How had I not noticed? How had none of us?
Diaz had been my roommate for two years, shared the same space—all those late-night conversations and dumb jokes. And the whole time he’d been sitting on this secret. And Matty, quiet, steady Matty, had finally trusted someone enough to open up, only to find out it was the guy he’d been living and working with every day.
The betrayal wasn’t just personal. It was layered. Complicated to the nth degree.
And I had no idea how to help either of them fix it.
A sudden whoop cut through my thoughts. I glanced toward the dance floor, where Soren had thrown his head back, laughing. Clarke’s hands pressed to his chest as he spun her in a loose, joyful circle.
“What did I miss?” I asked.
Bella followed my gaze, her lips curving into a knowing smile. “If I had to guess, Clarke just told him they’re having a baby.”
My chest tightened.
Not in a bad way, but in aholy shitkind of way.
I thought about Bella, about how she’d look holding a baby someday.Ourbaby. All soft, dark curls and freckles. It was a sobering thought that made me straighten.
“Do you want kids?”
The words spilled out of me before I could second-guess them.
“Oh, yes,” she answered without hesitation. “At least three.”
“At least?”
She shrugged. “I want a full house.”
I smiled despite myself. “And these three kids—”
“At leastthree kids.”
“Do they come before or after your breakfast wedding?”
Her eyes lit up, surprise and delight flashing across her face. “You remember?”
“Of course, I remember,” I told her. “And don’t think I’ve forgotten about the whole ‘pancakes are better than French toast’ thing.”
She laughed softly, the sound warm against my chest. “You’re never going to let that go, are you?”
“Pancakes are overrated, baby.” I brushed a curl away from her cheek, tracing the freckles in my path. “But I’ll let it slide. For now.”
She nestled closer. “Do you . . . really think about all that? Kids? Our wedding?”
I pressed a kiss to her temple. “I think about a lot of things. Like you waking up next to me every morning. Tending to your bees and experimenting with your latest honey creation until I come home and bend you over the closest surface.”
“Hopefully, away from the bees.”
“I think about you walking toward me in a white dress while I try not to cry in front of the entire team. And yeah, after that, kids. A whole house full of them, apparently.”
Her breath hitched, just a little. “You want that? With me?”
“More than anything.”
Her eyes shone with unshed tears. “Well, maybe we should get started.”
I grinned. “On the kids?”
