Chapter 12
“I like the names Olivia and Oliver,” Jaxson said as he climbed into bed.
I laughed as I leaned back into Drake’s embrace. “Are we doing this already?” I scrunched up my nose. “Aren’t those names too… similar?”
Lincoln chuckled as he rubbed lotion onto my belly. “My mom named my siblings and me after luxury vehicles, and Merci continued the tradition.”
I had just gotten out of the shower, and Lincoln insisted on rubbing lotion into my skin. Of course, I would have been a fool to turn him down. It was adorable, and I loved the pampering.
Troy sat down on the edge of the bed with another bottle of lotion and picked up my foot. He placed it in his lap and began rubbing while I closed my eyes and groaned. “You guys are going to spoil me.”
“No such thing.” Drake lovingly kissed the top of my head. “I like Olivia, but when I think of the name Oliver, I think of that punk kid that used to steal Jemmy’s lunches when we were kids. I don’t want to name our son after him.”
“Duly noted. Unfortunately,” Jace added with a twist of his lips, “I’m afraid most names we choose may also remind me of some of my past students.”
Jaxson playfully groaned as he nestled beside me. “I like those names.”
After dinner and our confrontation with Tiff, I declined the offer to meet Ben and the boys to play music. Instead, I retired to our apartment. We watched a movie with Kade, Micah, Alex, Ella, Patrick, and Victoria. When they returned to their apartments, Jace suggested we get ready for bed and relax. The television was on, but we weren’t paying it much mind.
“How about Andy for a boy?” Remy suggested as he took the spot beside Drake.
My eyes instantly filled with tears. Truthfully, I had already considered that name the first time I found out one of our beans was a boy. I would love to honor my dad by naming my son after him.
“We don’t have to,” Jace quickly reassured me.
Drake’s arms tightened around me before Jaxson nuzzled my neck.“You guys made her cry,” he huffed.
I laughed and shook my head.“I love it!I thought about it but didn’t know how you felt about it.”
The guys all looked relieved to know I wasn’t crying out of sadness.
“Andrew?” Jaxson mulled the name over before shrugging.“Sounds good to me.”
I shook my head. “Just Andy. My dad didn’t like the name Andrew. He corrected people if they called him by the name on his birth certificate.”
“Even better,” Troy agreed before rubbing harder on my arch.“Andy… what?”
I smiled. “Andy Giovanni.After the two greatest dads I have known.”
I had put a lot of thought into this and believed I should honor Will in some way. After all, he’d had a hand in raising six of my men. He didn’t have to open his house up and take them in as his own, yet he did. He deserved to have his first grandbaby take his middle name.
“Dad will love that.” Jaxson’s voice cracked.
I rarely saw my funny guy choked up, but he was. When I looked at Jace, he seemed just as touched and happy with the idea. The others nodded in agreement without any uncertainty.
“Andy Giovanni,” I repeated with a satisfied nod. “Andy Giovanni…” I paused as a thought occurred.
What last name would I give my babies? Panic and sadness hit me immediately, and I began to cry for another reason. How could I choose the last name without excluding some of them? They were all stepping up to be fathers. How was it fair to pick one surname over the other?
Immediately, the guys stopped rubbing on me. They surrounded me, and although all of them attempted to soothe me, I only sobbed harder. Those hormones were no joke. I knew it was silly to be weeping over the last name, but I had seven men in my life and four of the seven didn’t share the same last name.
“How about we give them your last name?” Noah finally suggested.
That only made me sob harder. Did none of them ever want to marry me officially? Forget the fact that I couldn’t. Or wouldn’t. I wouldn’t ever marry just one of them, and I couldn’t marry all seven of them. It was just the thought that caused me more sadness.
I heard Troy and Jace scolding Noah before Remy stepped in. “Or we can all legally change our names to one we all like. It doesn’t have to be Thomas, Bell, Hudgens, Ricci, or Murphy.”
I didn’t hate that idea. Actually, it sounded like a way to go around the whole marriage thing. The law could prevent us from marrying, but it couldn’t stop us from choosing a name to share.
Jaxson snorted. “Like Lincoln or Troy would change their names.”
“I would,” Troy immediately responded.
Lincoln pulled back and lifted my chin. He looked torn, but he must have seen the look in my eyes. “Would that work for you, treasure? Did you want us and our kids to share the same name?”
I took a deep, shuddering breath, realizing I had overreacted to the situation. Logically, I knew I was behaving silly, but emotionally, a lot of my insecurities were on the surface.
“I can’t ask you guys to do that,” I breathed. “You’re an actor.” I pointed to him, then Jaxson. “I’m sure you dreamed about seeing Bell on the back of a jersey, not a name we conjured up.” I turned my gaze on Noah. “And I’m sure you wanted to be Dr. Bell once upon a time.”
Drake shrugged nonchalantly. “I’ve already changed my name once.I can do so again.”
“Me too,” Noah agreed.
All gazes swung to Troy, Jace, Jaxson, and Lincoln.
“Guys,” I sighed. “I’m silly and hormonal, and this is a huge decision. We can’t make it on a whim, and I understand why you wouldn’t want to. Let’s table this discussion and forget the fact that I’m acting like a crazy pregnant lady.”
“It’s a valid concern, beautiful,” Jace husked.“I’m okay with whatever you decide.”
“I love my last name,” Jaxson admitted, “but I love you more, and I love the idea of our kids having our last name.”
“Me too,” Troy said resolutely.
Lincoln nodded. “If it would make you happy, I can and will change my name. I can be a Hudgens to the world, kind of like a pen name, but legally have another.”
For a brief moment, joy rushed in, then my brain interfered again. Finally, I resolutely shook my head. “Let’s not make this decision just yet. We have a while before the babies get here, so let’s just think about the babies' first and middle names for now.”
“I like Noelle for a girl,” Noah said, tongue in cheek.
Remy left my side and returned with tissues.I gave him a tremulous smile.
A laugh burst from my lips as Remy wiped my tears away with another tissue. “Noel and Noah.Really?”
“What?” Noah chuckled.“I think it sounds great.”
“How about Jacqueline? Jac, for short, works just as well,” Jaxson protested.
I laughed and shook my head.I knew they were just trying to cheer me up, and I was thankful for them.
“How about Troyina or Pietroina?” Troy smirked.
I wasn’t the only one to groan at this suggestion.“Sorry, boys.” I teasingly frowned.“I’m gonna have to shoot down all of those suggestions.”
A loud knocking from the apartment door had us pausing. “Who can that be?” Jace frowned as he looked down at his watch.
A glance at the alarm clock made me realize it was almost eleven o’clock at night.My brows knitted in confusion.
“I’ll get it.” Remy stood back up and headed toward the front of the apartment.
“Is Noah here?” a vaguely familiar voice hurriedly asked.
“Herman?” Noah asked, getting up as well.
We all stood up and entered the living area as if on cue. Herman, Rachel’s brother, looked much healthier than when we had rescued him. I had barely registered the changes at dinner.
He had been locked up and used by Horatio for months. The last time I noted his appearance, he had to weigh at least twenty pounds lighter. His hair had been longer, and he had dark bags underneath his eyes. He was a lot more attractive now that he was getting healthier.
He looked healthy but devastated.He was pacing and rubbing the back of his head in vexation.
“Hey, Herm, what’s up?” Noah worriedly inquired.
“Tamara’s losing the baby,” he immediately rushed out. “Dani and the doc don’t think the baby’s gonna make it, but I know you can save it.”
I was puzzled by his devastation. I had seen Tamara and Herman a handful of times since I returned, but never once had I seen them together. Tamara still sat and hung out with the majority of her high school friends, while Herman had been taken under Megan’s wing and became an ambassador of sorts with the other communities. I hadn’t realized they were close in the least.
Jaxson frowned. “She’s not due for another three months.”
“What happened?” Noah asked before shoving on his shoes.
“The doc thinks it’s her placenta separating.” Herman’s voice caught.
“There’s not much we can do in cases like this,” Noah said even though he reopened our apartment door.
“But you two can.” Herman looked between Noah and me with conviction.
My mouth dropped open.I didn’t know what I could do.I didn’t even know if Tamara would appreciate any intervention on my part.
“I can’t lose my baby, please.” Herman’s voice cracked with that plea.
“ Your baby?” Jaxson spluttered.
When I looked around the room, it seemed like it was a shock to all of us. How could Herman be Tamara’s baby’s father? How…
“Shit,” Jace muttered.
Realization struck me then. It was no secret that Horatio had been using semen from Herman and his father, Mr. Moore. In the past, gifted had only been known to have one or two children max. People like my mom, Mr. Moore, and even Lincoln’s mom had been a product of my grandmother’s experiments. Somehow, each of them had conceived more than one or two children. Horatio believed our DNA might be the key to “curing” the fertility issues in the gifted. Plus, it was proven the children of those people tended to be “stronger.”
Rachel, Herman, Lincoln, Mercedes, Bentley, and I had gifts that exceeded the “norm.” I just seemed blessed with a little extra due to my grandmother, Hazel, “improving” the process by the time my mother was conceived. Horatio, Pops, Greg, and Hazel had hypothesized that our offspring might supersede us as well.
I grimaced at the proof that their recent theory might also be correct. The doctor had already confirmed that my children were “strong.” Unfortunately, in all the recent excitement, I had forgotten to impart this knowledge to my men and Pops.
“Yeah.” Herman chuckled darkly as a tear spilled down his cheek. “I was helping Will and Greg find some data on the women we had rescued, and it seems I’ll be the father of three children in this facility. I didn’t think I wanted anything to do with any of them. After all, I never willingly spread my seed. But then…” His voice cracked once more, cutting him off.
“Let’s go,” I firmly stated, slipping my hand through Noah’s.
Watching this grown man cry wasn’t an option. I had to at least try to see whether Tamara wanted me to be there. It was a messy situation, but I couldn’t stand by when I could possibly help.
Noah gave me a firm nod before we headed toward the hospital wing.
η
“Noah!” Dani smiled wide as she exited the room.“What are you doing here? Missed me already?”
I frowned at her flirtation, and her face reflected mine once she noticed me behind Noah. I thought she had gotten over her crush on him, but it appeared she hadn’t. That ticked me off.
“Dani, you remember my girl Blake, right?” Noah asked as he opened a closet to our left, his voice distinctly icy. “The mother of my child. My connection.”
“I was just—” Dani feebly protested before Noah cut her off.
Noah handed me a scrub top before slipping on his.“Where’s Tamara?”
Dani’s face fell further.“I already tried.There’s no saving the baby; we must step in to save Mom.”
“I know you’re an excellent healer,” Noah brusquely stated, “and I don’t doubt you tried your best. However, we may be able to do it.”
Noah didn’t wait for her response before he determinedly pulled me to one of the rooms. He barged into the surgical prep area and handed me a face mask before sliding one on himself. He nodded toward the sink, and after we washed up, we walked into the operating room. I had to stifle a gasp at the sight of all the blood. It was everywhere. There were three nurses present, and Dr. Branch was calmly but urgently buzzing around Tamara. One nurse was hooking her up to a blood bag while another nurse set up fluids. The last one was poised beside Dr. Branch, waiting to assist her.
Dr. Branch looked up in surprise. “Noah, Blake, what—” she began before Noah stepped up to Tamara’s side.
There was no love lost between Tamara and me, but in all honesty, I could understand her antagonism toward me. In essence, I had stolen her boyfriend. Even though she knew he had a connection out there, I was sure a part of her had wished he’d never find me. However, all our past drama flew out the window when I saw her pale face. Her cheeks were red with tears, her eyes glazed over thanks to whatever drug they’d administered.
“We’re gonna try to save mommy and baby,” Noah stated as he placed his hands on Tamara’s forehead. “Do you want us to try?” he gently asked her.
I knew she hadn’t wanted this child. The child was never in her plans. However, I didn’t know if she had changed her mind. Had she begun to show excitement about the baby? It wasn’t like I was close enough to her to know these things, and I wasn’t sure who she would have confided in either.
She looked over at me as if she didn’t recognize me, then she sluggishly nodded.
I let out a breath I hadn’t known I had been holding.
“It’s too late; the baby’s coming and…” Dr. Branch gave Noah a pointed look as her voice trailed off in sympathy.
“Together?” Noah asked me.
Seeing the resolution and determination in his gaze, I nodded. He pulled a chair over and motioned for me to sit down. I took a seat and placed a hand on Tamara’s calf, gasping when I felt the pain, despair, and fear warring in her. I took a deep, shuddering breath to tune out her emotions as Noah’s hand landed firmly on my shoulder while he placed the other beside mine.
It took barely any time for us to coax our gifts forward. The warmth started at the top of my head and slowly disbursed to my fingertips before continuing its journey all the way down to my toes and weaving its way through Noah. The buzzing of our combined gifts was nearly audible in the stillness of the air. The sound of the clock, machines, and even everyone’s breathing became eerily silent as our connection began to work.
Our gifts entered Tamara, seeking the injury within, and I nearly gasped when I “saw” what Dani had attempted to heal. She had done a fine job, but it wasn’t quite enough. I felt our combined gifts surge toward the injuries.
It was more healing power than I’d ever felt coursing through me. I had complete control, but I didn’t trust it. The memory of the last significant healing hit me, briefly bringing panic with it. We were foolish not to remember the last time. I had lost control of my gift, and Sierra, Gavin, and Jemmy had had to assist us.
Beneath the panic, I felt my gift begin to struggle against my hold and inwardly cursed myself, but when I met Noah’s gaze, all I saw was his awe of our combined gifts. Just as suddenly as my gifts had come to my fingertips, they began to recede. Alarm engulfed me when I realized it wasn’t because our job was done. Tamara’s life force, along with the baby’s, was draining away. The blood they were putting back into her body just wasn’t enough. If we didn’t do something now, we would lose them both.
“We can do it,” Noah urgently murmured to me.
I knew we could, but it was as if my mental block was restricting me. It was as if my gift was upset at me and refused to do my bidding. In moments like that, I knew our gifts were as much a part of us as they were separate.
“Who are you?” I heard Dr. Branch bristle, followed by a tentative, “Sierra?What are you—”
“We’re here to assist.” Gavin’s brusque words were accompanied by the weight of his hands on my shoulder and Noah’s.
I gave him a tentative smile, and he winked at me.“Jace and Remy retrieved us just in case.”
I didn’t know if it was the confidence in his gaze or the reassurance of his presence, but it helped. I closed my eyes and took a deep breath, gently coaxing my gifts back. By the nearly painful way it began to pour from me, I knew it was essentially punishing me for losing my faith.
I sarcastically chuckled at myself, though I kept the sound inside. I shouldn’t have doubted my gift. My connections were complete, and even if I had been in captivity and couldn’t utilize them, the well was full and ready for use.
“Shit,” Gavin muttered.
It had been a long time since he mimicked my healing gift. From his nearly dazed expression, I realized my and Noah’s gifts had flooded through him like a tidal wave. He was accustomed to the flow being similar to a faucet or a hose, but this time it was like a waterfall or the surge of ocean waves crashing upon the shores.
“Si?”
My eyes snapped open at the sound of the gentle inquiry. Jace was now in the OR with us. As the door gently closed behind him, I saw the rest of my guys and Herman hovering in the hallway.
“What is going on?” Dr. Branch said in exasperation.“Mr. Bell, Sierra, and… whoever you are, you must vacate the room.”
“If you don’t want to lose Mom and baby, we’re all staying,” Noah brusquely stated.
Dr. Branch didn’t look happy, and I could hear Dani protesting, but Jace, Sierra, and Gavin didn’t move. At first, I wasn’t sure why Jace was here, but it hit me a moment later. He was here for emotional support, and I was grateful for his presence.
Plus, the OR was large enough that even with the nurses still buzzing around, there was plenty of room. None of us was hindering them in any way.
“They got it,” Sierra informed Jace confidently.
“We got this,” I repeated, my voice hushed.
Noah and Gavin nodded in agreement, and I felt the gentle squeeze of their hands on my shoulder and knee.
With all the distractions now handled, Noah, Gavin, and I simultaneously pushed our healing powers toward Tamara’s placenta. The doctor and nurses continued to work around us as we focused on her. It wasn’t until Noah and I disconnected with Tamara that I truly noticed their flurry of activity. We looked at each other and smiled. We’d healed her. I knew it.
“The baby,” Dr. Branch said, finally breaking the silence.Her unspoken words hung heavily in the air.
My heart sank as reality set in once more. I remembered Herman’s devastated face and the despair Tamara had felt, even while semi-sedated. My chin met my chest, and in the quiet that followed, I was sure I could hear the faint beating of a small but determined heart. The cadence was reminiscent of the sounds of my babies, albeit a lot weaker.
“Pass the baby to me,” I insisted firmly.
“But—” one of the nurses began to protest.
“Hand her the baby,” Noah resolutely directed.
Hot tears filled my eyes when the tiny, pink-swaddled baby was placed in my arms. She was so small I could barely feel her weight. I couldn’t help but imagine my own little ones nestled safely in my womb.
“Blake,” Noah said with a heavy sigh.
I knew he saw the stillness in her tiny body and thought it was Collin all over again. He couldn’t feel the little heartbeat I’d detected.
I shook my head as a hot tear spilled down my cheek.“She’s still alive.”
“Let her try,” Jace firmly insisted.
It took all my concentration to clear my head of all the self-doubt. I closed my eyes and focused the full strength of my gifts on the baby in my arms. I could feel how her lungs struggled to draw in a breath. I could feel the slowing of her heart. Instinctively, I placed her against my chest and willed my gift into her. Her eyesight, hearing, and lungs hadn’t adequately developed, so my gift flowed to the underdeveloped areas.
Gasps filled the room before I heard the faint cry. I couldn’t hold back my sob when I opened my eyes and saw the baby’s tiny hands flailing angrily.
“Hey, baby girl,” I crooned through my tears.“There you are.”
As I sobbed, Noah wrapped his arms around me. His tears mixed with mine as he leaned his head against mine.
“You did it, beautiful,” Noah breathed in awe.
“No, we did it.” I tremulously smiled at him.
I reached back, needing to include Gavin and Sierra. Gavin’s large, calloused hands engulfed mine and squeezed. Sierra leaned her head against mine, her hot tears falling onto my shoulder. Noah pulled them closer, and we all embraced with the tiny baby between us. I could feel the trembling in our limbs as the impact of what we’d accomplished tonight crashed into us.
Sierra sobbed, and when I looked up, Jace was comforting her. The sight made me smile. These people might not share my blood, but they were family. My hormones were unleashed once more, and I was suddenly crying, relieved to have experienced this miracle with them by my side.
“How?” Dr. Branch asked incredulously as she held her arms toward the baby.“I couldn’t. Dani couldn’t…”
I tried to smile and shrug at her.It was with great reluctance that I handed her over. I wanted to bask in her angry wails for a moment longer, but I understood they needed to check her over.
“Right.” Dr. Branch ruefully smiled.“Let’s check on this little girl.She’s not out of the woods yet,” she gently reminded us.
“She’s not,” Noah agreed without hesitation.“But now she has more of a fighting chance.”
I nodded, knowing he was speaking the truth. Even though our gifts had mended the baby’s heart, lungs, sight, and hearing, she still had to grow and would live her first few weeks, if not months, in an incubator.
“Her lungs are functioning as a baby brought to full term,” the nurse breathed out in shock as she held a stethoscope to her tiny chest.
When Gavin hiccupped, I realized he was crying too. This was such a humbling and awe-inspiring experience, and there wasn’t a single dry eye in the room.
“And Mama’s vitals are… fine,” another nurse said in a stunned whisper.
I smiled as a wave of dizziness hit me.I swayed, and Noah quickly grabbed me.“Blake,” he said in concern.
The room righted itself, and I leaned into him.“I’m fine,” I whispered.“Just a little tired and hungry.”
“Blake,” Dr. Branch said firmly.
I sighed, knowing I had spoken the truth. “Check me over if you like.”
“You best believe she’s going to,” Noah resolutely stated.
“Then we all need to get our rest,” Jace insisted before wrapping me in his arms.
I reluctantly nodded, knowing resistance was futile.
η
“I’m fine,” I quietly reassured Jace as I leaned onto his shoulder.
I was given a clean bill of health, and we found the others waiting on us. Noah and Jace had already explained that I’d just overused my gift. The doctor didn’t seem too concerned. She said that all gifted individuals could overdo it but warned me to monitor my usage better.
“And Tamara and the baby are… fine?” Troy asked as he leaned his head back into my lap.
“They are.” Noah grinned as he grabbed the plate of avocado toast and fresh fruit from Drake. “You should have seen her. She was amazing.”
“The power I felt in the room was… surreal,” Jace agreed, kissing my temple.
Jaxson pouted. “I wish we could have come in, too.”
“Next time,” I offered, trying to placate him as the others scoffed at his “neediness.”
“Thanks, Drake,” I said before taking a bite of my toast.“And it wasn’t all me.” My cheeks warmed as I bumped Noah’s shoulder fondly. “I was channeling your gift, and Gavin was there to back us up.”
The experience was definitely one for the books. If I journaled, I would write it down. For a second, I contemplated the idea. It wasn’t a flawed notion; it could help future gifted individuals. Unfortunately, there weren’t enough resources out there for us. The majority of our information was passed down to us by word of mouth.
“More like amplifying it times a thousand.” Noah kissed my temple.“And Jaxson, your FOMO is showing.”
The others chuckled at Jaxson while he rolled his eyes.“Whatever. I don’t have the fear of missing out,” he muttered.
“No, are you sure you don’t want this?” Drake asked as he began to seal up the container of avocado mixture.
Noah wrinkled his nose before leaning his head back on the couch, looking just as exhausted as I felt. “Nah, man, you know I’m not a huge fan of avocado.”
Drake hummed as he peered into the refrigerator. “We have some jalapeno dip and hummus.”
“Mmm,” Noah mumbled. “Some jalapeno dip sounds amazing.”
I lovingly reached over and ran my fingers through his tousled auburn tresses. At this rate, he would be asleep by the time his snack arrived.
“I’m still shocked by the fact that Herman has three women knocked up,” Jaxson said around a peanut-butter-and-celery mouthful.
To say the unfortunate man was reeling from the revelation was an understatement. My heart went out to him. I couldn’t imagine walking a step in his shoes, let alone a mile. It put my experiences into perspective for sure.
My crazy biological father might have kidnapped me, but the repercussions of his actions would fade with time. Poor Herman would have to face the consequences of that sick man’s actions for many years to come. It was bad enough that he had been abducted too, and now he would be a father of three children he’d never planned for.
Sure, he could walk away without claiming any of them, but the man wouldn’t and couldn’t walk away while knowing three children shared his DNA. I didn’t envy his future.
“Put your name on that jar, too,” Troy said in distaste as Jaxson double-dipped his celery stalk.
Jaxson grinned and shrugged.“You guys barely eat the stuff, and the kids are hit and miss.”
“Did he really knock them up, though?” Troy mused with a roll of his eyes. “And just because we barely eat it, doesn’t mean we want to wonder if you double-dipped into a jar we may grab.”
“You kiss Blake after me.” Jaxson smirked.“And anyway, it was his sperm that fertilized their eggs.”
I snorted, barely concealing a shudder of revulsion at the reminder that Herman had been violated. He wasn’t ready for kids, but Horatio had taken that decision out of his hands. That man needed to be handled sooner than later. I took another bite of my toast and shook my head.
“Does that mean he plans to step up and become a father to the other two babies?” I inquired.
Lincoln sighed and wearily rubbed a hand over his face. “That’s his plan.According to the files, the other women don’t want their children. They have been interviewing adopted parents for the last few weeks, and it may get ugly.”
“How does that work?” I asked in a horrified whisper. “Can they deny him the right to see his children? Can he stop the adoption process if he wants to keep them?”
“That’s just it,” Remy ruefully answered. “He’s not sure how involved he wants to be. He doesn’t know if he can be a single father to two babies, but he’s not willing to sign over his rights just yet either.”
Troy sympathetically hummed. “What a mess.”
Silence followed for several beats as we all realized the truth in his words.It was one colossal disaster.
“Wait!” Jaxson suddenly blurted.“Does Mr. Moore have any more children coming?”
I sat up, my mouth dropping.I hadn’t even thought about that.
“Hmm, what?” Noah startled awake.
“Sorry,” I murmured, smoothing his hair once more.“Go back to sleep.”
“Or eat,” Drake offered him a plate of jalapeno dip and chips.
Noah yawned as he took the plate. “What did I miss?”
“Oh, you know,” Jaxson said with a mischievous glint, “we were just speculating whether or not Jerry knocked up any more women.”
“What the fu—” Noah began before looking at Jaxson.Suddenly, he let out an ear-piercing cry.
He jumped up, and his chips and plate went flying everywhere. I screeched in shock before my eyes lighted on the spider that was easily two feet high. It was perched on the back of the couch. I shuddered in distaste before I realized said spider had a top hat, cane, and monocle.
Once the room was silent, save for Troy and Jaxson’s chuckles, I could distinctly hear the spider singing “Puttin’ on the Ritz.”The others began to clean themselves of the dip or chips that had flown into the air.
“Jaxson James,” I scolded, narrowing my gaze on him.
He must have seen the look in my eyes because he began to run. Unfortunately for him, he was unable to due to the additional four legs I’d imagined on him—not to mention the roller blades.
“Blake!” he plaintively cried as the room erupted in laughter.
“It’s not nice to prank Noah after the night we had,” I scolded, picking a chip out of my hair.
“I was only helping him wake up a little,” Jaxson protested.
“There are better ways to do that.” Noah glared at him before helping me remove some chips I hadn’t felt in my hair.
Jaxson stifled a snicker as he attempted to gain his bearings on the skates.“True, but less entertaining.”
Jace sighed, trying to hide his laughter. “One day, you’re going to go too far.”
“Want me to get you more food?” Drake asked, picking up the plate.
“Nah,” Noah sighed.“I think I’m going to bed.Ready for bed, beautiful?”
“What, no!” Jaxson protested.“We were still talking about Jerry and Herman becoming dads.”
“Let’s not jump to conclusions just yet,” Remy grumbled. “And the bed is what our girl needs.” He bent down and extricated me from Jace, Noah, and Troy.
“Caveman,” I teased, unable to stifle a giant yawn.
“Sure am,” he said with zero remorse, lightly brushing his lips against mine.