“That’s nice. Thank you, Aiden.”
“Anytime,” he says happily as he waves her off. “I’m gonna go—”
“Do you have dinner plans?”
Aiden blinks and tries to look at me, but my mom has him in her gaze. “Um… No, ma’am. A Hot Pocket and Netflix was my plan.”
“Well, come on in. Grace has plenty of food, and Ryan is here, along with his beautiful wife, Sofia, as well as Amelia and her fiancé. Oh, and Shea. It’s gonna be a great time.”
He swallows visibly. “Um, are you sure? I don’t want to intrude.”
“Nonsense! Come on.”
“Okay,” he says, and my eyes are as big as saucers as he shuts off his car and then locks the door.
She waits for him to come to her before she wraps her arm around his bicep, being careful with the cake stand in her other hand. “I thought Shelli would have brought her boyfriend. Do you know him? I haven’t gotten the pleasure yet.”
“Uh—”
“He’s busy tonight,” I say quickly, falling into step with them. “Plus, I forgot I was coming.”
“Oh, well, true,” Mom says simply as we head up the walkway of my aunt’s humongous house. It was massive before my uncle passed, but since then, she keeps adding on to it. I don’t know why she needs all these rooms, but she is happy, which is all that matters. “How does he feel about you spending time with these adorable men? I’m surprised he lets you hang out with Aiden here.”
Aiden lets out a nervous laugh, and I scoff. “Lets? I do what I want.”
“That’s the damn truth,” Aiden says then, and Mom gives him a look, her eyes narrowed. “I just mean, she’s very bossy and does what she wants,” he says quickly, and I roll my eyes.
“You’re right on that one,” she says, letting him go and heading inside.
I smack him on the arm. “I’m not bossy!”
He rolls his eyes. “You legit made me unpack all my dishes into the dishwasher before we could go to lunch. You’re bossy.” He then leans in, his lips by my ear. “But don’t worry… It turns me on.”
When he leans away, I fight back the grin that wants to show. “This is not good.”
He shakes his head. “It’s fine. We’ll eat and go.”
“Seriously, they can’t find out we’re together. Not when Amelia is telling everyone she’s pregnant.”
He moves my hair off my shoulders. “Shell, no one will know. I can resist you. It’s not hard.” I glare as he flashes me a huge grin before he holds his hand out toward the house. “Go on, I like watching that ass of yours.”
“And grab it, I’m sure.”
“No one is around,” he teases as I step in front of him, shaking my head.
When he shuts the door behind us, I look up to see my stunning cousin coming toward me. She’s always been super lean from being a hardcore gymnast, and anyone else might not notice, but I can see the bump that shows when her dress pulls against it. My eyes light up as we embrace, and I feel this sense of completion. She’s always been my very best friend.
“I’ve missed you,” she whispers, and I hug her tightly, feeling her little bump against my own stomach. My siblings are scattered around the living room. The boys are on the couch, playing on their Nintendo Switch, while Posey has a book on her legs, reading. I’m not sure how long everyone has been here, but it doesn’t matter. I have missed Amelia.
“I can’t believe you’re showing,” I say so no one hears us.
“I know! It’s insane. No one has said anything yet,” she says in my ear.
“No one can tell but me.”
“You brought Aiden?”
“No, Mom invited him in when he dropped me off.”
“Do they always hug like that?” I hear Aiden ask, and my mom laughs.
“Yes. We ignore them. Come on in here. Shea is in the kitchen being all scary dad-ish on poor Chandler. Have you met Chandler?”
Amelia and I don’t move. “Do they know?”
“Nope, and they won’t know. Not until after the season is over, according to him.” I kiss her cheek. “But he’s terrified of Dad, so let me go be there.”
She kisses me back. “I’m terrified to tell them.”
“Don’t be. It’s gonna be awesome!”
I pat her belly sweetly and then head to the kitchen where my dad is standing in the middle of Aiden and Ryan.
“I don’t like that guy—or his friend.”
Aiden looks up just as I do. “Friend?” he asks, and my dad nods, his face scrunched up as if he smells something awful.
“Yeah, Nico Merryweather. Full of himself, that kid is.”
Aiden looks back at me, but I’m currently not breathing.
What the hell is Nico doing here?
Ryan, my older cousin, shakes his head. “Chandler is awesome, but the jury is still out on Nico.”