Page 81 of Beyond the Hate

“Home economics is a ridiculous class. And it has nothing to do with economics.”

“Admit it. The name bugs you more than learning how to cook or sew.”

“The name does not bother me more than being forced to carry around a fake baby for a week to prove I knew how to raise a child. If they were worried about sixteen year olds having children, they should have taught us how to use condoms.”

“They tried and you made cartoon animal balloons out of them.”

I huff. “It wasn’t my fault. Chloe dared me.”

“Sure, let’s blame it all on Chloe.”

“It is her fault,” I insist.

“Are you two coming inside?” Sophia shouts from the doorway. “The window isn’t big enough for all of us to spy on you from.”

Chloe joins her. “And we can’t hear what you’re saying.”

“You’ve been warned,” I murmur to Eli before walking to the house.

We gather in the living room with my friends and their partners.

“You know my friends – Sophia, Nova, Maya, and Chloe.”

Eli nods in greeting to them.

“And I believe you know Hudson and Caleb since they attended high school at the same time as we did.”

He shakes Caleb’s hand. “Thank you for your service.”

Caleb grimaces but Maya pinches his hip. “What do you say in response?”

“Thank you for paying your taxes?”

She sighs. “I’ve done my best with him.”

I continue the introductions. “And you know Flynn.” I narrow my eyes. “Since the two of you colluded to build the brewery inside the distillery.”

“Colluded?” Eli chuckles. “We’re not Nazi war criminals.”

“No. You’re much too young.” I motion to Chloe’s husband. “And this is Lucas. He’s a police officer.”

Eli shakes his head. “I couldn’t believe it when my brothers told me the wild child married a cop.”

Lucas throws an arm around Chloe’s shoulders. “My wildcat couldn’t resist me. It’s why she showed up at my house in a raincoat with nothing underneath.”

Chloe leans into him. “You would have ripped the raincoat off of me if Natalia wasn’t there.”

“Who’s Natalia?” Eli asks.

“Our daughter.” My stomach warms at Chloe’s answer. She used to be afraid to have children but now she claims Lucas’s daughter as her own. I’ve enjoyed watching her grow into the woman I always knew she could be.

“This is everyone.” My brow wrinkles. “Oh wait. Where’s Weston?”

“Scarlett wasn’t feeling well and he didn’t want to leave her alone,” Sophia answers.

“Your brother has changed.”

Lucas snorts. “Tell me about it. Patrol with him used to be all about him hitting on women and now it’s all about Scarlett this, Scarlett that.”

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