Page 111 of Finding Fate
“Okay fine,” I whine, turning around. “I’m a sucky friend. I forgot. I’m shit at birthdays. I only remember mine and Maddox’s because they’re holidays. Mine is Halloween and his is New Year’s Day. Madden, well, that’s my son. I pushed him out of my vagina. I should remember something so horrific. As an apology, I’ll do your little reveal thing and then we’re even. Got it?”
He reaches in his back pocket and pulls out an envelope, putting it on the bar, and then he slides it over to me. I pick it up and hold it to the light, but I don’t see anything. The things I do for my friends.
“You know, it’s funny you say twin. You could probably pass as my dad’s kid.” I mull over that for a moment before my Grinch grin comes out. “Are you coming to Greece for the wedding?”
“Yes. I’m not missing either of you get married and I’m almost positive Presley and Sayler are more excited than you. They’re planning an entire vacation out of it, as in Sayler has already roped her parents into babysitting and Presley mine. All they’re waiting for is you to set a date.”
“It’d be so much fun to play with my grandfather and get back at my dad in a way that doesn’t cause him physical harm. My grandfather hates dirty secrets and extramarital affairs. It’s why he hates my mother. They’re all about image and reputation. My dad hates to look bad, in front of my grandfather especially. Impregnating two women at once would definitely stir the pot.”
“There is one little problem with your plan.”
I sip on my cocoa. “What?”
“Your dad has already seen me. Don’t you think it’d throw up a red flag for lies if your roommate suddenly is your brother from a dirty affair?”
“Yeah, but my grandfather hasn’t seen you. My dad would know it was fake if you showed up claiming to be his son. He never cheated on my mom. My grandfather, however, isn’t so levelheaded and slow to act. He’ll blow up and tear my dad a new asshole before he can even deny it. They’ll both get pissed at me. It’ll be great. Next time they’ll think before keeping massive secrets from me for years . . . like the fact they had my son this entire time! My life wouldn’t have been so hellacious had I known he was with my family until I was older. Even not having him, I could have still dealt with it.”
He shakes his head and grins. “I should have known you’d be a terrorizing troublemaker when you were smoking weed out in the open at a high-class party and lying about your last name to avoid me finding out you were secretly a rich kid like the rest of us.”
“Yeah, yeah. Whatever.” I wave the envelope. “What exactly do you want me to do with this?”
A large body takes up my peripheral vision and my heart starts to race. That feeling will never get old. I don’t look to see who it is. I don’t need to. “Maddox.”
“I will never like this.”
Me and Konnor smile at each other at the same time. Oh, but I do. And teasing him about it won’t ever get old either. I lose the smile. “Konnor here was just asking if we’d swing with him and Presley. Apparently that’s the new thing among friends.”You bitch,he mouths, trying to stop smiling and failing. I glance at Maddox. If looks could kill I’d be dead already. “What do you think? Wanna do it?”
“I think some motherfucker is about to be buried in the Rockies, band mate be damned.”
My grin spreads so wide my cheeks hurt, and I throw back at him a phrase from earlier. “I’m just kidding, baby.”
“You vengeful bitch. The second you walk into that bedroom I’m going to hurt you. Watch your back.”
I wriggle my eyebrows. “Oh, angry Maddox sex. Fun times. Promise?”
“On everything I own.”
“Still wanna marry me?”
“Fuck yes.”
“You know, now that you two are together, I can’t un-see you together. It’s weird,” Konnor says. “So, why don’t you do this shit together too. Pretty sure Presley bought everything under the sun that you can buy because we have to video it for family and social media. She didn’t know what she wanted to do. Between you two obsessed, possessive goofballs it’s bound to be fun. The arsenal of tools is in the duffle bag in the back of the SUV.”
I turn off the stovetop, getting excited. “What are we doing?” Maddox asks as me and Konnor pass him at the same time to walk through the oversized doorway.
“Gender reveal practice,” I tell him, just before he shoves Konnor forward ahead of me.
He gains his footing and turns around, bowing his chest out. “What the fuck was that for, Maddox?”
Can’t say I blame him. That was dirty. I glance back at Maddox. “Why did you do that? I told you I was joking about earlier. Do you seriously think he’d ask that? Cut the bullshit.”
“No way in fuck are you two kissing again. I’m not going down that road,” he says, looking between us.
I glance at Konnor, the confusion on both of our faces. I’m even getting pissed at this point. “What the hell are you talking about, Maddox?”
“That’s my bad!” Sayler shouts from where she’s sitting against the arm of the couch staring at us with her feet laid across it under a blanket, her hand on her very pregnant belly as the flames of the fireplace flicker. Riggan is already walking over here, shaking his head.
He passes Konnor, and then stops right before stepping into the doorway, facing Maddox, and reaches up to grab something. I glance up as he jerks the mistletoe from where it’s hanging and throws it at Maddox.Oh . . .“Would you chill the fuck out? It was a honeymoon thing. There is one in every doorway if you’d like to walk around taking them down. But it’s also a Christmas thing, jackass. Sayler likes Christmas traditions. No one has to participate that doesn’t want to just because it’s there. Every fucking girl here is knocked up ‘cause we can’t keep our dicks out of them. You and me both know Landon sure as hell isn’t interested in anyone here. Konnor is married for Christ’s sake.”