Page 55 of Unravel Me

Emmett

Cara says ‘Stepdaddy Adam??? Man just went from a 10/10 to a solid 20.’

Jaxon

ADAM. Tell me it isn’t so.

Me

His name is Connor, he’s fifteen months old, and he’s cute as fuck.

Jaxon

NOOOOO. Daddy Adam?! RIP.

Emmett

Ayooo! That’s awesome, bud. Happy for you.

Carter

keep him away from my baby cuz no boys til she’s 40.

or ever.

no girls either.

I’m not going to attempt to touch on the fact that one day Ireland will grow up and be her own person and not ever listen to her dad again, because it’s a useless conversation. Carter’s go-to when anyone tries to reason with him involves slapping his hands over his ears and singingI’m not listening, I’m not listening.

In fact, Ireland may grow up before he does.

My phone rings, and I half expect it to be Jaxon. Commitment scares him, and the thought of a toddler probably has him spiraling. If anyone’s going to try to talk me out of this relationship, it’ll be him.

But my mom’s face smiles up at me from my screen, and I answer the video request as I shuffle out of earshot of the patio door, to the living room window, where I can see Rosie, Connor, and Bear playing in the grass with the sprinkler.

“Hey, Mom.”

“Care to tell me why Garrett told me you have a girlfriend before you did?”

“I don’t—what—when were you—” I scrub my eyes and sigh. “That little shit.”

“Don’t blame my angel.” Garrett is definitely her favorite of my friends, which is why she sends him a monthly box of specialty snacks from the States that you can’t get here in Canada. “He called to thank me for his snacks and asked if I was excited to meet Rosie. I said, ‘Rosie who?’ and he said, ‘Oh, shit.’ Then Jennie started cackling in the background and chanting, ‘You fucked up, you fucked up.’”

“She’s not my girlfriend,” I mumble. “I haven’t even kissed her yet.”

“Well, that’s understandable.”

“It is?”

“Yeah, of course.”

There’s a snicker in the background, and then my dad’s amused face pops over Mom’s shoulder. “If someone publicly rated my kissing a three out of five, I’d be hesitant to kiss anyone ever again too.”

They howl with laughter, and the fuckers even high-five. “Nailed it, Deac!”

I smile as Connor bounds after Bear, and Rosie after Connor, the three of them soaked to the bone as they leap through the spraying water.

“Oh my God,” Mom murmurs. “He’s in love.”

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