She grins. “Just about. Though Ididtell him to fuck himself.”
I hold up my hand and she high fives me. “Long overdue. Good girl.”
“Ooooh,” she shimmies, “we can revisit you sayingthatto me sometime.”
I laugh, the relief that he hasn’t upset her making me a little lightheaded. “So, what did Lord Douchecanoe have to say for himself?”
She shakes her head. “Nothing memorable, and nothing I didn’t already know he thought. He did accuse me of boning you behind his back.”
“If only,” I say dryly, shifting up to kiss her. It feels necessary, like a claiming. I’m not above the need to mark my territory, it seems.
“That’s basically what I told him,” she dimples.
Oooof.Hearing her say that gives me unreasonable amounts of smugness.
“It was weird, though. He looked sick. If I didn’t know better, I’d swear he was on something, like a Class A, maybe.” She shrugs. “Still, not my circus, not my monkey.”
“Sounds like his life has hit the skids. Oh dear. How terrible.” My voice is flat and sarcastic, and she laughs. “I’m proud of you for telling him where to go.”
“It felt so good,” she admits. Lying back on the pillow, the way her hair cascades over the cotton pillowcase drags my attention away from concern about that bag of dicks trying to talk to her.
I mean, what’s more interesting? My woman, orhim?
And she doesn’t seem like she’s changing her mind about what we’re doing here. Far from it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen her happier or more at ease with herself and her life.
Will you ever win?Stevie Nicks sings in my memories as our baby kicks against my palm like a reminder, and I think, yeah, actually, Stevie, I will.
Iamwinning.
CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX
Sadie
“That…just sounds…sogrim.” Em shudders comically with a puke face as I tell her what the nurses told us about forceps and ventouse deliveries. And Imayhave made a few sketches in her telephone pad to illustrate a few of the…finer details. Em issuchan easy mark.
“For me, it was hearing all about episiotomies.” I’m a bitch, I know, but seeing her cringe has me in fits.
“BALALALALALALA,” she shouts, putting her fingers in her ears, “remember our agreement? Episiotomies are an urban legend designed by some sickos to freak people out. They never actually happen. End of story.”
I laugh. “They totally d- ”
“They.Never.Actually. Happen.” She gives me a meaningful glare, leaning forward against the reception desk. I hold my hands up, giggling at the look on her face and letting the subject drop. As she relaxes, she tips her head to one side. “So Leo’s just going to buy a room somewhere and run ante-natal classes from it?”
I snort. “Can you picture that? Leo talking about epidurals and hypnobirthing to a room full of horny preggos?” We both share a giggle. “But yeah, pretty much, he’s planning to buy somewhere and kind of donate it to the community. Classes, meetings, whatever.”
Em whistles. “He’s getting more generous by the day. I didn’t know that was even possible, but I guess Leo’s never done anything by halves, has he?”
It’s true. I wonder if this is impending fatherhood having an effect on him, or whether he’s more comfortable making these gestures now that he’s not being as discreet about his wealth anymore.
“Cock,” Gary says from my shoulder, making me jump. He’s been so still and quiet that I almost forgot he was there. I smile, loving how much he’s become part of the furniture of my life. I’m so used to the gentle clutch of his little talons and the light weight of him that I hardly notice them anymore.
“Same to you, too, you sewer mouthed little prick.” I tickle between his eyes affectionately, and he does the cute head snuggle thing he’s started liking, before flying onto the spiral staircase bannisters that lead up to the flat.
“Can you watch the front while I nip to the loo?” Em asks.
“Sure.” It’s not like it’s busy or anything. In fact, it’s unusually quiet for a Saturday, but that’s largely by design. Eli, Dean, and Leo have ducked out on a Top Secret Trip to help Dean pick out an engagement ring for Liaden in the next town over, which is so unbearably cute that my eyes prickle just thinking about it. And I don’t have another appointment for almost two hours.
I haven’t heard Dean’s plan on how he intends to propose, but I have no doubt it’ll be one for the books. Another happily-ever-after moment in their shiny new lives together.
