“Addie told me something tonight,” I say into the darkness when I’m not even sure he’s awake anymore.
“What?”
“She said she’s always thought that you liked me.”
I don’t think anything of it when I say it. It was supposed to be funny. But he pulls his hand away from me, his silence saying something that he doesn’t. I can’t help but wonder if…
“Will.”
“What?”
I reach for him again, scooting closer until I can take his hand, resting against his heart. “Is that true?”
“I don’t know. Maybe.”
He moves closer, and so do I, until my arm is around him and my head is on his chest, his fingers in my hair. The same as last time we were here, and nothing has ever felt more natural in my entire life.
“I love you,” I say intomyshirt.
He’s quiet for long enough that I think he might not say it back, and that’s okay. I can wait, I tell myself. But I don’t have to.
“Yeah,” he says, his voice gone rough. “Right back atcha.”
Chapter 27
Ollie comes downstairs rested as ever, no idea that the entire family dynamic is in shambles. But maybe I haven’t been giving him enough credit, because he stops in front of the table, looking between us, and I can see the gears turning.
“Uncle Will,” he says. “Are you my daddy now too?”
Will chokes on his sip of coffee, and Addie giggles beside me. I clear my throat to buy time to figure out how to explain to my son that I’m dating his uncle.
“Uncle Will is my boyfriend. Do you know what that means?”
Ollie tilts his head, considering the word. “Like how Tyler’s mom was your girlfriend?”
“Something like that,” I agree, even though calling Karen my girlfriend in front of Will is always a bad idea.
“So he’s your Tyler’s mom?”
“That’s—” I pause, aware ofmy boyfriend’snarrowed gaze on me. At this rate, he’s never sleeping with me again. “Yes, you could say that.”
Ollie nods, satisfied with my answer, and climbs into his chair, asking for his waffles.
Will points at Addie, whose face has gone red. “Why are you laughing, blabbermouth? You’re the one who texted me to come over last night. This is all your fault.”
“Thank god I did,” she says, not even a little bit sorry.
Will shakes his head and goes back to his breakfast, but I can see the smile he’s trying to hide. The kids know about us and are okay with it. Happy, even.
If only the rest of the family felt the same way.
Joyce calls at ten. She doesn’t stay on the phone long, only enough to ask if we can both come over. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing.
“Time to face the music?” Will asks when I hang up.
“Apparently.”
Addie looks up from where she’s been sketching on the couch. “Can I stay home? Emmett’s coming over.”
