26. Parker
Chapter twenty-six
Parker
T he next morning, Chloe and I wake up together, and it’s the sweetest experience. She’s still snuggled in my arm, and when I look down at her, my heart hammers in my chest. It feels so full, I think it might explode.
I run my fingers through her hair, and she blinks her eyes open before turning her gaze up to me with a sleepy smile. “Good morning.”
“Good morning,” I reply. “How’d you sleep?”
“Fantastic,” she answers with a chuckle. “You wore me out last night. I slept like a rock.”
I chuckle and wink down at her. “I hope I wasn’t too rough with you.”
“Not at all,” she purrs before leaning up and pressing her lips against mine.
We share a languid kiss, and just when I’m ready to escalate things, she pulls away from me with a teasing grin.
“We should go downstairs,” she says. “I’m sure Lauren is awake. I don’t want to traumatize her.”
I groan in protest, but she’s already wiggling out of my arms and climbing out of bed.
“Fine.” I sigh, getting up as well. “But as soon as we’re alone again, I’m pouncing on you.”
“Good,” she tells me, shooting me a smirk over her shoulder. “I wouldn’t expect anything else.”
We quickly get dressed, and I grab her hand as we leave the bedroom together.
Lauren is, indeed, waiting for us in the kitchen when we get downstairs, perched on a stool by the island with her hands wrapped around a steaming mug of coffee. The early morning light streams through the windows, casting a warm glow over the room. She looks up as Chloe and I enter, hand in hand.
“Big day yesterday,” Lauren observes, her keen eyes watching us as we shuffle into the kitchen.
Chloe’s cheeks turn a soft shade of pink, her eyes darting away to avoid Lauren’s direct gaze. I, on the other hand, meet Lauren’s eyes with a look of irritation as I clench my jaw. One thing about Lauren, you can always count on her to get straight to the point.
“I don’t really want to talk about yesterday,” I say in a firm tone.
Lauren arches a brow. “Okay, we don’t have to talk about Bethany, but maybe we should talk about you hooking up with my best friend behind my back.”
The tension in the air is thick, and Chloe glances between the two of us before clearing her throat. “I’ll just go shower.” Before she leaves, she gives my hand a quick squeeze.
As soon as she disappears from view, Lauren narrows her eyes at me. She’s clearly pissed with me.
“Parker,” she begins, setting her mug down, “we need to talk.”
“Do we?” I retort, folding my arms across my chest, feeling defensive. If she thinks, for one second, that I’m going to stop seeing Chloe, she has another thing coming. “Seems like you’ve already made up your mind about everything.”
Lauren rolls her eyes as she stands up and moves around the island to stand in front of me. “Don’t be an asshole. I’m not going to try and break you two up, but did you really think you could hide this from me forever? Kind of a shitty thing to do, don’t you think?”
I feel a mix of frustration and guilt flickering inside me. “Look, it was just supposed to be a casual thing and not a big deal. But then, things escalated...”
Lauren crosses her arms, mirroring my stance. “They sure the hell did! Now Chloe’s pregnant. What do you intend to do? You can’t think that everything is going to stay casual now.”
“No,” I assure her. “I don’t think that at all.”
“Okay.” Lauren nods, but her eyes are still narrowed. “So, what are you going to do?”
I blink and frown. “Are you asking me what my intentions are with Chloe?”
“Yes,” she states in a no-nonsense tone. “That is exactly what I’m asking.”
A small smile tugs at the corners of my mouth. I can’t help myself. I’m glad Chloe has such a supportive friend who’s looking out for her, even if that person is my annoying baby sister.
“Lauren, I love Chloe,” I confess. “I want to be with her. I want to raise our baby together and be a family.”
Lauren’s face instantly brightens, and she releases a long sigh of relief. “Good. I want you both to be happy, and if that’s with each other, then I’m on board with you two being together, even if it makes me a little queasy when I think about it too much.”
I chuckle. “Well, I appreciate that, and I know Chloe will, too.”
“But,” Lauren adds, her tone turning more serious, “I am upset that you kept this from me. We’re family, and since the rest of our family is so screwed up, you and I need to stick together. We’re supposed to share these things, not hide them. Promise me you won’t do that again.”
I nod and place my hand over my heart. “I promise.”
With a laugh, Lauren throws herself at me and hugs me tightly, and I feel a weight lift from my chest. “Good. Now, let’s talk about what we’re going to do next. Have you thought about telling Mom and Dad?”
I grimace. “Not yet. After everything with Bethany, I’m not really sure how to approach it. I don’t want such good news to be tainted by what’s happened.”
“Well,” Lauren says, pulling back and giving me a reassuring smile, “we’ll figure it out together. One step at a time. And Parker?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m really happy for you,” Lauren says, her eyes shining with genuine joy. “You and Chloe are going to be amazing parents.”
My smile widens, and the tension in my body finally melts away. “Thanks, Lauren. That means everything.”
A sense of calm settles over the kitchen. The road ahead will be challenging, but with family by our side, I know Chloe and I can face anything.