Page 36 of All That Lies Ahead
CHASE
Once everything blew over with Willow, Emily went right back into excitement mode over the baby, and despite Addison’s reluctance, insisted she needed a baby shower.
Addison should have known there was no telling Emily no, even if she acted as though she let it go. But with so little to occupy her mind lately, I could tell she needed this. It was one thing she could do and plan from the comfort of her bed. I certainly wasn’t going to stand in her way, even if that meant driving an hour for “the perfect decorations that Addison just has to have at her baby shower.” Because “Don’t you think Addison deserves the best, Chase?”
I do, which is why I took an extended lunch break just to make the drive in secret. And it’s also why I’ve spent the past two weeks being Emily’s personal errand boy. I wouldn’t admit it to her face, but I’ve been happy to handle all the physical details, no matter how ridiculous they seemed at the time. Like having to cancel not one, not two, but three flower orders until Emily finally found the right fit.
In the end, she promised everything would be perfect, but for some reason, I still have nerves racing through me as I drive Addison to my parents’ house.
“You okay?” she asks. “You’re acting really weird.” Her smile is small, tipped up in just one corner, and her brow is wrinkled in confusion. She’s adorable.
“No, I’m not,” I respond, adjusting in my seat.
“Yes, you are.”
“No. You are.”
“Oh, are you rubber too?” She laughs.
“Huh?” I ask, looking to my left before turning right down my parents’ street.
“I’m rubber, you’re glue...?” She throws her hands into the air when I give her a blank look. “You know what? Never mind.”
I send her a sheepish grin and turn back to the road. Luckily, our drive is quick, and I don’t have to spend long assuring her that everything is fine. I usher her up the front steps, then swing the front door open and step out of the way.
“Surprise!” screeches Willow, jumping out from behind thecouch where Emily is sitting.
My parents and Indira hurry into the room, my mother chastising me for not texting when we arrived like I promised I would. Oops.
Once Addison’s shock wears off, she puts on the biggest smile I think I’ve ever seen on her face. When she sends it my way, I don’t have any choice but to pull her to me and place my lips on hers. She giggles against me, and suddenly, all the mundane planning and meticulous details were well worth the effort.
When we pull apart, my parents are there, my mother leaning in to hug Addison and my dad patting me on the back with a proud look on his face.
“’Bout time you showed up,” my father says, thumbing behind his shoulder. “She’s been hiding behind that couch for forty minutes now.”
“Because it was a surprise!” Willow laughs, bouncing up and down. I wrap my arms around her and kiss the top of her head before she runs off.
“She’s had a lot of lemonade,” my mother whispers to me before turning to my much prettier half. “Oh, Addison, you look so beautiful!”
“Thank you, Janice. I can’t believe you did all this!”
Before we walked in, I wouldn’t have thought it was possible for Addison to be any more wonderful in my eyes. But seeing her with my mother, tears wetting her eyes, nothing but gratitude and love between them, I’m struck again by how damn much this woman means to me.
“Nope, it wasn’t us,” my mother replies. “This was all Emily and Chase.”
Addison’s jaw drops for just a second before she rights that gorgeous grin back on her face. She plants a kiss to my cheek and a whispered, “Thank you” to my ear before excusing herself and walking over to the couch to Emily and Willow. I stand there for a few minutes, watching the three of them talking and laughing like it hasn’t been just a few hours since they’ve seen one another.
After a bit, I head into the kitchen, where Indira is finishing up plating a plethora of treats. The kitchen island is dressed up in a shimmery white tablecloth, the flower arrangements Emily lost sleep over, and little plates piled high with desserts.
“You did great with this menu, Chase, but couldn’t you have, I dunno, narrowed it down by a few items?” Indira laughs and comes in for a hug, being careful not to touch me with the bag of icing she’s using to top some cupcakes.
“I’m not good under pressure.” I grab a cucumber off the veggie tray and dip it into the bowl in the middle of the group. “Hey, I thought we could have a little get together at our place tonight. I mean, I know that’s not much different than what we’re doing today. Just thought it would be nice for Addison to have you and Drake and Olivia all hanging out together. Kind of a blending of her two worlds.”
Indira smiles at me. “That’s really thoughtful, Chase. I’d love to.”
Before I can steal any of the other goodies, there’s a loud knock on my parents’ door. Not just any knock, either, but the specialized knock Drake insisted was necessary when he showed up to the party. I look over at Addison and snort at her confusion.
“Drake,” I tell her, grabbing her hand and pulling her to the door with me. Before I open it, I rest my back against the hard wood and pin her with a smile. “I feel like something’s missing,” I say, tapping my chin.