Page 79 of Pastel Kisses

“Yeah,” I breathe. “I meant it. Every word.”

Kam’s smile spreads slowly, that signature smirk turning into something soft and sincere. Behind him, Lennox makes a strangled sound like he’s trying not to cry, while Liam mutters something about needing to find a ring pop. Jaxton, ever the drama king, wipes away a tear and sniffs.

I roll my eyes, but my chest is full to bursting.

Because this? This chaos, this love, this beautifully tangled family—it’s everything. Everything I never knew I needed… but now, can’t imagine living without.

I reach for Kam’s hand and squeeze it, then look around the room at all of them. “I love you,” I say, voice strong and clear now. “All of you. So yeah, I meant it. You’re stuck with me.”

Kam leans in and kisses me—barbecue sauce and all—slow and reverent, like I’ve just handed him something sacred.

And maybe… I did.

CHAPTER TWENTY-SIX

Jaxton

Adeep breath slips from my lips as I sink into the couch, my heart brimming with contentment. I just carried Avery to bed—our bed—and I still can’t quite believe she’s here. Safe. Breathing.Ours.

The reality of it doesn’t fully register. My brain keeps playing tricks, whispering that I’ll blink and this will all vanish—that she’ll be gone again, ripped away like some cruel nightmare that never ends. But no, she’s here. Curled up under our blankets, belly round and beautiful, sleeping peacefully. And that belly? That’s our baby in there.

We’re going to be dads.

The thought is overwhelming in the best and worst ways. Joy crashes headfirst into guilt, and I’m left with this mess of emotions clawing at my chest. I should’ve been there. I should’ve known. The fact that she was kidnapped—chained like some prisoner—and forced to face her pregnancy alone while Sarah spun her web of insanity… it eats me alive. That she nearly had our baby stolen from her, fromus, right when she was close to deliver? It’s not just messed up. It’s fucking evil.

And we weren’t there to stop it—even though I was in that damn house with her and didn’t even realize it. I should’ve felt something… should’ve known she was close. Should’ve sensed her.

That failure will haunt me forever. I’ll carry it like a scar no one can see but never fully forget. But I swear, with every breath left in my body, I’ll never let her feel that alone again. None of us will.

Because she said yes.

She said she’d marry us.Marry us. I didn’t think I could possibly love her more, but the moment those words left her lips, something inside me detonated. A primal kind of pride. A feral need to protect, provide, and worship the ground she walks on. She’s not just our girl—she’s oureverything.

“Hey.” Liam nudges my shoulder, breaking me out of the spiral I’ve been quietly slipping into. “You get her to bed all right?”

I scrub a hand down my face, letting out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. “Yeah. She’s tucked in like Ma used to say—snug as a bug in a rug.” I try to mimic her sing-song tone, and it earns a soft chuckle from around the room. A much-needed crack of levity.

Kam settles deeper into the chair across from me, a quiet intensity in his expression. “What did the detective want earlier?” His voice is low, careful, like he already knows the answer but needs to hear it out loud.

We haven’t told Avery about the call. She’s been through enough, and stressing her out right now isn’t an option. Not when she’s finally safe, sleeping in our bed—hers, again—carrying our child.

“They still haven’t found Sarah,” I admit, my voice tight. “No sightings. No new leads. It’s like she vanished into thin air.”

My chest tightens. The idea of that woman still out there, watching, waiting, maybe plotting her next move—it makes my blood run cold.

“Security’s locked down,” Kam says, reading the panic behind my silence. “We’ve got a guy outside, one in the hallway, and two more near the elevators. I spoke with the head of security myself. Nobody’s getting close.”

“Thanks, man.” I exhale again and lean back, letting my head rest against the couch cushion. All I want to do is climb into bed next to Avery—feel her warmth, her heartbeat, the solid proof that she’s really here.

“We’re gonna have to tell her soon,” Lennox adds, swirling the last sip of whiskey in his glass. “She’s not fragile, Jax. Keeping her in the dark… you’ve done that before, and it didn’t end well.”

Liam hums his agreement. “I don’t want to be on the receiving end of that fallout, especially not now. She deserves the truth.”

I nod, knowing they’re right. Even if my instincts scream to protect her at all costs, I can’t shield her from everything—not if we want her to trust us completely.

“Yeah. In the morning,” I say, sitting up a little straighter. “I just wanted to give her these first few days to breathe. To feel normal again.”

Lennox leans forward, elbows on his knees. “She’ll appreciate it, man. But she’ll appreciate honesty more.”

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