“We saw what happened.” She said immediately, refusing to let me skirt over the events of a few minutes ago.
I sighed, propping my feet up on her lounger. She made no move to push them away.
I sat back, weighing my words. “You know Hayes asked me on a date,” I started, “and Ezra has been weird since then. This was the culmination of that. I think everything’s settled now, though.” I shrugged.
“Settled?” She repeated and Maddox leaned forward to peer at me around her.
He lifted his black Ray Bans to the top of his head. “I’ve never seen Ezra act like this before and I’ve known him since we were little.”
Emma turned to look at him and then back at me. “We’ve noticed things…”
“Oh my God,” I groaned dramatically, “here we go again. Ezra and I don’t like each other like that. Stop trying to make something out of nothing. It’s annoying.”
“I think you guys would make a cute couple.” Remy piped in behind me and I heard Mathias chuckle.
I ignored those two, remaining focused on Emma and Maddox.
Emma looked at me pityingly. “You don’t really believe that, do you?”
I glared out at the pool and away from my friend. When I looked back at her I let out a sigh. “It is what it is.”
I jumped when Mathias yelled behind me, “Collin, stop that!”
I looked over to see a kid of about six or seven running after people, squirting them with a water gun. I’d never met him before and I was confused as to why Mathias would be calling him out.
I swiveled around in my chair to look at the brooding lead singer. His lips were pursed in a snarl as he pointed a finger in warning at the boy.
“Who’s Collin?” I asked.
Mathias hands fell to Remy’s exposed baby bump. She was dressed in a white bikini with a crocheted black tank top that covered her top half. A floppy hat was perched on her head and when she turned to look at me it smacked Mathias in the face. He laughed and reached up to remove it, smoothing down her ruffled blonde hair with a stroke of his fingers. I never thought I’d see the day where Mathias was a loving and doting husband. It was weird, but a good weird.
“He’s my little brother,” Mathias replied, returning to massaging Remy’s shoulders. “I signed up with the Big Brothers Big Sisters program a while back and they assigned Collin as my Little Brother,” he explained. “His mom had to work today, so I offered to watch him so that she didn’t have to pay a babysitter.”
“That’s…nice of you.” I mumbled, shocked that those words had left my lips.
He smiled, ducking his head. “I can be nice when I want to be.”
Remy reached back, rubbing his thigh. “Go get in the pool with him. He’s restless.”
Mathias sighed. “But what if—”
“If I need something I can get it myself.” Before he could protest she leaned back with her head on his shoulder and covered his mouth with her hand. “Or ask Emma to get it for me.”
“Fine,” he agreed, albeit reluctantly.
He slipped out from behind her and ran after the little boy that was currently using his squirt gun to water the grass since he’d been scolded.
I turned back to Maddox and Emma and adjusted my chair so that I was sitting more angled and not blocking Remy.
“How are the wedding plans?” I asked them.
Emma hadn’t peeped one word about her upcoming wedding since my engagement fell apart. I knew she thought it would make me sad hearing about her dream wedding when mine wasn’t happening, but I was truly okay with everything. I wished everyone would stop treating me like glass. I wasn’t going to break.
Emma was slow to smile. “Good.”
“Good? That’s all I get? You’re getting married in September, I know you have more details than that.”
She frowned, her nose crinkling. “Are you sure you want to hear about this?”
“Yes!” I threw my hands up, sighing in exasperation. “I’m your best friend, so yes, I want to know about your wedding and I want to help if you want me to! I’m okay,” I emphasized the word, “so stop treating me like I’m not.”
She looked at Maddox and back at me. “Okay,” she replied. “I’ll stop.” A smile broke out across her face as she launched into details on the wedding. I listened and inserted comments here and there, getting excited. She deserved this and so did Maddox. I was honestly kind of surprised they’d waited this long to get married. I knew it was Emma’s doings though. Maddox would’ve married her as soon as she graduated high school. I had no doubts on that.
Halfway through our wedding talk Maddox left, joining his twin, Hayes, and Ezra in the pool.
Remy ditched us too, saying that she was starving.
Emma finished gushing about her wedding plans, her cheeks flushed a pleasant pink color.
“So,” she started, reaching over to grab a drink off the table, “you’re really okay?”
“Not one-hundred percent,” I answered honestly, “but I’m getting better.” I draped my arms over my bent knees. “I realize now that my life was headed in the wrong direction. Braden and I would’ve ended up divorced within a year, I’m sure of it.” I sighed, looking off in the distance. “It sucks feeling like I’m back at the starting line while all of you are moving on to the next step. Everything happens for a reason, right?”
She nodded, setting her now empty glass aside. “It does.” She stood up, stretching her arms above her head. “I’m getting in the pool, before I die and all they can find of my body is a puddle of sweat.”
I laughed at her and pushed up from the chair. “Good idea.”
Sweat clung to my arms and the back of my neck. I’d lived here my whole life and I still wasn’t used to the summer humidity.
We joined the guys in the pool. They played with Collin, all of them now the proud owners of squirt guns. When Emma and I stepped into the pool all of them turned their water guns on us and squirted us in the face. Even in their twenties they all still acted like a bunch of little boys.
Emma yelped holding her hands up in defense. “Maddox! I’m going to kill you!”
“Hey!” Trace yelled and I turned to see that he and his wife were in the pool now, their son sitting in a tiny float. “Don’t get my kid wet.”
“Sorry,” the guys chimed, lowering the guns.
“Where’s Remy?” Mathias asked, his voice sounding panicked as he swam for the stairs.
“Stop getting your panties in a bunch,” Remy’s voice boomed as she neared us, “I’m fine. I wanted something to eat.” She held a plate piled high with food in her hand. She stuffed a grape in her mouth. “You worry too much.”
Mathias sighed, his shoulders sagging in relief. “You can’t scare me like that.” He swam over the edge of the pool and I noticed he’d gotten a new tattoo. I’d missed it before since Remy was sitting in front of him. Above his heart was one word: Hope.
I swallowed thickly, knowing the significance behind the tattoo.
“Aw, poor you. Would you like me to put a tracking monitor on my ankle so you know where I am all the time? I can be your prisoner. Maybe,” her voice lowered, “if you don’t irritate me too much, I’ll even let you use your handcuffs on me.”
Maddox cleared his throat and muttered, “Well, this got awkward really fast.”
Remy gasped and the plate tumbled out of her hands, falling to the ground. I knew her reaction had nothing to do with what Maddox said.
In a lightning fast move Mathias leapt out of the pool and over to his wife. “What’s wrong?” He asked, fear sticking to his words. He looked her over, searching for what had caused her distress.
She grasped his wrist and brought his hand to her stomach. “The baby. I felt it.” Her mouth parted in wonder and tears pooled in her eyes. “It’s kicking. Do you feel it?” She asked, looking up at Mathias with wide, love-filled eyes.
He held his hand to her stomach and gasped when he felt it too. “Wow,” he murmured, looking at her lovingly. “That’s amazing.”