Bella shakes her head, amused, and nudges her knee lightly against Switch’s under the table. “Leave him alone. He’s been like this since she started showing.”
Brooke smiles at that, eyes warm as she watches them. “It’s kind of sweet.”
Bri laughs softly. “Don’t tell him that. He’ll get worse.”
Blade’s mouth twitches even though he tries to hide it. “Eat.”
“Yes, sir,” Bri says dryly, reaching for her fork again.
Brooke leans forward onto her elbows, chin tipped toward Bella as she laughs at something Switch says, her hair falling loose around her shoulders instead of pinned back the way she usually wears it. She looks settled. Like she belongs right in the middle of the noise and the chaos instead of managing it from the edges. I tell myself to look away from her, but I don’t. I can’t.
The plates slowly start emptying, conversation easing into slower voices and satisfied groans. Bella pushes her plate away with a small sigh. “Okay, I’m officially full.”
“Same,” Switch says, leaning back in his chair. “I regret nothing.”
Bri shakes her head. “You’re going to regret it in about twenty minutes.”
“Worth it.”
I shove my chair back and start gathering plates without really thinking about it, stacking them in my arms. Blade stands to help immediately, grabbing cups and silverware. Switch follows, still rubbing his stomach. “Look at us. Domestic as hell.”
As I lift Brooke’s plate from in front of her, our eyes catch for a half-second. Her smile softens, quieter than before. I look away and head for the sink before I do something dumb. When the plates finally start emptying and the noise settles into satisfied groans and lazy conversation, I push my chair back and start stacking dishes without thinking about it.
“I got it,” Bella says automatically.
“I know,” I answer, already gathering plates. “Still doing it.”
Blade and Switch follow suit, scooping up cups and silverware and heading for the sink like this is a well-rehearsed routine, while the women drift toward the hallway when Bella claps her hands.
“Come on,” she says, excitement creeping into her voice. “I wanna show you two something.”
“What kind of something?” Bri asks.
Bella just grins and waves them along toward Jax’s room, and Brooke hesitates for half a second before following, glancing back once.
The kitchen fills with the sound of running water and clinking dishes as Blade scrubs, Switch dries, and I rinse and stack, keeping my hands busy.
About ten minutes later, a squeal cuts through the house from down the hall, high-pitched and excited, followed by overlapping voices.
Switch smirks, towel slung over his shoulder. “Guess the cat’s outta the bag.”
I glance up. “What do you mean?”
He grins wider. “Bella’s pregnant again.”
The words hit sideways. “Again?” I ask, and it comes out harder than I mean it to.
Switch’s smile drops instantly. “What the hell’s that supposed to mean?”
I shake my head. “I didn’t say anything.”
“You said plenty,” he snaps, stepping closer. “You got a problem with my family growing?”
Blade straightens slowly, eyes flicking between us. “Alright, both of you, take it down a notch.”
“I’m fine,” I snap.
“No, you’re not,” Switch fires back. “You’ve been a pissed-off asshole all night.”
