His phone is going crazy with notifications and mine is too, but the last thing he needs is to know this. I slip my hand in his as we walk up the steps. Jaxon opens the door as soon as we hit the first step. “Oh good, they’re here,” he tosses over his shoulder, “alert the presses.” He then looks at Zane. “You look like you’re going to yack.”
“I might,” he mumbles as I step into the house and head straight to the kitchen. Ariella is there with her lips rolled together to stop from laughing.
“Hi,” I say, going to kiss her and then Jagger. “Hi, buddy.”
Zane and Jaxon get into the kitchen and he’s about to say something when we hear a car door shutting. I close my eyes and look down. “Is that—” I look at Ariella.
“He said I couldn’t’ tell you.” She points to Jaxon.
“Couldn’t tell you what?” Zane asks, his voice tight. I hear the front door opening and then I walk to him.
“Remember when I said it couldn’t get worse?” He nods. “I was wrong. My parents are here.” He looks over to the hallway.
thirty-five
Victoria
“Your father—” Zane has enough time to say before I hear my name being rumbled from behind him.
“Victoria Stevenson.” I look over at my father, who is standing there wearing a track suit, looking like he literally just woke up.
“Manning.” I hear my mother, who is coming in beside him. “Did we or did we not talk about this on the plane?” she questions and his jaw gets tight.
“You—” He points to Zane.
“If you say outside,” Jaxon interrupts, “I’m going to die.” He puts his hand to his stomach and silently laughs.
“No one”—I hold out my hands to stop my father, in case he charges forward—“is going anywhere.” I look at him then at Zane, who is standing with his shoulders back.
“Everyone needs to just take a step back,” my Uncle Nico instructs, walking into the room and coming to me. “Hi, sweetheart.” He kisses my cheek. “And we’ll discuss things.”
“Fuck that.” My father’s usual calm demeanor is out the window. “You’ve been grooming her?”
“Oh, Manning,” my mother huffs at the same time I snort out.
“Dad, two months ago I was still living at home,” I remind him. “How was he grooming me when I didn’t even know him?”
“How the fuck should I know? I didn’t even know what the fuck that word was until I looked it up,” he hisses at me. “This is a fucking nightmare, Victoria!” he roars.
“With all due respect,” Zane warns, “but you’re going to have to bring that tone down when you are talking to her.”
“Oh snap,” Jaxon mumbles as his eyes look like saucers.
“With all due respect,” my father snaps back at Zane, “look at what you’ve done. People are saying that she’s dating someone old enough to be her father.”
“No one is saying that,” my mother snorts. “He’s forty,” my mother points to Zane, “you are not.” My father just glares at her.
“Okay.” I hold up my hands. “Why don’t we sit down,” I look around at everyone, “and we can discuss this like adults. Calmly,” I look at my father and then at Zane, “with inside voices.”
“Yes, let’s sit,” my mother urges. “First thing we are going to do, Manning,” she says his name so he can look at her, “is say hello to our grandson because you made him scared with your booming voice.”
“He’s heard that voice before,” Jaxon explains. “Oh wait, sorry, that was your father”—he points to Ariella—“who lost his shit when we told him we were pregnant.”
“This isn’t about you, Jaxon,” Ariella mutters between clenched teeth.
“Oh my God,” my father says, his hand going to his mouth, “are you pregnant?”
I roll my eyes. “I’m not pregnant. It’s like herding cats,” I mumble and then slip my hand into Zane’s. “How are you doing?” I whisper to him and he looks down at me as my parents go to Jagger, who smiles at them.
