35. Sutton
Sutton
Quinn
You’re coming this morning right Sutton?
Jaxson
Why wouldn’t she?
Will
Isn’t everyone coming?
Noah
They better be.
Quinn
No threatening Noah.
Oli
I might be fifteen minutes late.
Knight
Is it because you just got home?
Oli
Fuck off.
But yes.
Quinn
Sutton! If you boys don’t stop, I will text Sutton on her own.
Asher
Sutton will be there.
Jaxson
Talk for her now, do you?
Me
Sorry! Was cleaning up a mess Soph made. Yes of course I will be there.
Is something wrong?
Asher
Why would you ask that?
Noah
Did you not make Asher clean up the mess?
Asher
I tried, I went to change Soph and she was already doing it.
Quinn
Nothing wrong! I just have something for you.
See you all soon!
Walking into Quinn and Knight’s place was always chaotic.
Asher and I were never the first here mostly because we had to get Sophie ready too.
Whenever we walked through the door Thor was there, barking happily.
Sophie squealed watching the dog and anyone who was here came to greet us in the entryway.
If Asher wasn’t holding her, Sophie left me the first chance she got.
Today she was wearing the Warriors FC jersey that Ash got her and she looked so freaking adorable. Jaxson was the one that grabbed her first and carried her through the house.
After hugs from everyone I moved to the kitchen to help Quinn get the rest of the snacks set up.
Oli arrived and more hugs were passed around and then the boys all settled around Sophie like she was the reason we were here.
As she crawled around, they all moved with her, joking around and talking as they kept their eyes on her.
Asher’s gaze never left her and I could tell he was focused on making sure nothing happened to her. The whole thing melted my heart.
I had found out through Quinn that Ash sent the baby proofer that had been at his house here.
When Knight found out, he was upset because he said he could do it, and I was upset because he didn’t need to do that when we were only here every other week.
Ash told me that if he didn’t, we would be hosting every Saturday.
Since I knew Quinn liked sharing the responsibility, I stopped arguing.
“So why did you ask if I would be here when I haven’t missed a Saturday in a while?” I asked as I unpacked one of the fruit platters that Noah brought. I turned to watch as she tucked an arm behind her back with a smile on her face.
“Can we go outside for a minute?” She looked excited and I couldn’t work out why. So I nodded and we slipped outside.
I looked at the property as I sat in one of the chairs. Just like Asher’s place, theirs backed onto a nature reserve. You couldn’t see another house and the noise and lights of the city didn’t reach here. I loved it.
“Everything okay?” I asked as Quinn stood in front of me, leaning her back on the railing, one arm still behind her back.
“One day you’re going to stop assuming something is wrong whenever I ask to talk to you.” Quinn smiled and handed me an envelope.
“What’s this?” I looked down at my name written in elegant script across the front.
“I sent them out yesterday but I didn’t mail yours because I wanted to explain.”
I opened it to find an invitation to the wedding of Quinn West and Theo Knight.
I smiled. “This is gorgeous.” I knew from our conversations that she was having a small wedding but she still wanted to go all out. I looked down and noticed the invitation was just addressed to me.
“We aren’t having a wedding party since it would mean having almost half the guests standing at the altar with us. Anyway, it’s a single invite.” I glanced back at her. “Asher got an invite too just because they’re pretty but he didn’t get a plus one.”
“Okay…” I wasn’t sure if she was about to tell me she didn’t like Asher and I together. That she didn’t think we were going to work out. That’s what my anxious brain was trying to convince me.
“I gave you your own so you wouldn’t think you only got invited because you’re with Ash. You are my friend and part of this group and I wanted you to really hear that.”
The anxiety in my stomach disappeared. “That’s really sweet.”
“Well, make sure you tell Ash that because he was really annoyed you weren’t just included in his.
” I smiled imagining his grumpy face at being told he couldn’t invite me himself.
“I learned that when these men let you into their group, they don’t let you out.
It doesn’t matter what happens or whether you’re with Ash or not. You’re with us now, no matter what.”
I couldn’t stand it anymore—I sprang up and gave her a hug. “Thank you for everything, Quinn,” I said as she squeezed me back.
“What is going on out here?”
Quinn and I pulled back at Knight’s voice and wiped our eyes as Asher joined him.
“Told you,” Quinn muttered and I snickered. Both men were frowning at us.
Asher didn’t wait another moment. He came toward me, cradling my face in his hands. His eyes locked on mine and I knew he wanted to hear that I was okay.
“I’m good, Ash.” I smiled as he waited a beat, looking for any signs that I was lying. He leaned in and kissed my cheek softly, taking the last tear with it, then put his arm over my shoulder, pulling me into his side.
“I told you no crying, love.”
I turned to look at Knight and Quinn. He had her pulled into his chest and she was smiling at me.
“Yeah but we both know when I agreed that it was a lie,” Quinn replied and I laughed.
“Someone going to fill me in?” Asher grunted out from beside me.
“I gave her the wedding invite,” Quinn told him.
Asher harrumphed from beside me and I could tell he wasn’t impressed. “You’re going as my date,” he demanded as he pressed a kiss to my head.
“Maybe she doesn’t want to,” Knight taunted.
“She doesn’t have to go with you if she doesn’t want to, Ash.” Quinn smiled slyly. I could feel Asher tense so I stepped out from under his arm.
“I love you, Ash.” His eyes softened at my words. “Quinn inviting me on my own was wonderful. But I’ll take any date you give me, so I’d love to go with you.”
“Thank fuck,” he muttered as he bent down and pressed a soft kiss to my lips. I smiled at his relief. It was going to take him a while to get used to me not pushing him away or trying to stop myself from leaning on him.
“Sophie is invited obviously but I didn’t think she cared about an invitation,” Quinn said as Asher pulled me back into his side.
“Oh.” I tucked my hair behind my ear. Some people didn’t want kids at their wedding, which was totally fair, and since Sophie was the only one in this circle I thought it would be a no. “Are you sure? I can have—”
“Sophie will be there. I want her with us,” Asher decided, ending the conversation.
“Yeah, plus Jane would have been devastated. She told me that she’s coming early to help me but she also mentioned she would be here to babysit for you.”
I loved this whole family so deeply. It was everything I wanted for my daughter. To have people who loved her, who vied for her attention. And I could already see how she was thriving with it all.