Page 87 of Let Me Love You
“And I knew you guys got along since I saw it firsthand all the time, so I guessed you’d at least hook up at some point,” Colt adds.
“AndIhad a feeling he was gonna marry you one day,” Knox yells from the FaceTime call. “And I won. So pay up, brothers. I’ll take Venmo or PayPal.”
“Hold up,” I interrupt. “Are you all honestly telling me you made a bet about whether or not Theo and I would end up together?”
“Duh,” Knox snarks.
“It’s exactly what we’re saying,” Colt confirms.
With a pointed look at Colt, I demand, “So, if you lost, why are you grinning like a lunatic?”
“Because my best friend’s marrying my little sister, and I’m happy for you guys.”
“He also tried to change his bet, but we wouldn’t let him,” Knox says.
“You guys are ridiculous,” I decide. “You know that, right?”
“Yeah, we know,” Garret replies. “We also bet on which one of us would wind up getting a girl pregnant first, but the jury’s still out on that one, right?” He pins Colt with an amused smirk, and Colt flips him off in return as Ash’s spine straightens in his lap.
“We’re not discussing potential grandbabies right now,” Mom announces. She stands up from the flower chair and walks toward me, her hand outstretched. When she’s within reach, she tugs my left hand into hers and examines the green emerald, her expression unreadable.
And it’s scary.
Waiting with bated breath as to whether or not I’m gonna be yelled at. I doubt she’d yell at me. The woman rarely raises her voice in general, but still. She has the power to make or break this moment. To make it happy and exciting or downright dreadful. I bite my bottom lip, my hands growing sweaty as Theo tangles his fingers through my messy waves and softly massages the back of my neck.
But still, Mommy Dearest doesn’t utter a single word. She simply stares at the ring, running her index finger along it carefully.
“So?” I whisper, practically drowning in the silence. “What do you think?”
“Oh, honey.” Mom’s gaze flicks to mine. Her eyes are gleaming with unshed tears. “I’m so happy for you.”
Relief spreads like wildfire from my chest to the top of my head and down to my toes. With a grin, I murmur, “Thanks, Mom.”
She smacks Theo’s chest with her opposite hand. “You know, I would’ve appreciated it if you’d asked me first!”
“Always ask forgiveness, not permission, Mama Thorne. You know that.”
Dabbing beneath her eyes with her forefingers, she laughs, “Har, har. All right. Now, who wants cake?”
I perk up. “Cake?”
“Ignore the blue frosting and Colt and Ash’s names. I didn’t know you were the one making an announcement, but”—she grabs my hand and pulls me to my feet—“I seriously couldn’t be happier for both of you. Even if you are too young.” Her mouth lifts wryly. “Come on. Let’s talk wedding dates.”
31
ASHLYN
He’s with her. Eleanor.
And I shouldn’t be freaking out, but I am. Eleanor wants to talk about Colt’s expectations with Jaxon. I asked why she couldn’t wait until the results were in. Apparently, she wants to get their potential ducks in a row in case they don’t receive the paternity results prior to the hockey season officially starting, when Colt will be distracted by his new career. She has a point. Besides, Colt wants to ask if she’s heard an update from Ali because the waiting and what-if games are killing both of us.
Before he left, Colt asked if I wanted to tag along, but I declined. Not because I didn’t want to or because I’m rolling over and playing the martyr, as Mia so eloquently pointed out a few days ago. It’s because if I were Eleanor, I’d want one-on-one time with the father of my child without his girlfriend hanging around and listening to the whole thing.
They need a chance to discuss their plan and how everyone should move forward. She also needs a safe space to express her concerns about my involvement in her son’s life. While I’ve chosen Colt, and we’ve decided we want to treat Jaxon like he belongs to both of us, technically, I’m not related to Jaxon. And if I was his birth mom, I’d want a say in who’s allowed to be around my son. She should have a say too.
It doesn’t mean I don’t feel like puking, though.
I’m scared to come between Eleanor and Colt, even in a platonic way. Mia was right. I’m a wallflower. I don’t do drama. I don’t do chaos. And sticking around and staying with Colt will likely bring all of it. It doesn’t matter how determined I am to stay. If Eleanor doesn’t want me involved in her little boy’s life, it will complicate things for Colt. I don’t want to make things more complicated for him, but if I’m going to stay, we’re a package deal. And I can only hope Eleanor doesn’t hate me because of it.