Chapter 17
SYDNEY
“I think I see—oh, wait. That’s a child.”
Blake giggles beside me and stands on her tiptoes so she can see over the crowded greeting area. I stumble to the side when a man and his kids squeeze through on their way to the front.
Blake catches me with wide eyes. “Shit, are you okay?”
“I—” I pause, waiting for the usual sense of panic at the unexpected touch of someone, but nothing comes. “Yeah.” I smile. “I’m okay.”
And for the first time since the incident on New Year’s, I’m not lying when I say those two words. Little by little, as time has moved on, I’ve reclaimed confidence in myself again. A strength that was always there but I could never quite reach.
It’s Lawson and his small acts of support that have bigger impacts than either of us could imagine. His encouraging words. Dedication to making me feel safe. Acts of showing me just how much power I truly have.
“She should have walked out by now,” Blake huffs.
“Maybe she stopped to use the loo after she got off. That could take a while, you know. Because who really wants to use the one on the plane?”
“I’ll tell you what, flying on the team’s private jet has ruined me for any commercial flights.”
“Wow, you sound so posh.”
She flips her hair over her shoulder. “I know, right? Who even am I?”
“You’re still the girl who wore the same hockey jersey every day for a week in the fourth grade.
” Blake and I jump and swing around. Cassie grins.
“Well? Isn’t someone going to hug me or something?
But excuse the stench, the guy next to me thought it would be a good idea to eat a sandwich with double onions on it. ”
We simultaneously lunge for her, our high pitched squeals startling the other families around us. There’s not a lot of room, but that doesn’t stop us from jumping in place like the wild, improper women we are.
Blake and I scream, crushing our friend between us.
“I missed you girls,” Cassie cries, wrapping her arms around the both of us.
I sniff. “Promise we won’t wait another six months before we see you again.”
“Uh, I saw her two months ago for New Year’s,” Blake points out.
“Well I didn’t and that’s too long for me,” I pout.
“I know. I hate it too. Life just got so busy, but I promise it won’t be another half a year before we get the band back together.”
Blake sends me a look over Cassie’s shoulder and I know immediately that ‘life just got busy’ means ‘Richard controls every second of my day and definitely makes sure I don’t have the time to see my friends.’ The friends he has admitted to not liking behind her back.
Blake inhales deep and backs away with her hand over her nose. “Good God, you weren’t kidding about those onions, were you?”
We burst out laughing and I bend down, picking up Cassie’s carry-on bag that fell when we practically jumped her. “Come on, stinky.”
Cassie groans. “Flying overnight always seems like a good idea but then I always forget how hard it is to sleep in those dang tiny ass seats. Especially when onion guy only didn’t assault my nose but also my space with his man-spreading.”
Blake rubs her back. “I’m sorry, girlie. At least you have a good part of the day to catch up on some sleep before the party tonight.”
“I’m only here for seventy-two hours. If you think I am spending any of that time sleeping when I can be playing with Shadow or chasing my cute little nephews around, you are sadly mistaken.”
“Oh, and what are we? Chop liver?” I laugh.
“No,” Cassie drags out her response. “Of course not. I’ll always make time for my girls.”
“Just after cuddles with my dog and my nephews.”
“Oh sweet, sweet Sydney.” She brushes a hand over my hair. “We’re all family here. They’re our nephews and our dog.”
I roll my eyes playfully and hook my arm with hers while Blake does the same on the other side. “Come on, Mum and Dad are so excited to have you over. Seriously, she debated redecorating the guest room so that everything was just perfect for her sweet Cassie’s visit.”
“I love your parents so much,” she sighs, leaning her head on my shoulder.
The drive back to my house is filled with out-of-tune singing and so much laughter that I fully expect to have a six-pack by the time we pull into the driveway.
“Honey, I’m home!” Cassie calls out as she swings open the front door.
Multiple pairs of feet thunder down the hallway and before we even have the door fully closed, everyone has packed themselves into the foyer. Cassie stands in the center, trading one hug for another as everyone greets her.
Jace hops up and down, his patience waning as she finally makes it to him.
“Sassy Cassie!” he cheers, picking her off her feet and spinning her around.
Her laughter echoes through the small space and she smiles up at him when he sets her back down. “Dude, you’re getting married!”
“Dude! I’m getting married!”
“What’s that smell?” Cooper asks, his face twisting.
We look down at him and Cassie cringes. “Right. Uh, shower please before it rubs off on all of you.”
I hand over her bags and Mum says she will show her to her room. On their way over to the staircase, she pauses glancing over at a quiet Nikolai standing off to the side. He gives her a small nod and she smiles.
Everyone files back into the kitchen where my parents and Kinsley have laid out a whole breakfast spread for us to enjoy before the events of today.
I immediately zero in on the batch of Mum’s caramel mocha latte with extra whipped cream. Taking a greedy sip, I sigh and my eyes roll back in my head. “God, this is better than sex.” Granted, not that I would know… but it’s just an expression, right?
There’s a choking sound next to me and I look to the side to see Lawson coughing up his muffin. “You alright?”
He nods, chugging half of his water bottle in one go. “All good. I’m going to, uh, go make sure Shadow is behaving with the boys.”
My eyebrows furrow as I glance to my left and spot Shadow laying under the table, begging for scraps from Blake. She sneaks him bits of bacon when no one is looking.
Shrugging, I make my way around the island and slide onto a stool next to Jace. “So, what wild plans do you boys have for tonight?”
He chuckles. “Nothing too grand. Just a reservation at a local whiskey bar and some video games later on.” I stare at him and he tilts his head towards me with a raised eyebrow. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
“That’s seriously what you’re doing? What about the bar crawl or the strip club? What about cops knocking on your door, only they aren’t actually cops?”
“I think you’ve seen too many movies, Syd. I don’t think anyone actually does that. Plus, I’m about to be a dad for the third time, my partying days are long since over.”
“Wow. I thought you were twenty-eight, not eighty.”
He shakes his head. “What are you girls getting up to tonight?”
I mime zipping my lips. “I’m not telling.”
His jaw drops. “What? I just told you what we are doing? Why don’t I get to know what you’re planning to expose my wife to?”
“She’s not your wife yet, Romeo.”
“That woman has been mine since the moment our eyes locked.”
“Aw! Jace, that’s so romantic.” He smiles and I pat his arm. “Still not telling you though.”
His face drops and I spin off the stool with a laugh.
To be honest, we don’t have anything too bad planned.
First, we are stopping at the lingerie store where Kinsley will have full privacy for an hour to try on and buy whatever she wants.
Then we are having dinner at this gorgeous little Italian restaurant where they serve the best vodka rigatoni I’ve ever tasted.
And to top off the night, we are going to a karaoke bar where we plan to sing our hearts out until none of us can properly talk the next day.
We will have her home by ten o’clock so she and baby will be nice and rested for the big day.
See? Good, wholesome, fun.
But Jace doesn’t need to know that. I like seeing him squirm. Don’t judge. That’s what siblings are for.
“The lingering onion odor has been vanquished,” Cassie says as she floats into the kitchen.
Shadow perks up at the newcomer’s voice and takes off, Scooby-Doo style, on the tile. He barrels into her legs and she drops down onto the floor in a heap.
“Oh my god, hello! Aren’t you a handsome boy? Yes, you are.” She croons in a baby voice, wrapping her arms around his wiggling body when he licks her cheeks.
I catch Nikolai watching her intently before looking down at his cup of coffee.
Hm… interesting.
We spend the next couple hours all catching up until it finally comes time for the boys to vacate the premises. I stand off to the side with Shadow pressing against my leg, watching the couples drag out their goodbyes. Like they aren’t going to see each other by the end of the night.
Shadow licks my fingers, pulling my attention. Smiling, I run my nails over his head and behind his ears, just like he loves.
A throat clears and I glance over my shoulder as Lawson steps up next to me. “Fun things planned for the night?”
“Trying to get intel for my brother, mister best man?”
He chuckles and leans against the wall. “No. Although he did ask if I knew what you were doing. I’m asking because I want to know.”
“Worried about me, darkling?”
“Always, sunshine.”
I tuck my lips to hide my smile and dip my head before he can catch sight of the blush I feel creeping over my cheeks. He can’t keep saying things like that to me.
“I can promise you that nothing nefarious will be happening. Shopping, eating, and singing.”
“There’s plenty of naughty things that can happen during each of those.” He speaks quietly, his rough words coasting over my skin.
I lift an eyebrow. “Much experience in that kind of thing?”
His eyes dance over my face, pausing briefly on my lips. “Wouldn’t you like to know.”
Yes. Yes I would.
I swallow and shift on my feet when he doesn’t look away. The air around us heats, my pulse skyrocketing the longer I’m trapped under his stare.
“Law, let’s go,” Jace calls out, sparking me out of my daze.