It was a terrible tactical error I regretted the moment I regained consciousness. Pounding was coming from downstairs, but it was rising, fast, with Bear barking like the house was under siege.
Before I’d even put two and two together, footsteps thundered down the hallway and the bedroom door burst inward seconds later. Bear launched himself straight onto the bed, seventy-five pounds of German Shepherd landing directly on my legs, but Jennifer and Lu came flying in right behind him.
“We found you!” Jennifer cried delightedly.
Lu fixed me with a suspicious look. “Why are you sleeping so late?”
Adeline jolted awake beside me with a horrified gasp just as Amber appeared in the doorway, seconds too late to stop them from finding me in bed with their mother. Thankfully, both Adeline and I had clothing on, but shit.
This is definitely not ideal.
Amber slowly covered her face with one hand, backing out of the room without saying a word, and Bear flopped across both our legs like this was the happiest day of his life. Meanwhile, Adeline just sat next to me, staring at her girls who were staring back at us, both of them clearly confused.
I had absolutely no idea how we were going to explain this, but I knew for sure not to say a single thing until Adeline gave me some kind of cue.
CHAPTER 32
ADELINE
Jennifer and Lu sat side by side on the massive sectional in the living room while Amber and I hovered nearby. Zach paced in front of the windows overlooking the pool, one hand on his hip while he ran the other repeatedly through his hair.
Tension hung thick in the room, Amber constantly shooting me simultaneously apologetic, curious, and excited smiles. Being as young as they were, Jennifer and Lu didn’t really understand what was going on, but they’d caught me and Zach in the same bed.
Just snuggling—thank God—but that was bad enough. Honestly, I wanted the floor to open up and swallow me whole.
Jennifer looked mostly fascinated by the scandal, but Lu was in a very bad mood, which was making things significantly worse. She kept scowling at us, her arms folded tightly over her chest and her tiny body trembling with rage.
“You had a sleepover,” Jennifer announced, matter of fact. “You probably even watched a movie in the theater room without us.”
Lu glared at me before turning toward Zach. “Did you have popcorn too? Tell the truth.”
I wasn’t even sure what to say, but when I looked helplessly over at him, he seemed equally unsure. Frankly, that wasn’t comforting at all. In fact, when a Westwood looked like that, it was a little bit alarming.
How come they always seem to have the answers, except for right now? Come on, man.
Amber sat in one of the armchairs, her expression smug when she wasn’t sending me some kind of smile that said she’d be demanding an explanation—and details—later on. I swallowed hard, trying to gather my thoughts.
Finally, I realized that the truth was probably my best option but an age-appropriate, understandable version of it.Well, this is going to be unpleasant.
“You know that story I’ve told you so many times, about the princess and the two princes?”
Jennifer’s face brightened. “The one with the princess who fell in love with the prince, but had to marry a prince from a different kingdom instead?”
“Yes,” I said softly. I could feel Zach watching me. I kept my attention on the girls, though. Even as my cheeks warmed at the thought of explaining this in front of him. “Do you remember how the story ends?”
Jennifer nodded confidently. “The princess was happy even though she also felt sad. She missed her prince, but she got the best thing in the world for marrying the other prince, two more princesses.”
Tears pricked my eyes, but Lu just crossed her arms tighter. “That’s a bedtime story. It’s not bedtime now.”
I glanced at Zach before drawing in a shaky breath. “I know, but see, I’m like that princess. A long time ago, I loved a prince very much, but I married a different one instead, and even though it made me really sad, I got you two because of it. I wouldn’t change that for anything.”
Jennifer blinked a few times, clearly confused. Lu stared up at me with suspicion in her eyes. They were obviously trying to assemble the puzzle but in their own, childlike way.
Amber pursed her lips at me from across the room, silently encouraging me to continue. Unfortunately, my brain had abandoned ship. I opened my mouth, but nothing came out, and the silence stretched for so long that panic started clawing its way up my spine.
Zach met my gaze and held it intently. He’d thrown on a clean shirt with the sweats he’d been wearing when I’d woken up, but his hair was still mussed from a night of having my hands in it every couple hours and his lips were still bee stung.
Neither of us had expected such a rude awakening, but something passed between us now, a silent understanding, perhaps, of the fact that I’d been telling the girls my own story for so long. It took him a beat, but then he stepped up to the plate.
