Chapter 29 We are the Boring Couple
WE ARE THE BORING COUPLE
PAIGE
“Paige! Come in, come in!” She pulled me into a hug like we were old friends, and I found myself relaxing despite my confusion about why I was invited. “Everyone’s in the living room. Don’t worry, I know there are a lot of people, but they’re all lovely. And don’t bite. I promise.”
Emma’s mansion was not what I expected at all as I tried to ignore the ‘don’t bite’ part.
Her mansion had soaring ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, and enough space to house a small village. What I hadn’t expected was how warm it felt despite its size.
And she wasn’t kidding about ‘a lot of people.’
The massive living room was filled with couples. Some I recognized, most I didn’t. Sean and Chelsea were there, curled up together on one couch. Derek stood near the windows talking to Cillian and another man with dark hair and gray eyes.
“Let me introduce you!” Emma said cheerfully, pulling me close. “You know Sean and Chelsea already. That’s Ivy and Aiden…” She pointed to a tiny woman with long dark hair and striking blue eyes who was tucked under the arm of a tall man. “Aiden’s a therapist.”
“And that’s Mia and James.” She glanced at the woman with brown hair and a warm smile, who waved from where she sat with a handsome man in glasses. “James is an architect. Mia teaches art.”
“Summer and Damon…” Emma gestured to a stunning dark-skinned woman who was a popular model and an actress.
I had seen her drama, and she was brilliant in it.
She was chatting animatedly with a grumpy-looking blonde man who was nodding along to whatever she said.
They seemed cute. “I’m sure you already recognized Summer!
And Damon’s my brother. Half-brother actually since I got all the good genes, and he got… leftovers.”
He glanced in our direction with a raised eyebrow. “I’m sure I’d look better if I had long hair like you,” he said in a bland tone.
“Hey!” Summer frowned at her friend. “I don’t diss that grandpa over there you’re dating—sorry, Cillian—but Damon is a lot hotter than—”
Emma rolled her eyes as I smiled at their banter. “Anyway, that’s Anna, Caleb, and Kyle.”
My eyes widened. Three people? Anna was clearly pregnant, with dark hair falling over her shoulders, flanked by two men on either side as if they were her personal bodyguards.
One with tattoos and piercings who looked like a younger, edgier version of Cillian, and another blond with a friendly smile.
“And Katie and Dylan…” A tall woman with short brown hair and hazel eyes sat with a younger man who had dark hair and bright green eyes that watched her with unabashed adoration. She seemed very stoic with her back straight while he looked at her like… he was her puppy?
It was adorable.
“That’s... a lot of names,” I said, feeling overwhelmed.
“Don’t worry,” she said with a small laugh. “You’ll get them, eventually. Come on, dinner’s almost ready!”
Dinner was a little chaotic, but it was lovely. The dining table was massive, but we still somehow ended up elbow-to-elbow, passing dishes and talking over each other and laughing at inside jokes I didn’t understand yet but smiled.
“So wait,” Summer said, pointing her fork at Derek and me. “You two are the same age?”
“Yeah?” I said, confused by her question.
“That’s so weird,” Mia said, grinning. “You’re like... the only normal couple here.”
“Hey!” Ivy said with a soft chuckle.
“Ivy, Aiden’s ten years older than you,” Emma pointed out. “James is twenty years older than Mia. Cillian is twenty years older than me. Sean’s also twenty years older than Chelsea.”
“And Katie’s six years older than Dylan,” Anna added with a smile, glancing at her younger sister.
“Don’t forget Anna’s got sixteen years on Caleb and ten on Kyle,” Summer said, then grinned at Damon. “And this grump is thirteen years older than me.”
“I’m not a grump,” Damon said, but he was smiling as he pulled Summer closer.
Derek leaned over and whispered in my ear, “Apparently we are the boring couple.”
“I’ll take boring,” I whispered back, trying to control my increased heart rate at the warmth of his breath against my neck.
As dinner continued, I found myself relaxing in a way I hadn’t in years. These women were genuine, smart, and funny. They asked me about Lily, my work, my life, without any of the judgment I faced at Derek’s office. They made me feel included without making me feel like an outsider.
After dinner, we migrated back to the living room. Anna settled on the couch, and I watched as both Caleb and Kyle immediately flanked her, making sure she had pillows, that she was comfortable and that she had water.
“You okay?” Caleb asked, his hand on her baby bump.
“I’m fine,” Anna said, smiling up at both of them. “Stop fussing.”
“Never,” Kyle said, kissing her temple.
My chest twisted because Jack had never been like that. Not when I was pregnant and not after. He treated my pregnancy like an inconvenience, something that happened to me rather than something we were experiencing together.
“Want something to snack on?”
I looked up to find Derek standing beside my spot on the couch. “Most people are drinking, but I thought you might want something else,” he said casually.
But the fact that he noticed I wasn’t drinking, that he thought about what I might need, made my throat tight.
“Some water would be great,” I said softly.
He returned with water and a plate of fruit and cheese, settling it on the coffee table within my reach before rejoining the men’s conversation across the room.
“He’s sweet,” Chelsea said, sliding onto the couch beside me. “The way he looks at you? It’s adorable, Paige.”
I didn’t know how to respond to that, so I just smiled and took a sip of water.
“Emma!” Summer called out. “It’s past midnight. We should probably head home—”
“Absolutely not,” Emma said firmly. “I have like ten guest rooms. Everyone’s staying. I don’t want anyone driving after drinking.”
“Emma, but—” Mia started.
“No arguments. It’ll be like a sleepover, and it will be fun!”
Thankfully, we didn’t have to worry about Lily.
Charlotte had come over for lunch, and even though Derek had prepared a babysitter, she might have left by midnight, and Charlotte was there if Lily got fussy.
But surprisingly, she had been sleeping soundly at night ever since she had started walking.
The men gathered in the den while we women claimed the living room, settling in with blankets and pillows like we were at a middle school slumber party.
“Okay!” Summer said, a mischievous grin curling on her lips. “I want to know everything. How did you all fall in love with your partners?”
“Oh God,” Ivy groaned, but she was smiling. “Do you really want to hear about how I fell for my brother’s best friend?”
“Yes!” Emma said immediately. “All the details.”
And soon I was gasping and clutching my glass of water with each of their stories.
Mia’s forbidden attraction to her dad’s best friend.
Emma falling for her protective and scary-looking bodyguard.
Chelsea’s romance with the older lawyer who took care of her monetarily before becoming obsessive.
Katie fell for her best-friend’s younger brother, who apparently had a crush on her since they were kids.
I pursed my lips, thinking how it seemed similar to me and Derek.
Each story was different, but these men adored their partners.
“What about you, Paige?” Katie asked, her voice soft but curious. “How does it feel to date your childhood friend?”
All eyes turned to me, and I felt heat creep up my neck.
“It feels... normal. Like this is how it’s supposed to feel. Comfortable, cozy and perfect, almost.”
“Almost?” Mia asked.
“Because he knows all my embarrassing moments from childhood and vice versa.” I laughed softly.
“Like when I broke my tooth trying to open a bottle with my teeth. Or when I embarrassed myself asking out a crush in middle school. And when I got my period at school and bled through my pants? Instead of thinking it was gross, he washed them in the bathroom sink, gave me his gym shorts, and walked me home.”
A round of ‘aww’ went through the group.
“That’s so sweet,” Ivy said, her eyes gleaming.
“Okay, this is a bit embarrassing,” Chelsea said, color slashing her cheeks. “But when I first slept over at Sean’s house, I got my period at night and leaked all over his sheets and clothes.”
“I started crying because I thought he would get mad or scold me or kick me out,” Chelsea said, her voice soft. “But instead, he readied a bath for me and told me to relax while he changed the sheets and took care of everything. Even me.”
Another round of ‘aww’ echoed through the room.
“That’s because Sean’s amazing,” Anna said warmly. But then she smirked. “Though I have to say, Caleb and Kyle have seen more of me than I’ve ever seen of myself.”
Everyone giggled.
“I don’t know how I had two babies before them,” Anna continued, caressing her bump. “But they both take care of me so well. Sometimes too well. This morning, Kyle tried to carry me down the stairs because he thought I looked tired.”
“That’s actually adorable,” Emma said.
“Aww,” Summer cooed. “All this talk is making me want to jump—”
“Please, for the love of God, do not finish that sentence!” Emma immediately covered her ears. “Damon is my brother!”
“Sorry,” she replied with a sheepish grin.
Anna turned to Katie and patted her hand encouragingly.
Katie cleared her throat, and everyone’s attention shifted to her. She seemed to gather her thoughts before speaking.
“Dylan... where do I start?”
“Tell us how big his d—” Summer started.
Mia quickly covered Summer’s mouth. “Don’t make me tell Damon you’re being a menace.”
She smiled apologetically at Katie. “Sorry, she drank a bit too much. Please continue.”
Katie smiled softly. “It’s very hard for me to share my personal space with anyone, even Anna. But Dylan makes it so easy. Yes, sometimes he forgets to throw his socks in the laundry…”
Everyone groaned in unison, clearly relating. Even Derek sometimes forgot his and apologized to me by cooking my favorite meal, grilled cheese sandwich.
“But he makes up for it by cooking for us, taking care of Pollux—my goldfish—and me.” Katie paused. “The only con I’d say about our relationship is that he gets too clingy. Even now, even though he’s enjoying the ‘boy time,’ I know that he’d rather be with me.”
“Yes!” Chelsea agreed. “Sean too! Sometimes I can’t even shower alone.”
“James follows me around the house,” Mia admitted.
“Aiden literally pouts if I’m on my laptop too long,” Ivy added.
I found myself smiling, thinking about the last time I had tried to shower alone. Lily had started crying, and Derek had stumbled out of the shower, dripping wet, to take care of her before I could even turn off the water.
“You’re lucky you only have Dylan to worry about,” Anna said to Katie. “Both Caleb and Kyle get clingy... and jealous if I give one more attention than the other.”
“That’s kind of hot though,” Emma sighed dreamily. “Having two husbands.”
“You should mention that to Cillian.” Chelsea bumped Emma’s shoulder playfully. “See what happens.”
Everyone laughed, and I couldn’t help but join in. Cillian was terrifying. He was tall, scarred and covered in tattoos. The idea of him getting jealous was both scary and oddly sweet.
“He’d get jealous and spend all night showing me why he’s enough for me,” Emma said, rolling her eyes but she was smiling. “More than enough.”
“James would not like that idea at all,” Mia nodded, blushing. “He barely tolerates when other men look at me.”
“Damon’s the same way,” Summer said with a suggestive smile. “Super possessive. But in a hot way.”
The conversation flowed from there, story upon story of these couples and their relationships. It made me happy for them, but I was a bit disappointed since I never had that with Jack.
But maybe I could have it with Derek.
It was well past midnight when my phone buzzed. Charlotte’s name lit up the screen, and I frowned.
“Hello?” I answered quickly.
“Paige, darling, don’t panic,” Charlotte’s voice was calm but serious. “Everything’s fine. Lily’s fine, but there’s been a situation.”
My heart dropped into my stomach.
“What kind of situation?”
The women around me immediately went quiet, sensing something was wrong.
“Jack showed up at the penthouse.”