Page 87 of Between the Stars

I nearly flinch when he says it. I look at Abbi. She’s scowling, every inch of her tense, her jaw clenched. My adrenaline peaks and I lose my shit. I’ve kept quiet this entire time. Until now. “That’s enough,” I bark, hitting my fist to the table. “She doesn’t owe you a fucking thing. She doesn’t need to bail you out of your shit.”

Abbi grimaces and Kevin’s eyes shoot to mine. And they… soften. He realizes his fuck up immediately and the slump of Abbi’s posture next to me and the glossy eyes.

“You’re the dad?”

“I am.” I don’t know where the hell this feeling in my chest comes from, but I don’t appreciate it. It’s making it hard to take a breath, and where the fuck is that waiter? I ordered that drink a while ago.

Unintentionally, I scan the restaurant, searching for the black-haired motherfucker who promised me the whiskey and didn’t deliver.

It’s when I see the tears in Abbi’s eyes that I know I need to up my game. I know this girl beside me. I know the sighs and smiles, the meaning behind the break in her voice and the goose bumps on her skin when I touch her. I know when she’s happy, or sad, and if there’s a spark in her eyes. For me, she’s an open book, and no matter how hard she fights to keep her emotions from showing, I know what she’s thinking. She’s terrified or the two across from us judging out situation. And maybe that’s why I never stepped up for so long, and she let me remain in the shadows.

But… it needs to change.

Clearing my throat, I rest my arm on the table. “I am the dad, but more importantly…” Exhaling, I move my hand to cup the back of my neck. I thought I was prepared for this conversation, but I hadn’t expected this. “I’m in love with her.”

I don’t dare look at Abbi but I stare at Kevin. He notes my posture and the intent in my words. He nods. Part of me is hoping for his wrath, his disappointment. But I don’t get that. I get a nod. It might not be approval, but it’s more than I’ve gotten before.

“I know we didn’t go about this the conventional way,” Abbi notes, reaching for my left hand. I don’t feel her touch as much as I wish I did, but it’s enough reassurance my body unintentionally begins to relax and I loosen my fists. The waiter finally delivers my drink and I down it in one swift move, squinting at the burn. Abbi strokes the back of my hand with her fingers when she says, “I couldn’t marry Griff. And I know that destroyed your partnership with them, but I shouldn’t be held responsible for that. Neither should Rhett. You’ve given us burdens we don’t deserve as your children.”

The words sink in, and if I had to guess, Kevin Lockett has known this for some time, but he didn’t know a way out. Something happens when you rely on others to fix your mistakes. You become dependent, unintentionally or intentionally. I don’t think his motives were to hurt his children, but they ended up down that road because he let it.

Abbi’s mother reaches for her hand. “I’m happy for both of you.” Her eyes meet mine. “You deserve happiness, and if that’s together, I can’t wait to see what you two become.”

“Parents,” I mumble, feeling the whiskey burn in my throat and the lightness in my head finally. “We become parents.”

Abbi laughs off my comment and the conversation eases into the baby. She doesn’t mention there’s two and I’m not sure why, but I also don’t correct her. Maybe one surprise at a time, because if we’re being honest, I’m still trying to wrap my mind around the sudden changes.

We leave the restaurant not long after, me two whiskeys in, and hungry because I didn’t eat anything, and Abbi quiet.

“Come and Get Your Love” by Redbone is playing over the speakers outside the restaurant and I grab a hold of Abbi’s hand, twirling her to face me. I sway playfully to the music, grinning as I sing to her, my face buried in her neck.

She wraps her arms around my shoulders, moving with me. She knows I don’t care what anyone else is thinking about our public display. They can suck my nut sac. This girl needs a reminder that all this other shit doesn’t matter. We do.

“Let go,” I whisper, swaying faster and pulling back to dance in front of her. She bites her bottom lip, her eyes drifting up and down my frame but the grin surfaces. I make a complete fucking fool of myself in the street, but you know what’s worth it?

The laughter emitting from her lips as she holds her stomach with one hand, maybe instinctively, maybe because she’s wanting them to know I’ve lost my mind. I have, for their mother.

Laughing, I stop my public display of insanity when onlookers start cheering for me. “Come get your love,” I tell her, motioning her forward with a curl of my finger.

She resists.

I slip my hand into hers and yank her to my side with a possessive edge. “What do you want to hear?”

She blinks rapidly, her eyes glazed over. Her eyes lift to mine before dropping to my lips. “That it’s all going to be okay.”

I laugh and open the door to my Jeep. “See? Now you’re lying to yourself.”

“Jace,” she whines, tugging on my hand. She refuses to get in and I back her up against the side of the vehicle, no space between us.

“You want me to lie to you?”

“If you have to,” she breathes, lashes fluttering. The street light shines down on us, yellow hues dancing over her pink cheeks.

A sudden gust of wind tangles her red locks in her face. Reaching up, I brush strands from her face, the sweep of my thumb on her jaw drawing her eyes to mine. “I lied to you for too long. I won’t do it anymore. Life isn’t easy, darlin’. It’s not meant to be.” Leaning in, I run my nose along her jaw. “I can tell you I love you, and I’m in this.” I drop my head to her shoulder and turn my head, kissing up the side of her neck. “And I hope you believe me. Don’t let anyone make you feel like what we’re doing is wrong. It’s not.”

CHAPTER37

Right where I need to be

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