Page 56 of Falling for You

Chapter 23

Penelope

I gently bounce Hudson as security walks my sister, Tony, and me through the hallways toward the box where Taylor's family is, and my heart pounds.

I can feel the cold metal of the bracelet, and I let it soothe me. I spent days trying to find it before concluding that I lost it at Avery’s bachelorette party. I never thought I dropped it at Taylors place and that he kept it, all this time. He kept the bracelet and even added more to it.

“You doing okay?” Avery asks when I tense as the doors come into view, and I nod.

“Did you know he had my bracelet?” I ask as Hudson grabs my hair and gently plays with it as I pat his bottom.

Avery hums and admits, “He told us that day athishouse, the day you two finally met again. He’s been adding to it and evenexplaining what the charms meant to Dad when Dad questioned whether he actually got to know you after one night. Which, by the sounds of things, he did get to know you, the real you, more than what Tony did with me, that is for sure.”

“Hey, I resent that,” Tony chimes, making me smile. He continues, “I was too busy wanting to be inside you to talk.”

I look at Avery to see her cheeks redden, I chuckle and then admit, “I think Taylor had me like eight times that night in between getting to know each other.” Tony looks at me wide-eyed, and I just shrug and admit, “We didn’t sleep much,” before walking ahead of them and I hear Avery’s laughter behind me but nothing from Tony.

Guess I rendered him speechless.

“Mr. Evans's suite is here,” the security guy says, I give him a sweet smile as Tony says, “Thank you, Todd,” then wraps an arm around my shoulders. I’m suddenly glad Taylor rang them from the car and asked him and my sister to meet us here, so I wasn’t walking into the lion’s den alone, so to speak.

“Nico and Crissy Evans are the most heartwarming people I have ever had the pleasure of meeting. I know they will welcome you with open arms. Though expect Crissy to take Huddy from you instantly. The woman is obsessed with him. Then expect Kaylah, Hannah, and Crissy to all fight over the poor kid before Nico shuts them all up and takes him instead.”

I laugh and look at him while Avery stays beside me, allowing her sweet husband to calm my nerves because he knows the family.

“You doing this is showing Taylor that you do want a future with him. That your fear of becoming the person your parents wanted you to become for money is on the back burner and you’re doing it all for him,” he finishes.

I nod, then kiss his cheek and whisper, “Thank you.”

He grins and holds his other arm out for Avery, who walks straight over then he guides us into the suite.

“Mom, she will meet you when she is ready. Just give her time. Penelope has been through a lot,” I hear Hannah sigh, I swallow hard, hating that I’ve made people upset and, worse, given them the wrong impression.

“Sweetheart, we both know it’s because she wants Hudson more than once a week and just wants to hound her about it,” a man I recognize as the player Taylor playfully shaved ice onto in the charity ma…. I mean, game.

Nico Evans, his father.

I swallow hard and make myself known as I say, “She can have him for one extra day, but that is it until after I stop nursing.” Everyone turns my way, and Dylan grins wide at me while a woman with a brown bob and light brown eyes runs over to me.

Hudson giggles with delight as he holds his arms out to her, and I smile as I happily hand him over before Dylan wraps his arm over my shoulder and kisses my head, then whispers, “I'm proud of you.” I lean into him, happy he’s here.

I’ve seen him a few times since Taylor came back into my life. The man is amazing, he’s also the only person in his family I’ve agreed to see.

“Didn’t fancy giving me call fucker,” Dylan says to Tony, who just grins at him while the woman, I’m guessing is Crissy fusses over Hudson.

“Oh, look how cute you look in your daddy’s number. Yes, you are. You are so cute,” she speaks and Nico rolls his eyes as he walks over to me.

He kisses my cheek and says, “Penelope, it’s good to finally meet you, I’m Nico.”

I give him a smile and reply, “It’s good to meet you too, I just hope I’m not intruding or anything.”

He snorts as Crissy playfully narrows her eyes at me, making me smile before I hear a squeal, and I look over to my left to see Kaylah running my way, shouting, “Nurse Vine!”

I catch her with a chuckle, place her on my hip, and state, “Well, if it isn’t my favorite brave princess!” She grins wide at me before wrapping her arms around my neck.

“Well, I don’t know what she was so worried about,” Avery says as she places her hand on my back and continues, “She’s already loved by a little girl, which means she’s in.”

Hannah laughs as she walks over, kisses my cheek, and then says to my sister, “Penelope here was Kaylah’s nurse several months ago. She’s been begging Taylor to marry her, but Taylor only wanted one girl.”

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