Page 50 of What if It's Us

Oliver

I say.

August

I say.

Bodhi

Dude…me. I say.

Bear

This has got to be good.

Harrison

Already on my way.

Me

*stares at Griffin* You fucking owe me.

Griffin

Yeah yeah. You’ll thank me later.

In less than ten minutes there’s a knock at my door. That’s the downside to living in the same condo complex as almost everyone on the team. Though we don’t all live in the same building, we share a parking garage, which means we can be at each other’s doors in an instant if need be. And I suppose while living so close to each other can be a detriment to living here, it can also be a benefit. As much as I wanted to keep this a secret from the guys, they’re my family and it's driving me crazy that I can’t talk to anyone about it.

“What a bunch of pesky little assholes,” I say when I open the door to a smirking Bear, Harrison, August, Ella, and Griffin.

Griffin is the first one to push through and step inside my apartment. “Don’t pretend you don’t love us. Got any beer?”

“Eeeek! I’m so excited for you, Ledger!” Ella wraps her arms around me in a huge hug. I don’t miss the plate of cinnamon rolls she had in her hand when she and August walked in. Cinnamon rolls are her nervous habit.

“Did you bring those rolls for me?” I ask, chuckling.

She releases me and shrugs her shoulder. “Or me depending on how this conversation goes.”

“That’s fair,” I tell her with a nod.

There’s another knock at the door just as it closes from the first round, but I don’t even bother opening it. Bodhi, Corrigan, Oliver, and Scarlett let themselves in. “Hey, I brought beer,” Bodhi says, lifting a couple six-packs in his hands.

Griffin pumps his fist in the air with an appreciative smile. “I knew I liked you, Pickle Pants.”

“Ledger!” My cousin, Scarlett, wraps me in a huge hug when she comes through the door with Oliver. “Oh, my gosh, you have to tell us everything! This is so exciting! There’s going to be a little baby Ledger running around the arena! Eeeeek!”

“Listen, I don’t know.” I raise my hands in defense. “Maybe we shouldn’t go that far.”

Ella helps herself to a glass of water and then plops down on the very same couch where I was cuddling with Marlee just a couple nights ago. “Maybe start from the beginning. I mean we were all there at the wedding when Layken told us about Marlee, but how did you end up getting involved for real?”

I have to chuckle at Ella’s question because if they only knew the adorable and impressive limerick Marlee sent me that night, they’d see her in a whole new light.

“Marlee just…asked me,” I tell them, shrugging my shoulder.

“But why you?” Bear questions.

“Uh…”I shake my head. “I assume because Layken brought it up to her at the wedding and she kind of got it in her head. She sent me a text late one night.” I can’t hide the faint smile that comes with the memory of our text exchange.

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