Chapter 12
CHAPTER TWELVE
Tate
The people look like little ants from up here as I peer down from the observation level of the Willis Tower. Penn makes a joke about dropping a penny and I roll my eyes.
I feel his eyes on me, and I turn to face him. “You alright, Brooks?”
I know he’s being serious because he’s using my real name even though we aren’t near anyone else.
Sticking my hands in my pockets to keep from fidgeting, I shrug. “I don’t know, bro. I…appreciate you all trying to make things right with Lacey and me, but…” I trail off as I try to find the words. What do I say? With each passing mile, I grow more concerned that I’m doing the wrong thing? Every minute that we edge closer to this big grand gesture, I question whether it’s the path I should be taking. Maybe I want this whole family thing for the wrong reasons. Maybe I’m forcing it at the wrong time or with the wrong person. Damn, my family really screwed me up.
“You having second thoughts about Lacey?” he asks with a frown. Fuck, am I that easy to read?
“I…no, I just…it’s complicated as fuck, you know?” I try to explain but words fail me.
He nods his understanding. “I’ve never had a real relationship, so I don’t get what you’re feeling, but I’ve seen you two together and I know you love her.”
He’s right. I do love Lacey. Even now, even after she hurt me. I care about her. I want her to be OK. But does that mean I want a life with her still? Would she even change her mind? Everyone has been preaching their advice and encouragement to me since we got in the car back at Sophia’s house, but I can’t squash the feeling gnawing at my gut that maybe Lacey and I are not meant to be.
“I do love her. But what if she says no? What if all of this is for nothing?” I ask, stating my fears out loud. I look him in the eyes. “I don’t want to go through all of that again.”
He claps me on the shoulder. “You won’t, man. We’re going to fix this. It’s salvageable. She hasn’t been dating anyone. That speaks volumes. She still loves you, I know it,” he assures me.
“Maybe,” I mutter as I look down at the floor again. I feel anything but like the famous man I’m supposed to be. I feel like the little kid whose mom fucked up way too many times, and whose grandparents took him in. The kid who never had new clothes. The kid who didn’t have a dad at any school activities. I feel less than adequate. Deep down, I never feel good enough.
“Come on, let’s go grab lunch,” he says. I follow him to the elevators. I know he’s trying to cheer me up. Penn is a little boy and an old man all rolled into one. I decide to distract myself by asking him about his latest dating conquest.
“How’s Sherry?” I ask as we ride down.
He groans. “I don’t know. I mean, the sex is…hot as fuck, but I just don’t feel a connection.” He shrugs and I wonder if he’ll ever find someone who gets him. There are so many layers to Penn. He just needs to find someone willing to stick around and peel each one back.
I change the subject to a recent baseball game we both watched, and we chat about it while we walk down the street to a restaurant he found on an app. We get a few looks, but I’m grateful we haven’t had anyone come up to us for autographs. I hate that we have done all of this with no security. My team is going to murder me when I get home.
We’re ushered to a back table after the hostess asks us for a photo. We ask that she wait a few days to post them, which she agrees to do. It’s surprising how many people agree to that when we ask. It sometimes restores my faith in humanity.
We eat in relative silence, both of us deep in our own thoughts. I realize my mind keeps wandering to Sophia and wondering what she and Jordan are doing.
By the time we finish eating, I know what I want to do for the rest of the day.
“Let’s go find Sophia and Jordan,” I suggest.
Penn grins. “Sounds like a plan.”
* * *
I look ahead and see her. Sophia is leaning on a railing and laughing at something Jordan is saying. She looks so relaxed. Now that I think about it, she’s handled all of this way better than most people would. Even after all these years, I sometimes forget how unnerving it can be to be around one of us, let alone all four of us.
And she just…went with it. I’ve watched my friends get to know her and I can tell that they’re all smitten with her already. I can’t blame them. After only a few hours with her, I felt like I’d known her my entire life.
The wind picks up and a piece of her hair blows free of her ponytail. I watch as she tucks it behind her ear as she says something to Jordan.
“She’s pretty great, huh?” Penn states as he too watches Sophia. I glance over at him and see red. Penn has that look in his eye, the one he has when he has a new conquest for dating. There is no fucking way that I’d let him date Sophia. I love Penn, but he goes through women like tissues. And they don’t have anything in common. It’d be a mess. Plus, Penn isn’t into kids, and he wouldn’t have a clue how to handle raising Cal and Lizzie.
Penn glances over at me. “What? Wait! You like her,” he says as he comes to a stop, nearly causing an older couple to run into us.
I pull him to the side. “No, I don’t. Not like that,” I mutter, but deep down, I’m not sure. Do I like Sophia? No. Definitely not. That can’t be. Plus, I have to keep my eye on the prize, and the prize is Lacey.
“Oh, then what’s the face for?” he asks as he motions to my face.
“I just…you don’t have anything in common with her, bro. And I’m going to work with her, so can you try not to give her the Penn treatment?” I ask as I attempt to dodge the nugget of truth in Penn’s questioning.
Penn grins. “Ladies like the Penn treatment,” he states with a smirk.
I groan. “You are a pain in my ass. Come on,” I add as I start walking toward Jordan and Sophia again.
Jordan looks our way and sees us, giving us an inconspicuous wave. We walk over and join them.
“How was it?” Sophia asks.
“It was great. You really should have come along,” Penn answers.
Sophia grimaces. “No, thanks. I enjoyed my time on the ground very much.”
I give her a wink and she smiles at me. Penn laughs.
“We’ll make an adventurer out of you yet,” he says as he looks around. “So, what shall we do? Any word from Rex yet?”
As if on cue, our phones buzz. I pull mine out and see that Rex has just texted the group chat.
Rex: Trevor has offered to cook us a meal tonight if you all are interested.
I look back up to find all three of my companions reading the same message. Sophia looks at me and I raise an eyebrow. She shrugs, and it’s the first time I feel like I’ve had an entire conversation without saying a word.
“Sophia and I are in, if you two are,” I state, keeping my gaze locked on hers.
“Sure. Trevor is a great chef. I’d love to see the place Rex gifted him,” Penn says as he looks out at the water.
“Let’s go. It’s going to get hard to keep a low profile with commuters joining the tourists around here,” Jordan mutters as he looks around us.
I see a few people do double takes as if trying to figure out if we are who they think we are. I answer Rex.
Tate: Send us the address and we’ll head over.
Rex responds immediately with the address and Jordan orders us a car. We pile into it and head off toward Trevor’s rowhouse. Jordan and Sophia are talking about everything they’ve seen today, and Penn talks about the Willis Tower, while I just watch them, again overcome with a strange feeling. Even Lacey doesn’t talk this comfortably with my friends. I mean, they all get along, but she isn’t all buddy-buddy with them. Why is that? I frown as I consider the answer to that question. She should be good friends with them. She’s not even that close with Alisha.
We pull up to a very posh-looking rowhome. It’s old, but modern with stone and black trim. Rex’s ex is an interior designer, so I’m sure this place looks amazing.
Rex opens the door, and we all freeze as he holds up a baby.
“Uh, is Trevor babysitting?” Jordan asks.
Rex smiles and shakes his head. “Meet my grandson, Lucas.”
All of us freeze, our jaws dropping as we look from the smiling baby’s face to Rex’s. Rex lets out a long laugh.
“You’re right, Trev. I think I broke all four of them,” he yells.
I somehow manage to pull myself together. “Seriously, whose baby is that?”