18. Hadley
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Hadley
Crap. I have less than an hour until I need to get Evelyn.
I need to get a booster seat for her. She’s way too small not to have one. There’s only one store in town that I’m hoping will have one.
I walk into Sienna’s office. “Hey, I need to step out for, like, an hour. Austin asked me to pick Evelyn up from school. He didn’t have anyone else to get her.”
She looks up at me over the laptop she’s been typing away on. “Oh, sure. You can bring her back afterwards. I’m fine with that.”
“Thanks. I’ll be back soon.” I grab my purse and jog to my car.
I thank my lucky stars after I manage to buy the last booster seat in town, and somehow figure out how to get it safely strapped into my car in time.
Evelyn looks confused for half a beat when she looks at my car before she realizes who I am. “Hadley,” she squeals.
“Hey, kiddo. I hope it’s okay, I’m getting you today.”
“Best day ever,” she exclaims, climbing in the back and buckling herself in.
“Your dad asked me to come get you, so we’re going to hang out at the shelter for a bit. Then, we can go back to your house.” I glance in the rearview mirror to see her nodding eagerly.
Evelyn is sprawled out on the floor in Sienna’s office, coloring pictures of animals she wants to pin up in the entryway.
Sienna and I have been brushing the dogs. I saved Cash for last.
As soon as I let him out of his kennel, he makes a beeline for Evelyn. He gives her kisses before coming back in and plopping down in my lap, acting like he weighs fifteen pounds instead of sixty.
Sienna and I both laugh as I start to brush him. Clumps of his black fur come off, and I discard them into a pile at my side.
“So, why did Austin ask you to pick her up?” Sienna asks me, leaning back on her hands now that she’s finished with the dog she was brushing.
“There was an accident outside of town, and his parents couldn’t get through.”
She shakes her head. “No, I mean, why did he ask you to get her?”
Oh . I set the brush to the side, running my hands over Cash’s soft fur.
“Is something going on with you two?” she adds.
“Uh… I don’t know. Not really. I mean… maybe.”
She snorts out a laugh. “Sounds complicated.”
If only she knew. But why can’t she know? She’s my friend, and I really don’t want to keep this bottled up anymore.
“Okay, can I tell you something?” I ask, staring into her eyes.
Her expression grows more serious. “Of course, Hads. You can always talk to me.”
“I have feelings for Austin.” A smile spreads across her face. “But I also have feelings for Conrad and Brooks.”
She tilts her head to the side, clearly trying to see if I’m messing with her. “You’re serious?”
“Yup.”
“How? How did that happen?”
Cash shifts around on my lap until I start petting him again. I explain how I hooked up with Conrad when I didn’t know who he was, the kiss against the side of the house, the kiss with Austin in the pantry, the moment with the twins in the bathroom.
It feels so good to let it all out and talk to someone about all of it.
She smirks at me. “Damn, girl. You’ve got all of them wrapped around your finger.”
“I don’t know about that.”
“I do. How do they feel about sharing you?”
I sigh. “I don’t know. I told them last night point-blank that I wanted to be with all of them, but that they all needed to decide what they wanted. I don’t know where their heads are at now.”
She starts gathering up the supplies we used and putting them away.
“Just be patient and give them some time. That’s kind of a lot to process. Probably even more so for Austin, given…” She pauses, pointing into her office.
“Yeah, I know.” I nod in understanding. He wants to protect her, and that means the world to me.
I let Cash into the back so he can run around with the rest of the dogs.
“I hope they can all get on board, though, because you’d be living every girl’s dream. Those boys are fine,” she says, emphasizing the last word.
“You’d want a group of guys all to yourself?” I say, darting my eyebrow up to my hairline.
“Eh, you never know.” She shrugs, staring off into space like she’s thinking about someone specific—or maybe multiple someones.
“Can we get pizza for dinner?” Evelyn asks, sliding her finished math homework back into her backpack.
She’s kneeling at the coffee table in the living room of her house, where we’re waiting for her dad to get home.
“Sure. What kind do you like?”
“I like pepperoni or sausage,” she says before darting up the stairs to her room.
I go to call the number to order the pizza, then realize I have no idea if Conrad and Brooks are going to be home anytime soon. Austin texted and said things were taking longer than he expected, so he would be a few more hours.
I decide to send a text to the twins.
Me: I’m hanging out with Evelyn at your house until Austin gets home, and we’re going to order pizza. Are you guys going to be home for dinner?
Their replies pop up quickly.
Conrad: I wish, sweetheart. Pouring this concrete is taking forever. We’re going to be here for a while.
Brooks: No… but knowing you’re at the house makes me want to leave Con here to finish this on his own.
Conrad: Dick.
Brooks: I do indeed have one of those.
Me: Get back to work, you two.
Brooks: Yes, ma’am.
Conrad: I don’t know how I feel about you giving the orders around here.
I laugh as I call to order one large pizza with pepperoni and sausage.
When it gets delivered, Evelyn and I cuddle up on the couch with a bunch of blankets and pillows she brought down from her room. We eat the pizza and watch some animated movie about dragons she picked out.
My heart swells looking down at her sweet face resting on the pillow beside me.
I may be falling for Austin, Conrad, and Brooks, but Evelyn has already found a place in my heart that is never going to belong to anyone else.