“Hey,” I say randomly as I’m eating. “Is that why you guys added me to a board on Pinterest about house furniture and stuff?”
Luc grins, leaning his forearms on the counter. “We were trying to get your input on your room design and everything without spoiling the secret.”
I have a room? They really want me there?
Without having to say anything, Luc seems to know that my mind went there.
His eyes soften and he leans over the counter, kissing me tenderly. He doesn’t have to say anything. Those bright green eyes tell me everything.
“Okay, enough spoiling shit. You’re not allowed to know anything else—you have to wait until you see it,” Mase orders through a mouthful of croissant.
“Don’t eat with your mouth full,” Alec scolds.
His words summon the image of Alec parenting stuck in my mind. At first it’s just him when there’s all of us.
I’m standing in the kitchen.
Jace’s arms curl around me, his hands gently caressing my swollen, pregnant belly.
Mase’s laughing at something Mav had whispered in the ear of a black haired, green eyed child. Alec’s feeding her while Luc’s making face’s behind him.
The little girl collapses into giggles. She dobs on Luc who cries out in outrage.
Dom sneaks up on her and whispers ‘boo!’ in her ear. She squeals, making the guys burst out laughing.
I lean my head back against Jace’s chest and he leans down to kiss me.
Then it’s gone and a strange longing settles into my soul.
I push the feeling away—the image with it and finish eating. Mase beams when he takes my empty plate away. Since I’ve been with them, I look healthy. Before, I was eating one meal a day if I was lucky but now I have a bit more meat on my bones and life in my face. Or at least I think.
The sound of the roller door to the garage opening has everyone’s eyes swinging towards me for my reaction.
I don’t feel anything. I’m not angry or upset, just…neutral.
I sip my coffee. It’s a nice flavour, like beans and caramel. Maverick scooped some foamy stuff out of his before and put it in mine.
From the corner of my eye, Jace walks in, shopping bags in his hands.
And that’s when the hurt settles in. The pain.
All I can hear in my head isfuck you.
He places them on the counter and tells the twins that there’s more in Dom’s ute. Actually, I’m not sure you can call a Dodge Ram a ute. Mav and Mase begrudgingly get up.
Something is placed in front of me. I don’t look up at Jace as I open the bakery box. Chocolate and vanilla marbled cake. With the good icing.
He really does know he screwed up.
Marbled is my favourite, it’s a pain to make though. Helen could pull it off but I haven’t had it for three years.
My mouth waters at the sight of it, despite having just eating breakfast.
A fork and knife are slowly pushed before me like he’s afraid I’ll pick it up and stab him with it.
I don’t bother with the knife and just use the fork. The flavours melt onto my tongue. Mmm, it’s still slightly warm—like it was freshly baked. I sigh. Jace really knows how to grovel. And how to make it really hard to stay mad at him.
At least a fifth of it disappears before I set the fork down.
