Page 169 of Between Hate and Desire

Hunter

Shut the fuck up. And now I hope they sing nothing but show tunes all night.

Hayden

I chuckle and lock my phone.

As I’m matching socks, I hear Lennon's angelic voice. The sound causes me to pause, and I mute the TV. Hearing her sing to Alison never gets old. There’s so much passion in her voice and nearly takes my breath away. After a while, she goes quiet, and soon, she’s stepping into the living room. Spit-up is on her shirt, and her hair is in a messy ponytail. She looks gorgeous as hell, but I try not to stare and bring my focus back to my clothes.

“I’m a hot-ass mess,” she finally says, shaking her head. She looks at the TV and sees the countdown in the corner. “Why aren’t you out having fun? There are tons of things going on downtown. I think Mason and Liam are throwing a party too. Why aren’t you over there?”

“Because I’d rather be with you.”

“Me in all my glory? I’m not fun. You should go,” she insists.

Shaking my head, I smirk. “I know what my New Year’s resolution is. I just figured it out.”

“What’s that?” Her breasts rise and fall as she waits for my next words.

“I’m not going to let you say anything negative about yourself anymore. News flash. I love spending time with you, Lennon. Baby poop and all.”

She snorts, but I can tell she’s in her head. So I grab a beer from the fridge and give her a minute. When I come back, she’s playing on her phone, and I sit next to her. She moves closer, and I open my arms for her to lean on me. We watch the celebrations from the comfort of the couch, and I laugh at how miserable Hayden has to be.

Nearly every hour, Alison wakes up, and Lennon and I take turns unless it’s feeding time. We eat ramen noodles like broke-ass college students, and honestly, I wouldn’t want to be anywhere else in the world other than right here with her.

By ten, we’re both falling asleep. We’ve already watched the ball drop on the East Coast.

“I don’t think I’m gonna make it another two hours,” Lennon tells me, and I’m relieved because I’m exhausted as hell.

“Me neither,” I admit. “Let’s go to bed.”

I stand, and so does she. Before taking a step, I turn and look at her. Though I want to place my lips on hers, I kiss her forehead and tell her Happy New Year. When we wake up, we’ll be the same two people pretending nothing’s going on between us. The unspoken words say more than we ever could.

The next morning, the smell of bacon has me crawling out of bed. Lennon is up early cooking, and I’m starving, so it’s perfect timing. The coffee is already brewed, and the toast pops up as soon as I walk in. I step around Alison in her bouncer and make sure to speak to my sweet girl as I pass.

Lennon notices me and grins.

“Morning,” she says, and I can’t help but stare at the way her ass cheeks hang out of her little sleep shorts. Turning her head, she catches me gawking, but I’m not shy about it.

“Good morning,” I tell her as I pour a cup of coffee. Before I can even take a sip, there’s a knock on the door. Lennon shrugs, and I go to answer it. Thinking it will be Maddie or Sophie, because they’ve been randomly stopping by on the weekends to visit the baby, I open the door, ready to give them shit, but find myself face-to-face with Lennon’s parents. My grin falls, and I immediately build a wall, not allowing them in.

Mrs. Corrigan looks at me with hopeful eyes, but I don’t move. I’m too protective of Lennon and Allie, and what she did was hurtful. Lennon hasn’t talked about it much, but I know it hasn’t been easy for her when she was so close to her parents.

“I can’t let you in.” I cross my arms over my chest and stand firmly. “Not after what happened last time.”

Mrs. Corrigan’s face softens. “We came—” She clears her throat. —“Icame to apologize. To make things right. I’m so sorry.”

Lennon’s dad puts his arm around her, and while I can hear her sincerity, I think he was the one who made all this happen. The man is stern and has strong family values, but he’s not a monster. I knew that the first time I met him, just as I knew he loved his family more than life itself.

Before I can even reply, Lennon’s voice interrupts my thoughts.

“Who is it?” Lennon asks from the kitchen. I step aside, and when she sees her parents, her eyes go wide. Shock and frustration are written all over her face. “What’re you doing here?”

Her dad steps forward. “When your mother told me the truth, I wasn’t happy. I expected more from you, but, Lennon, I’dnevershut you out. I teach forgiveness and how we are not perfect creatures. My love for you and your sisters…nothing can erase that. The three of you are my pride and joy and always will be. I couldn’t stand the thought of you thinking we didn’t care about you or our grandbaby. So here we are.”

I move out of the way, allowing her mom and dad to step inside.

Without waiting, her mother closes the gap and reaches out to Lennon. “Honey, I’m so sorry for being pushy. I know my girls are going to live their own lives, and I can’t control that anymore. You’ll understand one day what it’s like. We’ve always wanted the best for you and your sisters. Ever since Maddie moved, it’s been hard letting go. You girls gave me purpose,” she admits. “I love you so much.”

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