“That’s kind of hot though,” Emma sighed dreamily. “Having two husbands.”
“You should mention that to Cillian.” Chelsea bumped Emma’s shoulder playfully. “See what happens.”
Everyone laughed, and I couldn’t help but join in. Cillian was terrifying. He was tall, scarred and covered in tattoos. The idea of him getting jealous was both scary and oddly sweet.
“He’d get jealous and spend all night showing me why he’s enough for me,” Emma said, rolling her eyes but she was smiling. “More than enough.”
“James would not like that idea at all,” Mia nodded, blushing. “He barely tolerates when other men look at me.”
“Damon’s the same way,” Summer said with a suggestive smile. “Super possessive. But in a hot way.”
The conversation flowed from there, story upon story of these couples and their relationships. It made me happy for them, but I was a bit disappointed since I never had that with Jack.
But maybe I could have it with Derek.
It was well past midnight when my phone buzzed. Charlotte’s name lit up the screen, and I frowned.
“Hello?” I answered quickly.
“Paige, darling, don’t panic,” Charlotte’s voice was calm but serious. “Everything’s fine. Lily’s fine, but there’s been a situation.”
My heart dropped into my stomach.
“What kind of situation?”
The women around me immediately went quiet, sensing something was wrong.
“Jack showed up at the penthouse.”
30
DON’T OVERTHINK IT
DEREK
The den was nothing but an enormous room with a bar, couches and chairs.
“I’m just saying,” James started, adjusting his glasses. “There’s not a moment I don’t think about her safety. Where she is, if she’s okay, if she needs anything.”
“Same,” Aiden agreed, swirling his whiskey. “Ivy thinks I’m overprotective, but she doesn’t understand that the thought of something happening to her physically hurts.”
“Emma’s got security,” Cillian said, his voice gravelly. “But I still check the cameras every hour when I’m not with her. It’s a force of habit, and I can’t help it.”
Sean laughed. “Chelsea caught me tracking her phone last week and told me I was being creepy. I said I was just being thorough.”
“Summer has a GPS tracker in her bag and her car,” Damon confessed. “She doesn’t know about it.”
“Anna has two of us watching her,” Kyle said with a small smile. “Sometimes three if you count the baby monitor Caleb insists we keep by our bed even though the nursery is right next door.”
“She’s carrying our baby,” Caleb said without even looking embarrassed. “I’m not taking any chances.”
“Katie thinks I’m obsessed when I follow her on her runs even if I’m dead tired,” Dylan said with a small pout and shrugged. “She’s not wrong. I am. Completely.”
I sat there listening, nursing my own drink, and couldn’t help but relate to every single word because that’s exactly how I felt about Paige. Every moment she was out of my sight, I wanted to make sure I knew exactly where she was and that she was safe.
It should have felt excessive, but I couldn’t stop and wouldn’t stop. Not when it came to her and Lily.
“What about you, Derek?” James asked, and all eyes turned to me. “You’ve been quiet.”
