“Hey, Emma! Happy birthday!” the pop star says with a wave as the chaos continues. Willa laughs, and after a moment, they quiet down so Emma can chat for a few minutes with her idol. A lump forms in my throat as I watch from the back of the room, and when I shift my gaze to Jesse, he’s suspiciously glassy-eyed as well as he takes in his daughter’s genuine and utter delight.
It was a Hail Mary, Wren asking Adam to see if there was any chance we could get a single signed album for Emma’s birthday. But as soon as he called and asked for a favor, something we later learned he hadneverdone before, since he loathes feeling used or making othersthinkl used, Willa jumped at the opportunity to help. Not only did she line up a quick video call with the girls, but she also set up a front-row livestream of her concert, including a shout-out to Emma halfway through, which will be projected for the girls. In the goody bags are relatively useless, but still very fun, VIP lanyards, signed albums, and tour sweatshirts that Willa’s team overnighted.
Once again, we arenevergoing to beat this one.
Once the call ends, the girls are all squealing and giggling as Wren hands out the goody bags and Adam makes sure the live stream works, since the concert starts in five minutes. Emma moves through the room, coming straight to me with a dazed look on her face.
“I can’t believe this,” she says.
“Are you happy?” I ask. She nods, then surprises me by coming closer and wrapping me up in a big, tight hug.
“Thanks, Hallie,” she says, whispering the words into my chest. I return it, my hand brushing over her hair, and when she looks up at me, tears glisten in her eyes, tears I know are mirrored in my own. “Thank you. This is the best birthday ever.”
“Anytime, girlfriend. Love you.”
“Love you, too.” I take in a shaky breath and then pull her in tight again, and when I look over her shoulder at her dad, he has his phone up, capturing the whole moment.
That night, I sleep in the guest room at the King’s house so I can get up early to set up breakfast. Usually, Wren and I would stay in her bedroom, the only kids’ bedroom that the Kings haven’t touched since she moved out, but she conned Adam into staying there with her, so I’m in the guest room alone.
The guest room that used to be Jesse’s room, and the irony is not lost on me.
I’m texting the man in question while lying in bed, too amped up from the successful night of surprises and, admittedly, way too much sugar, when there’s a near-silent knock at the door before it creaks open and Jesse’s head pokes in, a broad grin on his lips.
“Hey,” I say as he closes the door behind him and presses the lock. He’s in a T-shirt and sweats and tosses his sweatshirt to the floor before padding across the room. “What are you doing here?”
“Going to bed.”
“No, you are not,” I say, but he ignores me and climbs into bed behind me. “Jesse!” His arm warms around me, pulling my back to his chest and pulling the blankets up around us.
“Shh. It’s bedtime.”
I bite back a smile, trying to sound firm. “Jesse, this is so stupid. Someone will find us!”
“The door is locked, and I have an alarm set. It’ll be fine.” He tightens his hold on me and presses a kiss to my neck. My fight starts to melt; his proximity is too nice, his warmth too calming.
“Jesse—”
When he cuts me off, the teasing is gone from his words, his voice a bit gravelly.
“I just need to hold you, Hal. You saved the day and loved on my girl, and I don’t know what to do with this feeling.”
A beat passes before I speak, and I snuggle in a bit deeper into his hold. “I’m not helping you with your horniness under your parents’ roof. Not even if you’re going to finally fuck me.”
He huffs out a laugh, his mustache scraping against my neck, and shakes his head.
“Jesus, Hallie. Can’t you let me be serious for one minute? I meant gratitude. I’m so fucking grateful for you, and it’s overwhelming me.”
His words and their sincerity stop any further jokes or protests in their tracks.
“We’re lucky, Emma and I. We have a lot of people in our corner, and we always have. My parents, my sister, and my brother…they’ve always been there from the moment Kim told me she wasn’t in this for the long haul, and long before that. I’ve spent years struggling with guilt and stress and the repercussions of Kim’s flightiness. I’ve had to comfort my girl, hold her while she cried, or listen as she raged. But I’ve never had anyone to do it with me until lately.”
My breathing stops, my ears ringing as he continues to set my world on its axis.
“Lately all I can think is that we’re lucky to have you, Hal,” he whispers. And for the first time, I know he doesn’t mean his family, his sister, or the Kings as a whole.
He means him and Emma. Their little unit. The one he’s slowly trying to invite me into without scaring me off. I let my head fall onto his shoulder, take a deep breath, and nod, giving him what I can in the moment.
“Me too, Jesse.” And when his hands tightened on my wrist, when his shoulders released some of the tension he’s been holding, I know he knows all of the things I left unsaid.
