Chapter 49
Chapter Forty-Nine
Emmet
I wake up with a headache. No surprise, since I drank so much. I also wake up with my arm numb, and when I try to move it, I can’t. That’s when I remember I’m in bed with Adam.
We fucked last night and fell asleep together.
I scrub my free hand down my face.
Why do I keep doing this to myself?
“Morning,” Adam says, snuggling closer to me. I wrap my arm tighter around him, then lean down to kiss his head.
Because I love him so much, it hurts.
He’s my heartache and my peace.
“Good morning,” I answer back. “How did you sleep?”
“So good.”
We stay like that until my phone rings from… somewhere. I have to peel Adam off me so I can get to my pants and pull my cell phone from it. The call already ended but it starts up again, Dominic’s name flashing on the screen.
“Hello?”
“You were supposed to call me.”
“Yeah, well, shit happens.”
He laughs. “When can you be ready?”
“Ten minutes?”
“Meet us at Honu & Honey. It’s not far.”
“Will do.”
I end the call, then scrub my hands down my face.
“You’re leaving?” Adam asks.
“Aren’t you coming?” I ask.
“Where?”
“Breakfast—no, brunch. With Dominic and Mikah.”
“Do you want me to go? Because you don’t look like you do.”
I sigh, then crawl into bed and over Adam.
“I want you to come with me, I’m just… I don’t know.”
He nods, as if he understands. Maybe he does.
“Is this too much for you?” he asks.
“That depends on the outcome, Adam.”
“The outcome is us together,” he says firmly.
My eyes fall closed and I try not to think too much on that. When I open my eyes, he’s still staring at me.
“Then why do we need to wait to get home to talk about that?” I ask, searching his eyes.
“I guess we don’t.”
“You guess?”
“Is anything I say going to be right?” he asks, pushing on my side for me to get off him.
He walks naked to the bathroom, and I can’t help but stare at his ass as he goes.
The shower turns on, and I know we’re going to be late meeting Dominic and Mikah, but that’s just too bad.
I go to the bathroom, grateful when I find the door unlocked.
I pull back the shower curtain, startling Adam. We stare at each other for a moment before he sighs and says, “Get in here.” So I do. We wash up then dry off and get dressed. Before we leave, Adam grabs my arm. “I don’t want to wait.”
“Are you sure about that?”
“I’m sure. Fuck, I am so sure. Nothing in this world feels as good as you do, Emmet.
I want this with you, I swear I fucking do.
And I am so sorry that I made you think anything different.
” He steps up to me, putting his arms around me.
“I love you, I love us together, I love the way you make me feel, and I don’t want to be with anyone but you. ”
“But…”
“We just have some things to talk about, that’s all.”
“What kinds of things?”
“I don’t know, I just feel like we need to figure things out.”
“That’s normal, Adam. That’s what you do in a relationship. You figure things out together. You don’t need to make it seem like it’s a problem or roadblock.”
“I’m sorry,” he says. “I guess I just don’t know how to do this, but I want to do it with you. I promise you. I want this.”
“Are—”
His phone rings and he sighs as he pulls it from his pocket, but then his face lights up. He answers the call, holding it out in front of him which tells me it’s a video call.
“Hey, kiddos,” he says with a smile.
“Hi, Daddy!” Judy and Ian shout together. “Are you having fun? We miss you.”
“I miss you too. And yes, I am having so much fun.”
“What are you doing?” Judy asks.
“Right now, I’m going to eat brunch with some friends.”
“The ones who got married?” Judy asks.
“Yes, and Emmet.” He looks at me, and I can’t help but smile. I missed his kids.
“Emmet is there? Tell him I said hi!”
Adam turns the phone. “You can tell him yourself.”
“Hi, Emmet!” Judy says, smiling a mile wide. Ian comes into the screen, shoving his face right into the camera and smiling. I can’t help but laugh.
“Hi, Judy. And hello, Ian. That’s a great close-up.”
Seeing them makes me so damn happy.
“Back up, Ian! My goodness gracious,” Judy says with so much sass. Ian backs up as Adam comes to my side so both of us are in the image. “Little brothers are so annoying.”
“I hear they are,” I say.
“When are you coming home?”
“Tomorrow,” Adam answers.
“Is Emmet coming with you?”
“I’ll be home too,” I say.
“Are we going to hang out?” she asks. “I’ve been thinking I want to try more pineapple pizza.”
I chuckle. “Is that so?”
“Yeah, and I know I can’t ask Daddy because he doesn’t like it.”
“Hey,” he says, sounding offended. “You can ask me anything.”
“We can hang out, and I will buy you the best pineapple pizza in the city, Judy.” I glance at Adam. “As long as your dad says it’s okay.”
“Of course it’s okay,” he says quickly.
“Oh goodie! I can’t wait.”
“All right, we have to go, but I’ll see you tomorrow, okay? Tell Ian I love him.”
“I will, Daddy. Love you!”
“I love you too, sweetheart.”
“Bye!” She waves and blows us both kisses. My heart aches in my chest as he ends the call. I feel him staring at me, and I want to talk, but I just feel so overwhelmed with emotion.
“You okay?” he asks softly, putting his hand on my shoulder.
I take a deep breath, then face him. “All I’ve ever wanted is a life with you, Adam. A family. From the very first day I met you, I knew you were special. I knew you were it for me.”
“Emmet—”
“You need to understand, Adam. In order for you to make a decision, you need to really understand what I’m saying, what I want and what I need from this.
This is it for me. You. The kids. A family that we can build together.
It’s what I want, what I’ve always wanted.
It’s what I went to Seattle for. I wanted a second chance.
” I cup his cheeks, staring right into his eyes.
“I swear, I will never leave you. I will never do anything to hurt you or your kids. I want this, us. But I don’t want to beg for it, and I don’t want to have to convince you. ”
“I don’t need convincing,” he says quickly.
“My concerns have nothing to do with you or us, it has everything to do with the shit in my head. You were right calling me out on being scared. This was never about you, Emmet, it was always about me. And that’s unfair because it shouldn’t be that way.
I want this too. Truly, I do. I feel it in my bones, but mostly, I feel it in my heart. ”
His hand comes up to grab mine and slides it over his chest.
“I want this,” he says again. “With you, no matter what.”
I let out a shaky breath, unsure if I’m making the right decision this time. “Okay.”
“Fuck yes, okay,” he says with a smile, then leans in to kiss me. He takes my hand and pulls open the door. “So, do we get to tell Dominic and Mikah that we’re a couple?”
“Are you ready for Dominic to handle that news?”
Adam laughs. “Go big or go home.”