“I already ordered some motors I think would be compatible, based on the photo you sent,” he replies before heading to the fridge to grab a can, probably to give himself some time to cool off after looking at Delilah for too long.
“Is that a foosball table?” Sabs’s eyes light up as she spots the table hidden under a white sheet in the corner of the room. We thought we’d cover it while we had guests, so the girls didn’t think we had a total bachelor pad.
“You play?” I ask her.
“Play?” She pretends to roll up invisible sleeves. “I don’t just play. I win.”
“Let’s see about that.” I point to the table. “How about a match?”
“You don’t know what you’re getting into,” Delilah warns me. “Challenging Sabs never ends well for anyone.”
“No takebacks!” Sabs jumps to her feet. “The table! Me and you! Now!”
She frog-marches me over there, followed by the others, who all hang around to watch, and I start to think… I could get used to this.
THIRTY-ONE
Delilah
Today’s horoscope said that long-standing obstacles may be overcome, and seeing the Stellas in a room with Jagger—let alone having them actually get along—is definitely something I never foresaw happening.
The room is full of laughter and cheering as Sabs takes a dramatic bow. Nash claps Tae on the back in condolence. “Nice try.”
“I know when to admit defeat,” Tae groans. Sabs has kicked his ass four times in a row. “Where did you learn to play like that?”
“I grew up with three brothers.” Sabs flashes him her pearly whites and shrugs. “We were pretty competitive.”
Faye grimaces. “You don’t want to see her and her brothers together. Trust me.” She shakes her head. “We still haven’t heard the end of it since Laz and Sabs’s last Mario Kart game.”
Sabs jumps in to defend herself. “Hey! Laz should have?—”
“The less said about that, the better,” I interrupt before she launches into another breakdown of the play-by-play. “Why don’t we mix up the teams?”
We play a few more games, forming a variety of teams, before Tae proclaims that we should take a seat while he and the guys are going to get dessert ready.
“I don’t think I could eat any more if I tried.” Faye pats her stomach as we head back to the living room. “I’ve eaten my body weight in pizza.”
Jagger raises an eyebrow. “Even if there’s chocolate involved?”
“Well…” Her brown eyes twinkle. “Maybe I can make a small exception.”
Despite the intense interrogation when we first arrived, everyone relaxed as the evening progressed. While Kady and Sabs are still acting a little cooler with Jagger, seeing him and Kady work together to try to beat Sabs was hilarious. Even when it was two against one, Sabs triumphed.
“So?” I ask as we sink into the comfy sofas. I have a sneaking suspicion they want to give me some alone time with the girls to check in. I extend my legs, the crackling fire warming my socks. “What do you think?”
Getting them to agree to come was one thing, but now I realize how desperately I want the Stellas to actually like them. Their approval means everything to me. As an only child, they are the sisters I never had, and I can’t imagine being with a pack they disapprove of.
“They’re great.” Faye is the first to talk. “Nash is such a cutie. He obviously adores you, even though he’s more reserved. Tae is loads of fun, and Jagger… Well, he’s obviously made mistakes, but he really does seem genuine about making amends.”
Faye was always going to be the easiest to win over; she sees the best in everyone. However, Kady and Sabs are going to be much harder to impress.
“Kady?” I wait with bated breath. “Sabs?”
“As you know, it’s going to take a lot for me to fully forgive Jagger for what he put you through.” Kady steeples her fingers. “Probably years. A whole lifetime, maybe. But Faye’s right. The way he looks at you, it’s?—”
“He looks at you like you’re his fucking sun, Del,” Sabs cuts in.
“The sun?” My insides warm. “Really?”
