Chapter Forty-Six Max
Idon’t remember ever feeling as nervous as I do now as Josh and I walk up the steps to the porch of Emma’s childhood home.
“I need this to go well,” I tell Josh as we share a hopeful but still concerned look with each other. It was great getting that text from Andrew, but there’s always still a chance for things to fall apart.
We’re not out of the woods just yet.
Josh nods in agreement before checking his phone and sighing. “Where the hell is Ryan?”
A frown crosses my face as I shake my head. “I don’t know. You don’t think he gave up on this, do you?”
Josh lowers his eyes as he pockets his phone. “I don’t know. He loves her. He wants to be a father to the baby. It doesn’t make any sense why he’s not here right now.”
I hope he gets some sense knocked into him. He can’t keep running away from what scares him, or he’ll miss out on the greatest things that could ever happen to him.
Josh knocks on the door and waits next to me until Andrew answers.
“Come in,” Andrew replies before stepping to the side. “In the guest bedroom down the hallway.”
I nod to him and walk through the foyer, spotting Emma’s parents sitting in the living room together as we pass by. Her mother gives me a small smile with a nod in greeting. At least they don’t seem furious, but I’m not assuming that everything is fine just yet.
Josh takes the lead and heads to the guest bedroom, Andrew’s footsteps fading away behind us as he goes to the living room. “Everything will be fine.”
I don’t know if Josh is talking more to me or to himself.
Josh opens the door to the guest bedroom, revealing Emma as she sits at the bottom of the bed with her hair done in a loose braid.
There isn’t as much of a tired slouch to her posture as before, and her eyes are brighter, no longer harboring such dark circles beneath them any longer. It looks like she got the rest she needed.
“Hey, beautiful,” Josh greets her, coaxing a smile onto her face that leaves me breathless for a moment.
“Hi,” she replies as she turns to face us. A look of guilt quickly shadows the glow of her complexion. “I’m sorry that you haven’t heard from me since the hospital. My phone is still at my place, and I’ve been sleeping a lot.”
I shake my head. “Don’t apologize. You needed the rest. I’m sorry we didn’t see that before.”
Emma scoots closer to the side of the bed closest to us, letting her feet hang off.
She pats each side of her, prompting us to sit next to her.
“You don’t have to apologize either. I knew that I was exhausted and stressed, and I still didn’t do as I should’ve.
I won’t do that again. I won’t jeopardize my health or the baby’s health. ”
I gaze at her in silence for a few moments, just taking her in. Appreciating the fact that I get to be so close to her again and see that she’s okay with my own eyes.
“Are you guys okay? I can’t imagine how stressed you were,” Emma says as she looks between both of us, her hands brushing our arms and legs.
“We’re just happy you’re okay,” I tell her as I take her hand and hold it in my lap.
Emma smiles at me and nods. “I had a good talk with my parents. I wore down my brothers at least a little.”
“The fact that they let us through the door is a big step forward,” Josh assures her with a light chuckle.
Emma’s smile wilts a little. “Ryan is kind of late.”
I share a brief frown with Josh before squeezing her hand. “I’m sure he’ll be here. He’s been worried about you and the baby.”
Emma chews on her bottom lip as she nods. “Have you told your parents about us, Max?”
“Not yet, but they’ll be happy,” I promise her. “Mom has been begging me for a grandchild for years now, and they both love you.”
The tension in her features fades a little. “Good. I just want everyone to be happy.”
“We want you to be happy too,” Josh replies as he rests his hand on her knee. “We weren’t sure if what you wanted changed or not over the past few days.”
Surprise lights up in her eyes. “You think that I changed my mind about us? About our family?”
“A lot has happened since you ended up in the hospital,” I point out. “We just want to be on the same page.”
Emma takes a deep breath before standing up and turning to face us. “I wish Ryan was here too. I have to talk to all of you.”
“Just say it,” Josh encourages her as I fidget with my pants leg nervously.
Emma’s eyes shift back and forth between us. “The past few days have only reinforced what I already know. And what I already feel. I need all of you in my life. I want all of you.”
Relief slowly lifts off my shoulders. “We’re right here.”
Josh nods in agreement.
“Not all of you,” Emma whispers. “I think I lost one of you. That’s what I was trying to avoid. Losing people.”
An ache of sympathy fills my chest as I gaze at her, seeing the quiet agony on her face. I know that she cares about Josh and me, but she cares about Ryan too. She will always care about him.
“I can call him,” Josh offers. “I’ll get him over here. I don’t care what it takes.”
Emma shakes her head. “I’m not going to force any of you to do anything. If he wanted to be here, he would be here.”
A creak sounds out in the hallway, making Emma spin around just as Ryan steps into the bedroom breathing heavily.
“I’m late. I know,” Ryan says as he catches his breath, his back thumping against the door as he shuts it behind him. “I don’t know if you’re in the middle of breaking up with us or whatever, but I have to get this out before I chicken out. I’m tired of running, unless it’s to you.”
Emma’s fingertips touch her lips in shock as Ryan steps closer to her.
Meanwhile, Josh and I look at each other with relief in our eyes. He finally showed up. He overcame his fears.
“I love you,” Ryan blurts out before gesturing to Josh and me. “I think I can speak for all of us by saying that we all love you. We have for a while, and I know that being with us might be complicated, but it’s the best possible thing for you and the baby. I can promise you that.”
Emma sniffles as she looks over her shoulder at Josh and me. “Is that true?”
“A hundred percent,” Josh replies without hesitance.
I nod in agreement. “We want to have the family that we talked about. If that’s what you want too.”
“Of course, it is,” Emma breathes out, passion gripping her voice. “All I want is to be with you. All of you. I want us to raise our baby together, and I want to do that here in New York City where we’re close to our families. The ones we choose.”
I glance at Josh and Ryan, who nod. Their parents probably won’t have anything to do with our child, but that’s fine. There’s still plenty of love to go around, and our family will still be large and loving.
“And I love you,” Emma finishes as she grabs Ryan’s hand and tugs him closer to us so that she can smile at all of us. “I should’ve said that way sooner.”
My heart pounds wildly as an uncontrollable smile crosses my lips. Her brothers didn’t sway her decision. She is on the same page as the rest of us.
I stand from the bed and pull her against me, kissing her temple as I hug her tightly. “It doesn’t matter the timing. It only matters that you feel it too.”
Emma loops her arms around my torso and squeezes me back. “I have for a while.”
Josh takes her hand and playfully steals her from me, his lips grazing her cheek before he hugs her. “You have no idea how good it feels to have you back in my arms, beautiful. I’ve missed you.
“I missed you guys too,” Emma replies. “I should’ve gone home with you.”
Josh shakes his head. “You needed time with your family. I think that’s what helped convince your brothers not to kill us.”
Emma lets out a soft laugh as she draws away from him. “Above everything, they want me to be happy and safe. I just had to remind them who you guys are. You’re some of the best people that they know.”
“We try to be,” Ryan says, coaxing her to gravitate toward him. “We’re not perfect, but we do love you.”
Emma wraps her arms around his neck, her chest pressing against his. “You don’t have to be perfect. I’m not perfect. No one is.”
A disappointed expression forms on Ryan’s face as he gazes down at her. “I’m sorry. I feared the worst, which made me expect the worst. I almost didn’t come.”
Emma frowns as she gently strokes his hair. “Why?”
“I thought I would lose you, and I can’t bear the thought of that,” Ryan replies. “You’re the piece of my life that has always been missing. You and the baby you’re carrying.”
Emma smiles, her eyes fluttering shut as his lips press against her forehead. “I’m not going anywhere. You have me forever.”
“Good because I don’t want to let go,” Ryan says as his hands glide up and down her back.
“You don’t have to. I’m ready to go home with you guys,” Emma replies as she looks behind her at us. “If that’s okay.”
“My place it is,” Josh volunteers with an eager grin.
Emma lets out a soft laugh. “Let me say goodbye and then we can go. I got plenty of sleep while I was here. I think I’m good to stay up a little late tonight.”
An amused smirk grows on my face as I share a brief look with Josh and Ryan. She has gone through hell and back, but that hasn’t changed her playful spirit in the slightest. She’s still our girl.
She always will be.