Infamous Like Us (Like Us 10)

Beckett just nods.

Having a baby won’t catapult me out of Beckett and Luna’s friendship circle, right? We’ll all stay just as close? We can still eavesdrop on Maximoff and Jane when they’re doing their couples thing at the penthouse, and we can stay up late eating s’mores and gummy worms.

Nothing will change between us.

Everything will change.

Am I making a mistake?

“SULLI!” Frankie shouts across the third floor.

Beckett and Maximoff turn their heads. We all see the platinum-blonde swimmer waving dramatically near the rowing machines.

Athletes start to gawk in my direction. Some even pull down their headphones.

Ugh fuck.

I want to shrink into myself or hide behind my bodyguard. But Kits and Banks aren’t here, and I barely know my temp guard Keagan. Not well enough to use him as a human shield.

Frankie calls out to me, “Pump that iron, superstar!”

“Get it, girl!” I shout back our encouragements, but with less fucking enthusiasm and more holy shit tension in my face. Feels like everyone is staring. A Canadian athlete snaps photos of me and my cousins from his weight bench.

He captures Beckett’s disgruntled face and black leather jacket coolness. I avoid staring into the lens of his camera phone.

Ignore.

Ignore.

I try to block it all out like Maximoff and Jane are always able to do. “That’s Frankie,” I tell them.

No one is shocked.

Not only have I talked about Frankie a ton, but she’s been deemed the “biggest threat” to my chance at gold. Press won’t shut up about it. But I’d rather them talk about that swim rivalry than the flagbearer drama.

Maximoff cracks a couple knuckles, then focuses back on me. “You want to tell Jane about you-know-what?”

Jane’s absence at the gym is felt, but it’s not like I disinvited her. She’s been busy shopping for Olympic souvenirs with the girl squad today.

“Not particularly,” I admit, feeling like shit though. I should want to embrace Jane. “I just don’t want to be compared to Jane.”

Beckett’s eyes soften. “You won’t be compared to my sister. At least not by me.”

“She’s pregnant, though, Beckett.”

“Isn’t that a bigger reason to see her?” Maximoff asks with furrowed brows. “Talk to her?”

“She was trying to have a baby, Moffy. And everyone was so happy for Jane. No one’s going to be that happy for me—and I just…” I intake a breath. “I don’t want to see a very pregnant Jane right now.” I withhold my prickly feelings towards her husband. I wouldn’t put that on Jane.

“We are happy for you, Sul,” Moffy says strongly. “You can do this. You can do anything. You’re a kickass human being, and I believe in you.” He’s said something similar when we were younger. When I thought I broke my ankle on a hike and he carried me through the desert.

Ever since I confirmed my relationship in the treehouse, Maximoff Hale has been the strongest force of nature against anyone who’s against me, Akara, and Banks. He’s vouched for us on a late-night talk show when they sprung a question on him.

He’s advocated polyamorous relationships on his social media.

He’s punched a heckler. (Farrow had to restrain him.)

He’s condemned everyone who said I couldn’t make it. Who said my love would fail. He has so much hope in my poly romance.

In me.

I see inside his tough green eyes that he is so unconditionally happy for me. Enough that he stands up, comes over, and wraps his arms around me.

I hold on tight. “I love you, Mof.”

“I love you too, Sul.”

Tears prick my eyes, and when we pull apart, I see two men barreling towards me like their feet are on fire. One beefcake.

One dreamboat.

One very anxious me. “Oh fuck.” Here we go, part two. Letter in hand, I step off the stair climber.

They pause briefly at the cluster of temp guards, who remain out of earshot. Akara speaks to them for point-one seconds before keeping pace.

Their destination is me.

Partly, I’m fucking excited to see them. My lips tic into a smile, then flatline like my pulse. Fuck, am I even breathing?

You can do this.

You’re a kickass human being.

“We’ll be in the stands cheering you on, hot shot,” Beckett says, suddenly right in front of me. “See you tomorrow.” I’m on automatic, hugging him while my mind is on my boyfriends. He seems to notice and smiles when we pull back. “You won’t choke.” At first, I think he’s referring to my swim events, but then he says, “They love you. You can’t mess this up.”

He knows I’m freaking about the pregnancy announcement.

“Thanks, Beckett.” He squeezes my hand before he exits.

Maximoff picks up Ripley, and he gives me another side-hug. Baby Ripley buries his face into his dad’s chest, hiding from me.

Let’s just hope Banks and Akara don’t have similar reactions.

In a flash, Moffy and Beckett are gone, and my boyfriends have arrived—and it suddenly dawns on me. They’re delivering our food.