Seeing Finn crawl around the apartment reminded me that it was all worth it, though.
“Where’s Griffin and Rafael?” Kaden asked, stealing a chip for himself.
I snorted. “Back at our place, putting their two brain cells together to try and build a certain crib from a certain Swedish furniture store.”
“Good luck,” Jake said. “I’m pretty sure Griff bought Finn’s crib fully put-together so he wouldn’t have to deal with that.”
“As long as it stands on four legs anddoesn’tcollapse the second I put the baby in it, I’ll be satisfied,” I mumbled.
Kaden chuckled. “Maybe you should put Demon inside first to test it out. How’s she doing, anyway?”
“Good,” I said. “I don’t think she even realized she moved. She’s been strutting around Rafael’s condo like she bought the whole building.”
“Just like her momma,” Jake added, tossing a candy in his mouth.
As we spoke, Finn followed Trouble around and around the coffee table like the two were in a cartoon, except instead of cat and mouse they were cat and toddler. Kaden sighed and scooped the puffed-up Trouble into his lap, stroking him to calm him down.
“So I got the shy one, huh?” Kaden said. The orange cat instantly relaxed in his lap, curling his tail over his paws.
“It’s good practice for when you have a baby,” Jake said, winking at him.
Just as he said that, Cash exited his bedroom and stopped mid-stride, like he’d walked in on something he shouldn’t have.
Kaden blushed furiously and averted his eyes. “Ha ha. Very funny.”
Cash smiled and shot us a friendly nod. “So, Kaden’s having a baby now?” he teased, going to the kitchen to grab a snack of his own.
“No,” Kaden said a little too firmly.
Jake and I exchanged glances. It was totally valid of him not to want children, of course. Being an omega didn’t automatically make it mandatory to bear children. But there was something in Kaden’s tone that made me curious. I knew him well enough to think thatmaybehe was hiding something.
Of course, that was none of my business, and with Cash in the room, Jake and I both realized we shouldn’t push it.
Cash strolled around to the couch to give Trouble a scratch under the chin, which the cat leaned into. His eyes shut pleasantly and he purred.
“Wow,” I said. “He really like you, huh?”
Cash’s eyes sparkled as he pet Trouble, his affectionate for him plain as day. I noticed Kaden stiffening slightly as Cash reached down to pet the cat in his lap. There was a pink blush on his cheeks that Cash didn’t seem to notice.
“Want some?” Jake asked, nodding to the candy and chips.
Jake had the same reservations about alphas that I did, especially one sharing a home with an omega they weren’t in a relationship with, but he’d been nothing but nice and respectful to Cash from what I’d seen. Maybe being with Griffin for so long now had mellowed him out, too.
“I’ll grab a bite, thanks,” Cash said, snagging a couple M&Ms. He smiled at me. “I always thought it was an exaggeration when people said this, but you reallyareglowing, Skylar.”
“Thanks.” I sighed. “Though I’d trade the glowingness for having this baby come out of me already.”
He chuckled. “I can imagine. You’re doing it naturally, no C-section?”
“I guess so. We never scheduled one.”
“Might regret it during labor,” Jake mumbled under his breath, wearing a sly grin.
I groaned. “Don’t remind me. That’s the part I’m dreading the most.”
“You can always ask for an epidural if the pain is too much,” Cash said.
“I guess. I’m just nervous about not pushing hard enough or messing it up somehow,” I mumbled.
