Total pages in book: 91
Estimated words: 85876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 85876 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 429(@200wpm)___ 344(@250wpm)___ 286(@300wpm)
“This has nothing to do with you.” Naomie takes a step back from Emma, obviously registering the threat, but of course my best friend doesn’t back down.
“Did you hear what I just said about you leaving?”
“I’m pregnant,” Naomie whispers, shooting a pleading look to Tucker, who does nothing but step even closer to me.
“Congratulations. We’ll all be sure to send a gift from your shower list when we get the email. Now, move away from the door. The kids are hungry, and it’s going to be bedtime soon,” Emma says calmly, but there is no hiding the threat in her tone.
Naomie’s gaze moves from her to Tucker and then to Miles before it lands on me and fills with spite.
She doesn’t say a word as she steps aside, and Tucker doesn’t hesitate to pull Kingston and me along with him, keeping himself between Naomie and us as he ushers us through the door and into his apartment. When the door closes behind us, I only then realize Emma and Tucker are both out there with Naomie alone.
“Come on,” Miles orders quietly but firmly, placing his hand against my lower back and using it to urge me down the single step into the apartment before walking ahead of me into the kitchen. Like he’s dealt with this kind of situation a million times, he turns on the TV to play a kids show and tells both Kingston and Winter to hang in the living room. Almost instantly, the two of them start laughing like they have already forgotten what just happened outside.
“You know she’s full of shit, right?” Miles asks me quietly as we put pizza on plates for our kids.
“I know.”
“Good,” he says softly, and I meet his gaze, the soft look in his eyes reminding me of one Tucker would give me.
When the door opens and Tucker and Emma step inside, relief washes through me. The two of them look exactly the same as they did minutes ago which is good.
“I’m seriously so damn hungry,” Emma says, walking to where I’m standing with her expression blank, and I look to Tucker, who has the same exact look on his face as my best friend. “You okay?” she asks me when she’s close.
“Yeah.” My eyes find Tucker’s, and I bite my bottom lip before looking at Emma. “I’ll be right back.” She glances back at Tucker before giving me a nod, and I take Kingston his plate and kiss the top of his head, then walk to Tucker and take his hand.
When we get into his bedroom, I close the door behind us and look up at him. He’s on guard, every inch of him pulled tight like a rubber band ready to snap. I step toward him slowly, then wrap my arms around his waist, and he doesn’t hesitate to encircle me with his arms.
“Are you okay?” I whisper.
His muscles relax, and his chin comes to rest on the top of my head. “If she’s pregnant, which I highly doubt, it’s not mine.”
“Okay.” I tip my head back to look at him, and his gaze roams over my face. “But you didn’t answer my question.” His brow furrows, so I repeat, “Are you okay?”
“I’m over the fucking drama.”
“Yeah, me too.” I rest the side of my head against his chest.
I don’t know how long we stand like that, but too soon, he loses his hold on me and grabs my face in his hands. “You need to eat, then get Kingston home.” I want to pout about it, because the last thing I want to do is leave him here and go to sleep alone, but I know he’s right. “If Emma is back at her place tomorrow night, I’ll come over after I get done with work and stay the night.” His fingers dig into the flesh of my cheeks. “If that’s okay with you.”
“Yes, I want that,” I say, and he drops his mouth down to mine. The kiss starts off sweet, then his tongue swipes across my bottom lip, and I forget where we are and the fact that I need air to survive as I kiss him back.
When he pulls back, I’m breathless and clinging to his shirt with both my hands at his waist.
“Let’s go eat.” He drops one more kiss to my lips, then opens the door for me to step out before him. Seeing Emma and Miles talking at the counter while they eat and the kids sit in front of the coffee table, I walk to the kitchen, wrap my arm around my best friend’s shoulders, and kiss the side of her head.
“What’s that for?”
“Nothing. I just love you.” I take a seat next to her, and Tucker passes me a plate with pizza on it before making a plate for himself and standing next to Miles across from me.