaping and Cole gives me the ginger people.” Wes smirks.

“And this year, the house is getting furniture, floors, everything.” Blake spreads his hands through the air like this will be the most magnificent thing in the world. Honestly, I think it might be. I can't wait to see the finished product.

They head inside and a few minutes later, Linc and Cole climb the steps to the deck and sneak in the backdoor. They both wave to us, but they’re giving us some alone time.

“How do you like Mulberry Lane?” Wyatt asks.

“It feels like it belongs in a fairytale.” I chuckle. “Like this place shouldn’t exist, it’s too perfect.”

“Blake was part of a program with foster kids. He was a big brother and I was his little brother type deal. When he first brought me here, I didn’t believe it. I swore it was too good to be true. It took me a long time to trust anyone, but Charlie wiggled her way under my skin and settled right in my heart. She wasn’tgoing to let me go no matter how hard I fought.” He glances through the window and watches his wife for a few seconds.

Charlie and Sophia are dancing around the kitchen, spinning each other in circles. Sophia gets dipped and when she tries to do the same to Charlie, she shakes her head and points to her baby bump.

“When Blake adopted me, I felt like the entire world was handed to me on a silver platter. It took me a while to really accept this was life because I felt like it was a dream.”

“I can't imagine thinking of this many people as your family.” My gaze bounces from one house to another.

When Sophia introduced me to everyone, it took hours. They all welcomed me with a hug and took time to get to know me. There were no surface level conversations, these people wanted to get to know the real me. It was terrifying, but also exhilarating. They care about each other so much, it’s astonishing.

“You haven’t even met Uncle Mason or Uncle Jesse yet. Or Zoey’s family and the other cousins. There’s still so much family to meet. I got so used to this and when it was ripped away from me, I didn’t think I’d survive,” Wyatt says softly.

He looks like he’s lost in a memory and I debate on whether or not I should ask questions. But if we’re brothers, I should know a little more about him. If he doesn’t want to share, he can tell me that too.

“What happened? There have been a few comments made about something happening between you and everyone here.”

“Let me tell you a little story about my relationship with Charlie Robinson and how it turned my life upside down more than once.” He settles back and gets comfortable. I have a feeling this is going to be a long story. “It all started when I asked Wes if I could marry her. I think I was around eleven or twelve years old the first time I asked… more like begged him to let me.”

“What did he say?” I chuckle.

“He told me I couldn’t marry her when I haven’t dated her. When I asked if I could date her, he said not until she was eighteen. That’s where the story really begins…”

Wyatt goes on and on for so long. His story is shocking and I can't believe they’ve been through all of that. I assumed they’ve always been together and their lives were as perfect as the street they grew up on, but that isn't the case at all. Their relationship is a testament of their love for each other.

He’s just wrapped up his story when my phone rings on the center of the table. Sydney’s face smiles back at me and I sigh. I know I need to answer her. She’s worried she’s messed everything up for all of us.

“Would you like to meet your sister?” I motion to the phone.

“Yeah, I’d love to. Can I answer it and see if she realizes I'm not you?” He grins.

“Yes!” I happily hand over the phone and watch as he accepts the call. She doesn’t waste a second.

“Bradley Pecker! What the hell? Why haven’t I gotten a phone call from you? It’s been like thirty hours. Do you have any idea how hard it was to not call you? I practiced a lot of self-restraint. I even contemplated driving to Philadelphia!”

“You should’ve.”

“What? You want me to drive eight hours because you don’t know how to answer a phone?” She stares at him like he’s crazy.

“Well, you would’ve gotten your answer sooner. Eight hours is a lot less than thirty.” He lifts his shoulder in a shrug and I can see she’s about to lose it. It’s entertaining when it’s not me she’s glaring at like that.

“Pecker! That’s ridiculous!”

“It would’ve been nice to meet my sister too.” Wyatt’s smile grows when Sydney opens and closes her mouth several times.Her brows are drawn together tightly as she stares at him. I can tell she doesn’t believe him. “It’s nice to meet you, Syd.”

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