Page 116 of Revival

Spencer

My mom made plans with yours, Sutton and Silas are working, and she has a suspended license

Me

This feels like a setup orchestrated by the matriarchs

Spencer

Or an ambush

Me

Come on over. Might as well fuel the gossip in person

Spencer

It’ll be okay

Me

Or it won’t. This runaway train is already barreling toward collision, but I’d rather take the impact with you by my side

Spencer

Be there in five

My sigh isaudible as I tuck away my phone.

“Brace for impact,” I grit out to Juniper, wrapping my arms tight as I shiver in the cold. I scout the stands for another baby to hold for warmth, but they’re all taken.

“Oh no.”

“Oh yes. On a scale of zero tohe tries to put Spencer in the hospital, how do you think Lee is about to react?”

“Four,” she answers immediately. “Six.”

My narrowed gaze finds hers.

“Seven,” she amends, tucking her blanket tight around herself and John.

“You’re not helping.”

“I’m kidding. It’ll be fine. The last guy Lee got in a fight with was my dad and that was like five years ago.”

Her assurance helps release some tension.

“He’s worried about you, and he doesn’t know what to do with that.”

“He doesn’t need to be worried about me.”

“I know that, and you know that. But he sees it differently.” John begins to fuss, and she pauses to pop his pacifier into his mouth. “He’s shared with me how when your dad passed away, he felt like he had to step into that role. He kept Jack and Jude out of trouble. He helped raise Corjan and Aiden. And when Spencer left you, he’s the one who got you through to the other side. I think he’s projecting what you went through with Sebastian.”

“You know, I could understand that if he wasn’t so patriarchal about it.”

She grins. “You’d think after all this time he’d know bossing you around is a terrible idea.”

“Right? Because now I just want to date Spencer even harder.”

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