"I will and thank you again for everything." I release him in time to catch Reese giving Emerson an odd look. "What?"
Reese shakes her head. "I probably shouldn't say anything, but you do realize who did all of this, don't you?"
"No. I assumed One, since we're cousins." My eyes dart around the room, but no one meets them except for Reese. "Looks like you drew the short straw."
"Ridge," she pauses. "he made all the calls, got the entire house ready, and hired the extra security detail."
"When he himself isn't the one outside standing guard." Emerson blushes.
My head bounces from person to person. "Hang on a second..." I spin around, glaring at Aksel. "you!"
"I didn't do nothin' but what I was told to do. Dad, Em, someone explain this to her." Aksel exclaims.
The room spins on its own this time, I'm seriously losing it. "Dad? Who are you calling Dad?"
"Me," One puts his arm around my shoulder. "this is my oldest son, Lea had three when we married. She was a young mother, and I'm thrilled to call them mine."
I elbow him. "I bet you were! This is all you've ever wanted, a big family."
"I'm excited for you to meet Lea, she's amazing." One practically preens.
"I've missed so much." My chest aches. "I hate that I did."
Aksel chuckles. "I think we should wait to tell her about the three little ones."
"Who has three little ones?" My eyes widen.
"Again, we have a lot to talk about." One kisses my temple before turning to the door. "I'll call you as soon as we know something more. Try to get some rest."
Reese stops with a proffered hand. "It was good to meet you, I'm here for anything."
"You too and thank you." I take her hand. "We need to have a girls day; I'd love to know how Walker and Riley are doing."
"Ava keeps Riley in line, and we have twins, enough said." She giggles when I stand with my mouth wide open. I close long enough to declare shock.
"Riley and Ava finally got together? Wow. I'm so out of the loop."
Emerson snakes her arm around my waist. "I told you, a girl's night would fix this quickly."
"That's a date, I'll rally the troops." Reese leans in, hugging me. "We're stronger, together."
By the time everyone leaves, I'm more than tired. I also need some time to let everything sink in; Weston has caused more problems than I ever could've imagined. I walk into the master bedroom and straight into the closet.
One thing I learned while with Weston was to compartmentalize everything. There's a time and place for every single thing in life and I'm good at putting it away.
In the back corner, I find peace and solace. I've hidden away like this for years, staying far away from Weston and his flying fists. Here, in the deepest part and the darkest recesses, I can go and lose myself.
"Hey!" Mack waves as I walk in the back door. "Just a heads up, I have an appointment tomorrow. You'll need to open."
I traipse over to her, kissing her on the cheek and then kissing my baby by another. "Mornin,' love and lil' dude."
"One of these days, someone is gonna think my kids are yours." Her belly bounces as she giggles.
"Too late!" I shrug. "Let me know if I need to drop Rumor off."
Her eyes light up. "Could you? I'd love you forever."
"Again, you're too late because you already do."
She bumps my shoulder with hers. "Awe, I take back all those things I said about you and those hoochies."
"You do not." I side eye her, getting her to reward me with a pinched ass. "Owe! Brat."
"Smartass." Her brow cocks as if she's a badass. Well, she kind of is. "How's the future wifey?"
I shake my head. "Don't do that, she's far from it. I hope she's gonna be okay, but right now, she's rough."
"I couldn't imagine. Ya know, she never liked me." Mack wrinkles her nose. It's been a few weeks since Harper came home, but I have yet to venture over and start a conversation with her.
I double take at her. "Why would you say something like that?"
"Probably because it's true." Maisyn cackles when Mack flips her off. "What? It's true!"
"I have absolutely no doubt, but you don't have to revel in it." Mack's snarky, I think its pregnancy hormones. It's so unlike her.
Maisyn tries to hug her, but Mack pushes her off. "Oh, c'mon! She was in love with Ridge, and you ran off with him. Pregnant at that!"
"What am I missing here?" I freeze, trying to understand what's being implied.
Maisyn looks from me to Mack and back. "Does he not know? How does he not know? Do you not know? How can you not know?"
"Does he look as though he knows? No, he's a man, and she never hit him over the head with it or a tit! So, no. He does not know, Maisyn." Mack grumbles.
Maisyn's eyes grow wide as she lays her hand on the base of her neck. "Oh, my. We are preggars today! Somebody throw her a bag of candy or fried pickles or better yet, call her ole man to come deal with this honorary cuss. Shew!"
"Maisyn!" Mack and I yell in unison.
She jumps, cackling again. "I'm positive everyone knew but yeah, Harper was like... so in love with you in high school. When you went with Mack when she got pregnant and moved, Harper was crushed by all the rumors. It devastated her."
"Are you saying everyone knew we were in love in high school?" I shake my head; she's lost her mind.
"You're a weirdo when you're in denial but yes, she was hot under the hood for ya and there was no doubt, you wanted to use your dipstick on her." Maisyn crosses her arms as Mack snorts and ducks behind her.
"Since when do you snort?" I glare at them. "I can still see your bump!"
Mack straightens up as best she can, holding her belly. "I need to pee, I can't with this anymore."
"Neither of you get it, do you?" Mack stops near me when my voice cracks. "I let her leave with him because I thought it was for the best, that's why I never tried to stop her." I jerk my hat off, hurling it across the room. "Fuck this!"
"Honestly, I didn't know it was a secret. Besides, as long as you two were happy, nothing else should've mattered." Maisyn's brows pull low over her eyes.
"You were so concerned about her parents; I couldn't tell you." Mack kisses my cheek.
I run my hand over my face. "I get it, I do. I held us back. I was afraid of her parents and everyone else, passing judgment, I never gave us a chance. I wanted us to go to college and make something of ourselves, so we could be together. I wanted to prove I was good enough for her."
"You were always good enough for her, it was you that had something to prove. I was also a tad bit busy and didn't point that fact out. I still need to pee." Mack snickers.
"Go pee!" Maisyn laughs when we say it in unison.
Mack wobbles toward the office, yelling over her shoulder. "Don't say anything good until I get back! If I'm not back in a few, I'm stuck! Come, save me!"