Page 52 of Returning to Everton

“Don’t you tell me he wouldn’t let you drink orange soda Rowen,” Nate demands.

She just bites her lip and shrugs.

“What? Are you seriously telling me your husband wouldn’t let you drink your favorite drink?” I ask angrily, though I don’t think I really want to hear the answer. Why the hell would he do that?

“He was particular about what we ate and drank,” she mumbles.

Damn it. We knew her husband was a prick, but this is ridiculous.

“Rowen...” Kayden tries to get her to look at him. When she doesn’t immediately look up, he calls her name again. When she finally looks at him, he continues. “I’m sorry your husband was a complete dickhead. I know he was Violet’s father and you won’t speak bad about him, but you have to know you deserved better than that.”

“I know that Kayden, I do. I just... I don’t know. Sometimes I can’t even remember why I was with him. I mean, I know I stayed because I felt obligated to try to work it out. Especially after Violet was born, but looking back now, I don’t know why I even started dating him. He tried to get me to go out with him for years before just out of the blue I decided to give him a chance. I swear if I didn’t know he didn’t have magic, I would have thought he used some kind of spell or something on me.”

The guys and I all share a look. Unfortunately, it’s not lost on Rowen. “What? What’s that look for?” she demands.

“Are you sure hedidn’tuse magic on you, Rowe?” I ask. “Just because he didn’t have magic, doesn’t mean he didn’t know someone who did and had them do a spell or make a potion or something,” I suggest. “It makes sense.”

She just stands there staring at me. When she finally finds her voice she says, “You really think he would have done that?”

“Yeah, Rowe, I do. Most guys don’t like getting rejected over and over. A lesser man, which it sounds like he was, would do anything just to get the one that resisted his charms,” I growl. “Hell, maybe he just found a magic user and paid them for a potion. I don’t know Rowe, but you can’t deny it makes sense. Why else would you blow him off for years, then one day you’re head over heels for him? Smells fishy as hell to me,” I tell her.

She bites her lip as she thinks hard about the past ten years and probably more specifically when she first started dating the dickhead. “But why would he marry me if he knew I was spelled to like him?” she questions.

“Because he was so mad that you didn’t want him, he wanted to make your life miserable? And what better way to do that than to keep you stuck in a relationship he knew you never wanted?” Hudson proposes.

“It does make a sick sort of sense,” Declan adds, “Not saying he was never happy with you, but it sounds like he was always doing little things to control you and make your life hell.”

“Yeah... pretty much. When I got pregnant with Violet things started getting better. It was like he was actually happy to be with me again. Then she started using magic, and that pissed him off. I guess she was too much like me for him to really love her,” Rowen muses.

“Well, let’s just be happy that part of your life is over and make sure the rest of your life is full of happiness and laughter,” I declare.

“I’ll drink to that!” Kayden raises his drink. Everyone laughs, but they all raise their drinks as well.

“Alright, who’s hungry?” Nate asks. When everyone voices some variation of ‘I am’, he claps his hands and says, “Good because I’m ready to fire up the grill.”

“Uh Nate... I don’t have a grill.” Rowe laughs.

Nate rolls his eyes at her then waves his hands to the side of the porch furthest away from where everyone has congregated. Orange magic shoots from his fingers and coalesces together until we can’t see anything but orange sparks. After a moment, the magic dissipates to reveal a huge grill.

“You do now,” Nate says all smug like. He walks over and starts the grill, then goes inside to get the meat.

We all just shake our heads and decide to get comfortable while we wait. Rowen has a patio table and chairs, but it’s definitely not big enough for all of us. So we get to work magicking her new outside furniture. Hudson uses his magic to create a beautiful table big enough to seat us all. Then Declan makes enough chairs for everyone.

Rowen plops down in one of the seats and groans, “Man, this is a comfy seat. Thank you, guys.” Everyone chuckles at her reaction, and we all claim our seats. Kayden and I are sitting on either side of Rowe, with Hudson and Declan across from us. There are three seats left for the kids and Nate, but either Hudson or Declan are going to have to move so Logan and Violet can sit by each other. Sucks to be them.

20

Rowen

Icannot believe I just begged Declan to kiss me! I mean he didnotdisappoint, but I kissed him in front of all of the guys and his son! What the hell was I thinking? Hell, I know what I was thinking. I haven’t stopped thinking about our first kiss since it happened. I may have not seen any of the guys since Tuesday, but Declan and I have been texting nonstop.

I’ve enjoyed getting to know him without so much pressure. It’s much easier for me to text a near stranger than it is for me to talk to them in person. Add in the fact he can read my mind, and it doesn’t always end pretty. But with text, I can just be myself and not have to worry about anything.

We’ve gotten pretty close over the last few days, and when I saw him, I just couldn’t help but imagine kissing him again. Apparently, I was thinking about kissing him pretty loud, because one second he was slowly walking over to me to get a hug, and the next he was cradling my face in his hand and kissing the daylights out of me.

Ayden running off just now, makes me realize I messed up kissing Declan. I mean I really like Declan, but Ijustgot these guys back in my life. I’m not going to give them up for a guy again. I’ll have to talk to Declan and tell him it can’t happen again. As much as I like him, andlovekissing him, I can’t do it if it’s going to upset any of the guys like that.

The guys all act like nothing just happened, and I really appreciate it. I don’t want to talk about it. I mean, in a perfect world, one of them would have said something about wanting to kiss me like that too. Then I would have finally gotten my dream of being shared between them. Instead of running off, Ayden would have kissed me like his life depended on it and confessed he was in love with me. Sadly, I don’t live in that world. So instead, I’m standing here surrounded by three men I’ve secretly always loved, wondering just how bad I’ve fucked up our friendship this time.

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