Page 137 of Heartless
Then he just holds me tighter, and I hope he never lets go.
36
Cade
Cade:What are you doing? Braiding your hair?
Rhett:No, polishing my nails.
Cade:We’re going to be late.
Rhett:Dude. Your event isn’t even until tomorrow. Take a breath.
Rhett:Are you seriously outside my house honking right now?
Cade:Yes. Making people wait is rude.
Rhett:You can’t rush perfection.
Cade:Nothing about you is perfect.
Rhett:No. But this sign I made you is.
* * *
“Iwish you’d just hurry and have this baby already. I am so excited.” Summer bounces on her seat in the back of my truck. I can practically see the excitement pouring off her through my rearview mirror.
“Sum. Hold your horses. I’m like three months pregnant,” Willa replies from behind me.
“She hasn’t stopped talking about it.” Rhett laughs as his fingers drum on the passenger’s seat door, just above where he’s protectively wedged the poster board Rhett created for my event tomorrow. It’s sparkly and reads:Not bad. For an old guy.
Fucking dick.
“Ugh. It’s just going to be the cutest baby though. I’m so ready to be the cool aunt.”
The buzz around the new baby hasn’t died off at all since we came out about everything. Everyone is over the moon.
But no one more than Luke.
When we sat down and told him, he cried happy tears. And so did I. The bridge of my nose tingles just thinking about the way my life has changed again so quickly. So unexpectedly.
It’s a fucking theme for me at this point.
“Dude.” Willa punches my brother in the shoulder. “Read between the lines here. Stop dicking around and make it so that our kids can grow up as best friends.”
Rhett’s face turns serious, and he shakes his head solemnly—but I see that shit-disturber twitch of his lips. Same one that was a dead giveaway as a child too.
“I don’t know what to tell you, Willa. We keep practicing and practicing, and practicing, and nothing ever happens. It’s exhausting, you know? I have to wonder if it’s all the birth control we’re using?”
“Eat a dick, kid.” I take my turn, knocking a hand against my little brother’s chest.
“No, babe,” Summer pipes up, “it’s just that you don’t have abreeding kink.” She can’t even get the words out without snorting and wheezing.
“I’m never gonna fucking live that down.” I grind my teeth to keep from smiling.
What I hear back is a chorus of “nevers” from every single person in my truck. But I also feel Willa’s hand slide over my shoulder to give me a little squeeze. I reach up and lay a hand over hers, knowing that, jokes aside, we’re both excited about this.
We’re surprised and a little unprepared, but happy. So damn happy. Going with the flow has never felt better. Cheesy as it sounds, I’ve never felt more at peace.
