Page 104 of It's Always Been You
Molly narrows her eyes at me. “What company?”
“Your friends. Emma, Julie, and Hallie all texted me last night. They texted me so many times they just ended up creating a group text. Group texts with your friends are interesting places to be.”
Molly snorts out a laugh. “You should see the one that’s just the four of us. You should feel honored. They don’t group text with just anyone.”
“They were worried about you. I told them I was here, and you were okay, but I don’t think they’ll be satisfied until they see you for themselves and honestly, I think you need to see themtoo. They love you so much, Rory. They love you exactly the way you are, just like I do, and I think maybe you need that reminder too. If I did the wrong thing telling them to come over, I’ll head them off, but I think you all need each other this morning.”
Molly smiles and leans forward, wrapping her arms around my neck. “You didn’t do the wrong thing,” she murmurs.
“Nailed it,” I say into her ear.
She laughs and pulls back. “It’ll be good to see them and talk to them. And you know, they’re your friends too.”
“What do you mean?”
“You called them my friends. But they’re your friends too. You’re one of us now, and once you’re part of this insanity, there’s no getting away. Welcome to chaos, Gabe; we’re happy to have you.”
I grin and kiss her nose. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be.”
“So, when is chaos invading my house?”
I glance at the clock on the stove and wince. “In, like, eight minutes.”
Molly kisses me and then climbs off my lap. “I better put on some actual clothes then. But hey, we can do the whole on my knees in the kitchen thing later. I’ll even let you call me your wife, just for fun.”
“Rory,” I groan, palming my rock-hard dick over my sweatpants to try and get it to calm the fuck down.
Molly just grins at me, calling, “I’ll take care of that later,” over her shoulder.
“Counting the minutes,” I yell back, loving the sound of her laugh and she runs up the stairs.
Chapter Forty
Molly
Ten minutes after our little kitchen interlude, I open the front door and am immediately folded into a group hug, surrounded on all sides by my friends. I thought I had cried myself dry last night, but my emotions are still living a little close to the surface because with my friends’ arms around me, I tear up again.
“Thanks for coming,” I manage from the center of our tangle of limbs.
“As if we would be anywhere else. We would have barged in days ago, but Gabe convinced us you needed a little space. You did need a little space, right?” Julie says warily, breaking the hug and giving Gabe a skeptical side-eye.
I laugh and step back to wrap an arm around Gabe’s waist. “Call off the dogs, Jules. He knew what he was talking about.”
“Told you.” Emma elbows Julie in the side. “You can trust him. He’s one of us.”
“I told you too,” Hallie says. “So did your brother. And you know how Ben is about the people he keeps close. Gabe makes the cut, so that means we get to keep him.”
“Do they always talk about people like they’re not standing right in front of them?” Gabe murmurs in my ear, amusement lacing his tone.
I lean up and kiss his cheek. “Get used to it, baby; this is nothing.”
“Baby, huh?”
I shrug and lean closer to him, feel his hand slide up my spine and cup the back of my neck in a possessive way that screamsmine. I love it. “Felt right.”
“It sure does.”
“I knew I was right. You were the one we’ve been waiting for.” We all turn to the doorway where Rachel Parker stands, beaming straight at Gabe.
