Chapter 20 - Delilah #2
“Holy shit,” she squealed.
“I know!”
“Do you think…you and Emmett…?” Her grip on my hands tightened. “Then we could be sisters for real!”
Heat rushed to my cheeks, and her smile widened. “No clue. We just became official after the storm, so I’m not in a rush.”
Would Emmett and I ever get married? I didn’t know if he even believed in marriage. Either way, it didn’t really matter to me; what we had was as real as any marriage.
But I had to admit, Delilah Hayes did have a nice ring to it.
“He makes you happy, though?” Savannah asked. “I’ll have Claire kick his ass if he hurts you.” We both laughed.
“So happy,” I gushed. “He’s perfect, Savvy. Everything I’ve ever wanted. I love him so much it”—I rubbed my chest—“it almost hurts.”
Her eyes glistened, and she squeezed my hand. “It’s the best feeling, isn’t it?” I nodded. “That’s all I’ve ever wanted for you.”
Emmett’s phone rang. “Gotta take this,” he said. “It’s Colt. Probably about the investigation into the Hollises.” He strode over to me quickly and kissed me deep enough that my head went light and fuzzy. “I’ll be outside, sugar.”
“Okay,” I replied, trying to remember where I was.
“That was disgusting,” Claire said after the door shut.
“It was cute,” Tess argued. “They’re in love, bear. People in love kiss.”
“Did he just call you sugar?” Savannah asked next to me.
I brought my hand to my tingling lips, staring at him through the window. His muscles strained through his sleeve as he brought the phone to his ear. He was so hot it made me sick. “Yeah,” I sighed blissfully. “I love it.”
Claire laughed. “Seeing you all lovey-dovey is going to take some getting used to.”
“Get used to it because your brother makes me feel like little fireworks are going off in my heart.” That just might’ve been the corniest thing I’d ever said in my life.
But it was true. Being with Emmett was like plugging directly into a thousand-volt battery and feeling the electricity course through my veins.
“Levi calls me babygirl,” Tess announced with a coy smile. “It makes me giddy.”
“Wes calls me angel,” Savannah replied, her cheeks a little pink.
“Well, Beau is apparently unimaginative,” Claire giggled. “He just calls me baby.”
“Baby is classic,” I told her. I smirked. “Emmett loves it.”
Claire groaned. “Oh God. That’s so gross.”
A hiccuping cry rang through the living room. “Sorry,” Tess squeaked, her chin quivering. “I’m just so happy we’re all in love!”
“And you’re growing a human!” I said, pointing at the small swell of her stomach.
The whole concept still weirded me out. I glanced out the window again.
Emmett was walking around in the yard, fingers in his hair.
I imagined a little baby with those curls, and the idea of pregnancy didn’t seem all that terrible.
“Oh, gotta pee again!” Tess chuckled. “I’m still so early and yet I’m peeing all the time already.”
Scratch the pregnancy idea.
Emmett came back inside a few minutes later. “Talked to Colt. They’re building a case against Preston and Sterling. So far, everything Jack found is checking out.” He looked at Tess. “Might wanna give Levi a heads up.”
She wrung her hands together. “Oh, okay,” she said weakly, and went to do that.
“Also talked to Weston,” he said to Savannah. “He was pouting and wants to know if he can come home.”
Savannah smiled, rolling her eyes. “I swear. It’s like he wants to be glued to my side twenty-four seven.” She grabbed her phone, texting him. “If he could crawl in my skin, I think he would.”
I snorted, covering my mouth. “That’s insane.”
Emmett made a little noise. “Don’t know,” he said, pulling me into his side. He smirked. “You’ve got pretty nice skin, sugar. I’d crawl in there.”
My heart skipped. Heat coursed through my veins. “Yeah?”
His grip on my waist tightened. “Mhm,” he hummed, eyes sparkling with mischief.
“This is the most uncomfortable thing I’ve ever witnessed, and I’ve heard our parents having sex,” Savannah said, upper lip curling.
I giggled, tucking my face in the crook of Emmett’s neck. “I fear we might be one of those insufferable couples,” I said, peering up at him.
“Like PDA?” I nodded. He grinned. “Thank God.” He kissed me right in the middle of Savannah’s living room without a care for who was watching.
“Hooooly shit, what is happening here?” Weston’s voice boomed through the living room. Emmett and I broke apart. “Am I hallucinating?”
Emmett laughed. “How fast did you drive to get here? Did the truck tip on two wheels?”
Weston wagged his finger, a hand on his hip. “Oh no. You’re not getting out of this, you little Colt wannabe.”
“We’re together,” I announced. The pride in my voice was unmistakable, and matched the joy I felt being able to finally say it.
Weston’s brows nearly shot to his hairline. “Huh?” His eyes darted between us. “You two. Together. Like…a couple?”
“Yes, Weston, that’s what together means.”
He laughed. “It all makes sense now.”
Emmett frowned. “What does?”
“The bickering. You two going at it like cats and dogs. I bet the sex is”—he made an explosion gesture with his hands—“boom.”
Emmett cleared his throat, looking away. “It is boom,” I said, smirking. “Big boom.”
“Delilah,” Emmett scolded under his breath. I looked up at him, giggling, and shrugged a shoulder.
“Hell yeah.” Weston high-fived me.
Beau and Levi weren’t far behind Weston. And it wasn’t long before Colt, Brittany, Anna, and Joseph showed up too. Savannah’s house wasn’t exactly built to accommodate twelve adults and three kids, but we made it work.
“Oh my God!” Anna squealed, yanking me away from Emmett. “You two are gorgeous together!”
I couldn’t help but smile. “Thanks.”
“Seriously.” Brittany waggled her brows. “You two are hot.” She leaned in. “Colt told me something was going on with you two a few weeks ago. Guess he was with Emmett when you sent him a nude?”
I laughed, palming my forehead. “Yeah.”
“He said he didn’t say anything to Emmett, but he knew it was you.” I’d have to thank Colt for not blowing our secret before we were ready when I saw him again. He was out back with Weston while they grilled.
The noise of everyone around us blurred into the background when Emmett’s hand found mine again. His thumb traced lazy circles over my skin.
“You good, sugar?” he murmured.
“Perfect,” I said, smiling up at him. And I meant it. This was all I’d ever wanted. The man of my dreams, my friends, my career. Everything was falling into place, and for the first time in my life, I was truly content.