Afraid that I might be falling into her trap all over again, I whispered, “It must be killing you to see them together without you in the middle.”
She stepped away with her painted lips curled, and I let her go. It was for the best. I couldn’t stay away, but I couldn’t let her get too close either.
Lou’s voice broke through my thoughts, chasing away the turmoil. “You guys weren’t seriously playing rock-paper-scissors to decide who gets laid out here, were you?”
Wren scratched the back of his neck as he avoided Lou’s gaze.
Four was still glaring at Ever, waiting for a response.
“What?” he asked, feigning innocence. His voice came out high-pitched, making him seem even more guilty. Four’s lips pursed, and he grinned before pulling her back inside the gazebo.
Since I wasn’t about to let them enjoy it alone if I couldn’t, I grabbed Bee’s hand and pulled her inside along with the rest of our crew. Vaughn slyly pulled the cord holding the curtains open until we were hidden away inside. For a few seconds, we all stood around awkwardly, resigned to sharing the space. Deciding to set the mood, I pressed a few buttons on my phone before tossing it on the single long bench. “Iris” by the Goo Goo Dolls began to play, and the look in Bee’s eyes told me she remembered. It was the first song I’d played for her on my father’s guitar. I didn’t know then that I’d fall for her. I’d merely acted on instinct when I realized she was the first person I ever cared to know the real me.
If only I’d known it would send her running the other way.
“Jamie…”
I wrapped my arms around her waist and skimmed my lips over her ear. “You remember, don’t you?”
“Of course, I do.”
I shook my head as I inhaled her scent. “I should have never played that song.”
I felt her fingers clutching at my tux. “Please, don’t say that.”
“You wanted the fantasy, Bee. You didn’t want the real me.”
She pulled away enough to meet my eyes. “If you believe nothing else, Jamie, believe that you were more than a fantasy. You were a dream come true.”
The song ended, and I pulled away. For some reason, I had trouble meeting her gaze. What if I looked into her eyes and saw that she was telling the truth? What would I do then? We’d gone too far to turn back now.
I pulled away, putting some much-needed space between us. It hurt like hell when she let me go.
“One day,” I announced, needing to distract myself, “when our kids are old enough, we’re going to start our own little league.” As if I hadn’t just been slow dancing with the only girl I’d ever love, I put my hands together and swung my imaginary bat. Bee was now sitting on the stone bench next to me with her fists clenched tight in her lap and a frustrated look in her eyes.
“How many kids are you guys expecting?” Four questioned. She looked a little nervous to hear the answer. Thank God she couldn’t see the devious smirk her boyfriend wore.
“Two,” Ever answered, lying through his teeth. I had no doubt they’d make beautiful little devil babies. No way he’d stop at two.
“That’s mighty presumptuous of you,” Four said after turning to face him.
He rubbed his hand down her naked arm, and even though I was happy to see them beat the odds, I couldn’t help glancing at Bee. I wasn’t expecting to see relief in her eyes as she watched them. This just kept getting weirder and weirder.
“We both know how lonely it was as an only child,” Ever said.
Four rose on the tips of her toes, and Ever eagerly met her halfway.
“Get a room,” Lou said, disguising it as a cough into her fist.
I fucking concur.
Watching the two of them struck chords of envy within me while, at the same time, I was happy as fuck for them. They’d clawed and fought their way to this and sometimes with each other. I gazed down at Bee, and a part of me I thought had died wondered if we’d tapped out too soon.
“What about you?” Tyra asked Vaughn, breaking through my perilous thoughts. I almost laughed when I caught the hostile expression on Tyra’s angelic face.
Vaughn offered her a gentle yet shy smile. “Two.”
While I saw straight through his bullshit, Tyra nodded, obviously pleased and completely missing the devious grin he flashed over her shoulder.
Not one of us was surprised when Lou spoke for Wren and said, “Four. I like things even. Two boys, two girls.”
Wren sighed and rubbed his forehead when he should have been rescuing his balls back from her. “Baby, that’s not the way it works.”
“Well then, we’ll keep having kids until it does,” she stubbornly replied. The startled look on Wren’s face was completely fucking priceless.
“And you, Jamie?” Four asked me when the laughter died. “How many kids do you want?”
I was the one who started the fucking discussion, but the question had me digging in my pocket for my second smoke in less than an hour. Even though I’d technically quit, I kept a handful on me at all times. You know…for emergencies. Like women with their tampons. I chuckled to myself. Yeah, that sounds about right, Buchanan.
“Ten,” I finally answered while lighting up. I was pretty sure that I’d pulled that number out of my ass just because. “Each spaced a year apart. I want them to be close.” It was all I could do not to throw my head back in ecstasy on the first pull. Grinning at my captivated audience, I continued. “Besides, if I give her the chance to snap back, she’ll only worry about messing up her figure. We put in the extra effort, get them out back to back, and in ten years, boom, we’re done.”
Watching my friends struggle for words was almost as enjoyable as the nicotine flooding my system. My gaze slid to Bee, and I smirked at the defiance in her eyes. Married to my cousin or some other chump, there was no question that she’d be the one flooding the world with mini versions of me. And she fucking knew it, too.
“Jamie,” Tyra uttered. “It’s not like paying off a mortgage.”
“Of course not.” I couldn’t stop my grin when I felt Bee’s gaze boring into me. “Making babies is a lot more fun than paying off a mortgage. And in case you haven’t realized, Ty-baby, I’m rich as fuck.”
Okay, I realized I was beginning to sound like a douchebag, but I couldn’t help myself. Put a big red button in my face, and I’m pushing the motherfucker.
Ha…maybe that’s why I’m such a great lay.
Collectively, their sympathetic gazes traveled to Bee—as if they also knew she’d be the one.
“How do you know the mother of your children will even be skinny?” Lou argued with a tilt of her head. “When you saw a picture of Eliza, you couldn’t stop drooling, and she’d never be caught dead wearing a double zero.”
I’d been flicking ash on the ground, so my gaze slowly lifted and zeroed in on Bee. Just in case anyone still had their doubts. “Because I know.” Although I’d staked my claim, there was still a part of me resisting the urge to give in. “If Eliza is interested, tell her to give me a call,” I added while holding Bee’s gaze. “A lot of powerful men have outside children.”