I cocked my head to the side. "Do I want to hear the rest of this story?"
Hollister beamed and shook his head. "Probably not…actually, definitely not. I was very convincin—"
I kissed him. It was rude. He'd been talking, but he kissed me back, proving he'd mostly been teasing. If I had to live in a fantasy world to keep believing that, then I would.
Besides, I had a dinner to plan for.
Chapter Eight
Hollister
My stomach would not stop flip-flopping. Later, in the evening, Aver and I were supposed to go to his parents' house. I didn't know what they were serving, but I knew what Aver would be doing, and I was as scared as I was excited for him.
I wasn't scared about what his parents would think because fuck that. I did hope Aver could let any negative opinions roll off his back just as easily. Mostly, it was the unknown that had me full of nerves.
That was why, earlier, I'd been drawn to the happy sounds and playful laughing outside.
Aver was in the home office a few rooms over, trying to get a handle on all the projects that had marched on in his absence. I was glad that at least he could work more easily now that all the cats had been dumped from their respective bags. He was glad too, though he wouldn't say as much.
Mostly, Aver wanted some alone time in Lawrence, and I did too, but he'd let the projects in his life slide to pay attention to me, and I wouldn't let that keep happening.
I wasn't sure where anyone else was, and though I'd only ever been welcomed in this home, I still tiptoed from Aver's bedroom to the glass doors in the kitchen.
The laughter was louder now, but I still couldn't see where it was coming from. Water splashed as a baby laughed. I crept over the patio stones around the house toward the sound, though I could have stomped and still not have been heard.
I peeked around the corner.
Riley, Phineas, and Kansas were in the hot tub. The jets were off, and the water must have been cool because they had the children as well. Madison stood with her chubby fingers gripped to the edge of the tub as she babbled at Mr. Boots. If the cat wasn't careful, he was going to get a bath. Bran stood next to her holding a plastic book.
The moment after Mr. Boots ran away—finally wising up to the dangerous position he'd been in—Madison made a swipe for Bran's book, prompting the other child to yank it out of reach. The book slipped from his fingers and fell with a splash behind his head.
Riley ducked beneath the water, emerging almost immediately with the book. "How about I read it to you both?" he suggested.
Patrick crawled out of his father's arms to stand with the other children for story time, and Kansas angled Calvin so he could see too.
This sun shone overhead, though they were saved from direct light by a cleverly placed table umbrella. Each of them were smiling, and the children were—for the most part—happy. The seven of them painted such a beautiful picture. Although I wanted to turn the corner and ask to join in on the fun, I worried I'd be stepping in on a moment that wasn't actually mine. I didn't have any kids. Aver and I hadn't talked more about the possibility of me becoming pregnant after I'd made the decision to stay. We hadn't had sex without protection yet, though, so I assumed he wasn't ready.
"Come on." Aver grabbed my hand.
I jumped, feeling like I'd been caught doing something I shouldn't. He tugged me inside and through the kitchen while my heart pounded.
Aver was simply so perfect. I kept waiting for the other shoe to drop. For him to get angry and lash out.
He stopped suddenly in the hallway and turned around, backing me into the wall. With his fingers spread, he placed his palm against my heart. "Why is this pounding, pet?"
"I'm sorry I was snooping."
He frowned. "You weren't snooping. You're my mate. You belong here as much as anyone else."
I beamed. We'd talked about it, but hearing him say it released a heavy worry I'd carried for a few days. When he'd told me that mates were chosen, I figured he was saying it wasn't something he chose for us. He'd said I was his everything, but I still hadn't believed that meant he wanted us to have labels.
That was another thing I wasn't normally so hung up on—what people called each other. Why did titles matter if everyone was having fun and knew the score? But with Aver, it mattered.
Aver had his eyes on me while I thought through my concerns. His eyes tilted, and he leaned in, kissing me sweetly. "I screwed up again, didn't I?"
"No, no, it's fine."
"If you don't know with confidence that your place is with and beside me, then it isn't fine. I keep trying to soften aspects of our lives, but every time I do, it blows up in my face. For good reason, too. I won't shield you from what you mean to me anymore. When I do, it has the opposite effect."
I'd been staring at the button of his shirt when Aver angled my face upward.
"I'm helping you find a swimsuit, so you can join the others. If you still want to, that is… ?"
My right foot popped up, rotating in a circle with my big toe against the ground. "If you don't think they'd mind…"
Aver hauled me over his shoulder and down the hall. He dumped on the bed and disappeared into the closet, emerging with several pairs of swim trunks. "You'll have to try some of my older ones. Kansas or Phin might have a pair that fits you better, but…" He scratched the back of his head, looking at me from under his lashes. "I don't like the idea of you wearing someone else's things. It's a shifter thing, or a me thing. Probably a me thing."
These tiny moments of indecision were so precious. So often when we were together, Aver knew what to do and when to do it.
"That's okay. I don't all the way understand, but I understand enough."
Aver's shoulders relaxed as he picked through shorts he'd gathered. In the end he held up two options for me to decide.
"The blue ones."
Aver grinned. "These were my choice too." He reached for my shirt like he was going to undress me but then stepped back. "I should let you change on your own, or neither of us will get where we're going." He went to the door but stopped. "Do you want me to go with you?"
Yes. I did. But that was silly. Riley and the others were some of the nicest people I'd ever met. "I'll manage. Got to get my feet wet somehow." I smiled at my pun and turned toward the bed, when Aver grabbed my wrist and twirled me around.
I leaned into him, his hands cupping my ass as his tongue explored my mouth. That was familiar territory by now, and yet each kiss felt new and exciting. As my body stirred, switching from being nervous to turned on, Aver leaned back. "Tease," I growled, the sound still not as impressive as when Aver did it.
Aver just laughed down the hallway, leaving me to put on a swimsuit like a grownup.
I hated being grown up.
I changed quickly, nearly sprinting back outside to the corner of the house. They were all still there—I'd worried they'd finish before I could get back. I took a deep breath, remembered I was a shiny unicorn full of splendor, and walked forward.
"Hollister!" Phineas called out. "Thank goodness! I've been having a horrible time wrestling these two. It doesn't help that one always seems to be trying to drown the other."