49
Courtland
"Please tell me you've told Buzz how you feel, that you two are fucking like rabbits every single night, and you're calling to tell us to keep dates free for a spring baby shower next year."
My mouth falls open.
"You're… You got two out of three right."
Scooter moves closer to the screen, squinting at the image of my startled expression.
"I was joking."
My cheeks fill with air, then I release a long, dramatic breath. "I'm not."
His eyes light up.
"Holy shit!"
He's in his trailer on a break from filming. Cyrus will be joining the call, but he needed to take a shower after a mud-themed photoshoot first. Buzz won't be either since he's at work, so I'll be giving our friends an update about all the shit that's gone down lately, solo. I'm kind of hoping Cy takes his time so I can get some much-needed life advice from this man.
"Which one isn't true?" he asks.
"The first one. I was about to tell him, I swear. He even gave me the perfect opening. We were in the car before dinner at Mom's, and I started talking, but?—"
Scooter groans.
"Why is there always a but with you?"
"I honestly don't know. Mom was on the porch, Buzz was freaking out about seeing her, and it just wasn't the right time."
"Funny how that always seems to be the case, isn't it?"
"Don't I get points for trying?"
He lifts his index finger and brings it right up to the camera.
"You got one measly point. You'd get a thousand if you actually told him."
A sigh escapes me.
"I want to, and I will,"
I say, meaning it. I've veered between telling him and questioning whether there's any point, but now I'm back to where I started—I want to tell him because he has a right to know, and I just want to get this off my chest so I can maybe get some closure and finally move on.
Except now Mom has thrown a massive curveball.
I'm not making up excuses. Now really isn't the right time.
"You know how I told you Mom is pregnant?"
Scooter nods. "Yeah."
"Turns out she wants Buzz and me to adopt the child."
He snorts in shock.
"You're kidding me?"
"No."
"Fuck."
"Exactly. Now do you see why this isn't the right time to tell Buzz?"
"I…might give you a pass this one time."
I can see his brain ticking.
"So that's why she invited Buzz to dinner?"
"Bingo."
"And how does he feel about all of this?"
"Yeah."
Scooter waits a beat before speaking.
"Yeah isn't a feeling, buddy."
"I know, I know. I'm just processing."
After Mom dropped her bombshell at dinner, I was stunned. It was literally the last thing I thought she'd say. I was so caught up in my own feelings I didn't pay much attention to Buzz.
But at one point, I turned to him. He didn't notice. And I could just tell what he was thinking—he wants this.
Or rather, he wants a kid. Most likely with his forever guy and not me.
That real, unguarded glow of happiness on his face is something I'll never forget.
I want that for him. I want him to be happy and fulfilled and have all his needs and desires met. And I want, more than anything in this world, to be the guy that gives him all of that.
When our eyes next met, that look was gone, replaced by the heavy realization that this is a majorly complicated family situation.
"Buzz really wants kids,"
Scooter says softly.
"I know."
"And this kid is your half brother or sister. His, too."
"I know."
"And you love Buzz."
"I know."
"And he loves you."
"I know."
"And you're fucking. Oh my god, you're fucking! I almost let that slip. How could we leave that until the end?"
"Who's fucking?"
Cyrus steps into the shot wearing a white robe, thankfully having learned his lesson after the Speedo debacle last time.
"Court and Buzz,"
Scooter informs him, beaming as he delivers the news.
"Oh, yeah. I knew that."
Cy flops down onto his seat…and flops out.
"Ew,"
Scooter cries while I cover my eyes, groaning, "Duuuude."
"What?"
Cyrus says, oblivious to what he's exposing us to.
"We can see your dick, man,"
I say, staring at the wall.
He chuckles.
"Oh, well, excuse me. So it's okay for you to get naked in front of a room full of strangers, but I have an accidental dick slip, and it's the end of the world?"
"Correct," I answer.
"Tell us when it's safe to look."
He lets out an exasperated noise, and a few seconds later, gives us the all clear.
When I turn back to the screen, he's fully covered up.
"Is that why you arranged this call?" he asks.
"To tell us you and Buzz are fucking?"
Like I am with Scooter, Buzz is a little closer to Cyrus, and I sometimes forget he confides in him about things.
"No. Did Buzz tell you about what happened at dinner with my mom?"
"He did, yeah."
I'm tempted to ask for his insights, but I don't want to put Cy in that position. If Buzz told him stuff in confidence, I'm not going to pry.
"I don't know what to do."
"About your mom's offer?"
Scooter hedges.
I nod.
"That and Buzz. I really want to tell him how I feel, but I think we need to figure this shit out first. It doesn't just involve us. There's an unborn child and a clueless biological father to consider, too. Not to mention Buzz's dad's wife and kids."
"I don't envy you, man,"
Cyrus says.
I muster up a smile.
"I don't envy me either."