Page 39 of Until Forever

“How are you not mad?” Bax asks.

“I was. At first. Especially because she saw me twice before I found out on my own. So fuck yeah, I was thrown off by it. But then I considered the fact that I know her. Granted it’s been eight years, but she’s not the type of woman to do something like this deliberately. Besides, I left her. So instead of being angry, I chose to focus on JJ.”

“You’ve been spending a lot of time with him?” Harlen questions while digging in his toolbox for a wrench.

“Not without Latoya. She isn’t ready for me to be alone with him yet. Well, she wasn’t ready. I got to drop him off at school this morning and I’ll be crashing at her house while she works to keep an eye on him.”

“Shit, man.” Cobi pats my back. “That’s progress. What’s he like?”

“He’s the greatest kid I know,” I admit.

“Yup, you’re a dad. Your eyes wouldn’t be glossing over right now otherwise.”

I chuckle. “Shut up. It’s crazy how much he looks like me and how much we have in common. It’s funny, really, because there are little things that get under her skin. Not in a bad way but, it’s like she’s kind of annoyed we’re so similar. And they have this ritual that’s probably the cutest fucking thing I’ve ever seen. And Toya—she’s so strong and such a phenomenal mother.” I smile but I’m not looking at any of them.

“Boom,” Bax blurts, and the others erupt in whispers of agreement.

I look up, finding all eyes on me and sinister grins on their faces. “What?” I frown.

“You’ve definitely found your boom,” Sage butts in.

“What y’all talking about?”

Bax laughs. “You remember when my father used to tell us how he met my mom? And how when you find your girl, love is going to take over. Nothing else matters except how you feel for that one person, even if you don’t realize it right away.”

“Yeah.” I sip my drink.

“That’s the boom.”

“You can’t seriously believe that. Besides, it’s no secret I love Latoya.”

“Yeah, when you were kids. But now you’ve both grown into completely different people. Yet the moment you laid eyes on her again, you knew you had to have her,” Bax reasons.

“That’s called attraction,” I protest.

“I know it sounds crazy, but it’s more than that,” he continues.

I pinch my lips together and tip my chin at him. “So you’ve had thisboom?”

“Hell no. But the rest of these assholes have.” Bax sits back and downs his beer.

We laugh.

“You’ve been hit, boy. Accept it. So now, what are you going to do about it?”

I know exactly what he’s asking me, just like I remember every word Nico ever told us about this magical love spell that hits all Maysons and the people they care about. As a kid, I thought he was crazy, and I have half a mind to feel that way now. But then I think about that day in the hospital and how all the air in my lungs left at the sight of her.

Damn. Boom.

I guess now, I need a plan, because I meant what I said to Latoya, I’m back and I’m not going anywhere.

“I’m going to get my family back,” I proclaim.

Sage nods, Jax pats my shoulder, Bax slaps my thigh, and Harlen stops working to point in my direction. I stare at my friends, freezing for a moment to let that reality sink in—I have friends. I guess Nico was right about that, too. Life does get better, and you realize it when you’re surrounded by people who care.

“All right, I need a plan.” I set my beer down and rub my hands together.

“Okay, so first, you need to show her that you mean business and make her see that she wants you around just as much as she needs you,” Cobi instructs.

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