So I keep eating, pretending breakfast is the most fascinating thing in the world, while every nerve in my body is still tuned to him.
And then, like the universe doesn’t give me a chance to breathe, he’s between my knees again, stealing the fork from my hand, kissing me like he needs me more than air.
Chapter thirty-seven
Jay
Hudsonswingsthedoorwide, grin already stretched across his face. “Happy Friendsgiving!” he bellows, like half the block needs to hear it.
Before I can even get a word out, he pulls me into one of those bone-crushing hugs he’s been giving me since we were fourteen. “About time you showed up,” he mutters against my shoulder, then lets me go with a clap to the back.
I laugh, stepping inside with Liv beside me. “We’re not even late.”
“Late enough.” His eyes flick between us, mischief sparking. “What, did you two get lost between your place and mine?”
“Don’t start,” I warn, pointing at him, though my grin betrays me. This is Hudson—he’s always started.
Hudson’s head tilts now, looking at my mouth. “I’m just saying, you might wanna stop sharing lipstick shades with Liv. Daphne sees that you won’t be able to hide from her.”
Liv mutters an ‘oh shit’ beside me, and her breath brushes my jaw as her eyes slide down to my lips when I turn.
“Don’t look at my mouth like that,” I whisper.
Her eyes sparkle before she captures her lower lip between her teeth. “I kinda like it, you’re branded with me. But also, like, everyone here is gonna know.” I sense the fear in her words, but I also feel it in the way she shifts from foot to foot.
Before I can even react, Hudson pipes up. “Oh, whispering to each other now, too? Dead giveaway.”
“Dead giveaway for what?” Daphne’s voice floats in from the kitchen, and a second later she appears, wiping her hands on a dish towel.
Liv jolts, straightening like she’s been caught cheating on a test, and my ears tingle.
Hudson grins like Christmas came early. “Nothing,” he singsongs.
Daphne narrows her eyes, first at him, then at us. Liv shifts beside me, suddenly very invested in her shoes, and I can’t do anything except pray.
“No, really, what is it?”
Hudson, the traitor, only grins wider. “Relax, Daph. Just saying these two are late because Jay drives slower than an old man.”
Her gaze lingers on me for a beat too long, like she’s deciding whether to buy it. I’m not sure if offering her a half-smile is the right thing to do, but I do it anyway and hope it reassures her. Then Rosie squeals across the room with Miles, demanding attention, and Daphne softens instantly, turning her focus to her daughter.
“If anyone wants to help, I’m in the kitchen,” she says over her shoulder, disappearing.
I let out a breath.
Hudson smirks at me from across the room, and it takes all of my energy not to march over to him and tell him to chill out. “You’re welcome,” he mouths.
Liv elbows me lightly, her cheeks still pink but her lips twitching like she might laugh. And damn if that doesn’t make the whole thing even more impossible to hide.
The house hums with noise the second I step farther in. Finn and Foxx sit together on the floor, leaning against the couch, near Miles and Rosie. Quinn is tidying the mess of the baby toys now, but still paying attention to her guy. Not sure I’ve ever seen Miles so taken with Rosie before.
It’s warm, loud, and perfectly us. Still, the space feels off-kilter without Seb and Indie. I miss them immediately, and part of me is already hoping we’ll have the game on later so it’s like they’re here anyway.
“What time is the game?” I ask the room.
They all look up, smiling, giving me a chorus of greetings.
“Starts at three,” Quinn replies, shifting a stack of blocks out from under her knees.
