Page 45 of Crossed Up

Rhodes’s parents have known me since he was drafted five years ago, so I’m fully expecting the Spanish Inquisition when I pull up with sex hair and Lyla in the front seat next to me.

Don’t ask me how they’ll know I have sex hair when their own son was a virgin until last year. Just trust that they do and that Dominic will most likely put his foot in his mouth about it.

Ly is fidgeting in her seat, and I can’t figure out why, so I pull off to the side of the road and park just before we make it to their house.

“Hey, why are you stopping?”

Turning in my seat, I grab one of her small hands in mine and stare into her beautiful green eyes. “Why do you seem nervous? You’ve met Kaci and Dom plenty of times before. Nothing’s changed, and you know they love you.”

She sighs and leans back on the headrest with her face tilted towards me. “I know they like me, and they’re always so nice whenever I see them. But what if they figure out something happened between us?”

I snort because it’s too late for that. “Angel, they knew something was going to happen between us the minute I asked them to watch Crew for the weekend.”

Her mouth gapes open in the most adorable way, and I can’t help but lean in and nip her cute bottom lip. “Don’t act so surprised. They know you’ve been working for me, and they also know you went to New York with us from the pictures I’m sure Wren sent them. In case you forgot, your bestie has a big mouth.”

The panic in her eyes only recedes the tiniest bit, but I’m not sure what else I can say to reassure her. If she’s this nervous to be around Rhodes’s parents, I can’t imagine how hard it’ll be when I bring her home to meet Mama and Wes.

“Ly, what’s the real issue here?”

Lyla heaves a deep breath and shakes her head, scooting to the middle seat so she can lay her head on my shoulder. “I worry they’ll think I’m not good enough for you. Or that I’m taking advantage of you for your money. Obviously, I’m not, but that’s what my ex-fiancé’s mother used to say when she thought I couldn’t hear.”

That fucking family. I need to get names from Lyla or Copeland as soon as possible so I can fuck up some lives. After all, what’s the point of having money if I can’t use it to help the people I lo—am closest to?

Too soon for the l-word, Aidan.

“Angel… first of all, if anything, I’m the one who’s not good enough for you. You’re a smart, sweet, incredibly brave woman, and I am in awe of you every day. You’ve made our lives so much better since you came in and did your thing. Crew is sleeping better, he’s learning more every day, and his separation anxiety is nearly gone. Have you ever wondered why I call you angel?”

She nods slowly, her eyes glossed over with tears.

“I call you angel because to us, that’s exactly what you are. You’re our angel, Lyla. And I’ll do anything I can to make sure we get to keep you.”

I don’t give her a chance to respond before continuing our drive, and within three minutes, we’re in Kaci and Dominic’s driveway. Giving Lyla’s hand one last comforting squeeze, I hop out of the truck and run around the front to open her door. She seems shocked every time I do this, and it makes me hate her ex even more for being such a piece of shit.

We haven’t had ‘the talk’ about what we are, but it doesn’t stop me from threading my fingers through hers on the way to the door. Though I do go against every fiber of my being and let go once we ring the bell.

As much as I want to claim Lyla as mine and show her off to the world, I don’t want to throw another big change into Crew’s life when he’s so happy and settled the way things are now.

The front door opens, and Kaci’s smiling face greets us. Her smile is a little too wide and a little too knowing. “Hey, guys! Crew literally just woke up, and he’s already asking about you, Lyla.”

I grin at Lyla and raise an incredulous brow. “It seems I’ve been replaced.”

Her answering smirk is cute as hell, and I see Kaci’s eyes widen just as a small blond mass comes hurtling at us at top speed.

“Lyly!”

Crew dives into Lyla’s legs, and I instantly move behind them to catch her slight form as she starts to topple under the weight of my enthusiastic son. I shouldn’t have worried, though, because she instantly drops to her knees and envelops Crew into the biggest hug I’ve ever seen.

I’m honestly speechless at the display, and when Lyla looks up at me with those beautiful eyes and smiles, I’m seconds away from saying “fuck it,” and kissing her right here out in the open.

I think a little family fun day might be in order.

“Really? You want to spend the day here?” Lyla asks incredulously.

After picking up Crew from Rhodes’s parent’s house, I told Crew and Lyla I was taking us out for a surprise fun day together and refused to say a word about where we were going.

When I pulled up outside the Charleston Fun Park a minute ago, my pretty passenger looked at me like I was insane as Crew squealed in his booster seat.

My grin is so big it feels like it might split my face, and I can’t hold back a chuckle. “Oh, ye of little faith. This may look silly to you, but I’ve found there’s no better way to bond than by kicking each other’s as—butt’s at go-karts.”

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