I sit on the edge of the bed and pat the spot next to me.“Home sweet home.”
She isn’t amused.“All of my stuff is in there.They have to know.Your parents aren’t stupid.”She sits next to me.“And I feel horrible lying.Maybe we should just tell them.”
“No.”I shake my head.
“I’m sure they’ll keep it a secret.”
“Then I’m the irresponsible one who agreed to a fake marriage.It’s better if they don’t know.Plus, they love you.”
“And they won’t when they find out this was all fake.”She gestures between us.
All I can think is that there was nothing fake about our kiss.
“Believe me, the blame will be pointed in my direction.”I lie back because I’m exhausted from the heat and all the shitty food I ate.
She lies down next to me.“We have to sleep in the same bed.”
I turn to her.“We’ve done it before.”
“Not while wearing clothes.”
“You don’t have to twist my arm, Had.I’ll sleep in the nude.”
“Easton,” she says, sounding exasperated.“Take this seriously.”
A knock lands on the door, and she bolts up off the bed.
“We’re not fifteen in my childhood bedroom.We’re married, remember?”I say in a low voice and chuckle.“Come in.”
My dad peeks his head in.“Your mom wants to move Tanner’s crib into our room.”
“What?”I stand.
“Not necessary,” Hadley says, panic creeping into her voice as if we need Tanner here so we don’t fuck one another.She has a point—he might be the only reason we don’t tonight.
“She’s adamant that you two need some sleep, plus she wants the extra time with him.So why don’t you help me with it?”My dad walks into the room.“Where are your tools?”
“This is so much work.”Hadley tries again, but it’s not worth it.
This is happening no matter what excuse we give.I know my parents.
My mom joins us in the bedroom.“You guys look tired, and Hadley, would you mind showing me some of the bottles and stuff?Does he wake up at night?What does he like?”
Hadley shoots me a look likefix thisas she smiles at my mom and heads into the kitchen.
I’m as desperate as she is to keep Tanner in this room.
“I don’t know where they are.”I shrug.
“East, I gave you a kit when you moved to Chicago, remember?”
“It might’ve been lost before I moved in here.”
But Dad’s not taking no for an answer.He leaves the room, and I follow him to the closet by the front door.
“I just put coats in there.”
Hadley is explaining the bottles and the formula mixer to my mom, but every time our eyes meet, she widens them and mouths, “Fix it.”
