Page 92 of The Secrets We Built Together

Amelia chose that moment to gurgle out a cry of distress, a demand for attention that couldn't be ignored. We broke apart, breathless and smiling.

"And I can totally have a fake engagement that covers up our real relationship that we're hiding from our friends and family," I joked, reaching out to pick Amelia up and hold her as she grabbed onto my finger with her chubby fist.

"When you put it like that, it sounds terrible," she laughed, the sound warming me from the inside out.

"It's not terrible. I get it, and I actually think it's a really good idea. I like the idea of the happy bubble for just the three of us."

Blake leaned against me with a happy sigh, and we both played with Amelia, tickling her round belly and making silly faces that had her giggling and kicking her legs. The late afternoon light cast a golden glow over the room, warming the hardwood floors and making shadows dance across the walls.

For a moment, I let myself imagine this as our future. Lazy afternoons on the couch, the three of us in our own little world. Building a life together

Chapter 32

Xander

"We don't have to do this tonight if you don't want to," I said again, watching Blake's face carefully as she adjusted Amelia's blanket in the car seat. The evening air was crisp, carrying the scent of fresh-cut grass and distant rain.

Blake smiled at me sadly, her eyes reflecting the fading light of dusk. "It's okay. I actually think being around everyone might be nice."

I pulled the truck up in front of Delaney and Trace's house and killed the engine. We sat there for a minute, neither of us moving to leave. Through the windows, I could see the warm glow of lights and the silhouettes of people moving around inside. The contrast between their obvious happiness and the weight sitting on our shoulders was almost too much to bear.

"Susan said we should get in contact with Madison. Do you think that's a good idea?" Blake asked, staring at Amelia as she did. The baby was awake but quiet, her eyes wide as she took inthe unfamiliar surroundings. "She told me not to. She asked me not to try and find her."

I unfastened my seatbelt and turned to face Blake, pushing her pink locks away from her face. Her skin was soft beneath my fingertips, and I let my hand linger against her cheek. "I think when Madison said that, she didn't realize the difficulty we'd have with keeping Amelia. If we explained, if we told her the risk of Amelia going to a stranger..."

Blake was shaking her head already, her lips pressed into a thin line. "Let's not think about this for a couple of hours. Let's just have a nice meal with our friends and enjoy ourselves."

I squeezed her hand in support and then climbed out of the truck, opening the back door to retrieve Amelia's car seat. The plastic handle was cool against my palm as I carefully lifted it out, making sure not to jostle her too much. The height of the truck made getting her in and out so much easier. I needed to buy this thing off Booker or actually get my own. Blake could do with her own car as well, but we didn't need anything this big as a second vehicle.

My lips twitched at the thought. Domesticated bliss was really seeping deep inside me now. It just felt so natural, but I needed to try and rein it in a bit. The relationship between Blake and I was new, and I still fully intended to sweep her off her feet. I just had to figure out how exactly I was supposed to do that.

The front door to Delaney's flew open as we approached, and Cade barreled out of the house at full speed, impacting with Blake with an "oof" as he wrapped his arms around her. His dark hair was tousled, and his shoelaces were untied, trailing behind him.

"I missed you so much," he mumbled against her stomach. "You didn't come back."

"I kinda moved out, bud," Blake said, her fingers combing through his hair.

"But you were supposed to come back and see me!" he protested, looking up at her with indignant eyes.

"I’m sorry, you’re right. We’ve just been dealing with a lot. I wasn't going to stay away forever. How about tomorrow I pick you up from school, and we go and get cookies from the bakery together?" she offered, her smile warm and genuine.

"They'll be sold out," he said, but even I could tell he was faking his sulking at this point. His lips twitched at the corners, betraying his excitement.

"I can go in first thing and get Marie to save you some," I told him, adjusting my grip on Amelia's car seat. "And I have it on good authority that the diner makes the best milkshakes you've probably ever tasted."

Cade looked at me with wide eyes, and then back at Blake. "Why didn't anyone tell us there were milkshakes?"

"I dunno, bud," she narrowed her eyes at me playfully. "I feel like they've been holding out on us."

"I agree."

The pair of them were right back to being an inseparable duo, and it was adorable. The sight of them together made my chest warm in a way I wasn't entirely familiar with.

Blake wrapped an arm around Cade's shoulders, and we all went inside, only to find everyone sitting around the kitchen pretending to look casual. Trace and Delaney were at the stove, stirring something that smelled like heaven. Booker and Reece sat at the table, their heads bent close together. Dex was perched on a counter, swinging his legs like a kid.

"What?" Blake asked suspiciously as she started to take off her jacket, hanging it on the hook by the door. "You've got that look on your face like when you hide broccoli in my food." She glared at Delaney, who just shrugged and then quickly turned around when she couldn't keep a straight face.

I stared at Dex. He'd be the first to break; he always was. Under my scrutiny, he shuffled awkwardly in his seat, his gaze darting around the room like he was looking for an escape.

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