Page 44 of The Rocker

I giggled because this was Walker. He was so damn sweet to me. “We could come here on vacation. We don’t have to live here. You might change your mind after traveling more.”

“I won’t change my mind.” He was so determined, but I didn’t understand why.

“How can you say that?”

“Because this place is special.” He said, pulling me impossibly closer.

I couldn’t disagree that it was special, but there were plenty of places that were special or would be.

“It is, but— “

“I love you, Pen, and I want to spend the rest of my life with you.”

I wanted to respond, to react, but before I could open my mouth, someone pounded on the door. “Hurry up, you two. Our food is going to get cold,” Cross shouted.

And what I didn’t want to happen happened in that moment. My worst nightmare came to life.

CHAPTERTWENTY-ONE

walker

Penelope shookbeside me as we walked back to the table. I held her hand in mine and rubbed my thumb over the back of her trying to soothe her. “It’s going to be okay.”

“How can you say that?” She hissed.

I didn’t know for sure, but Cross and Kenton were like brothers to me. Albeit brothers I’d never had since I was an only child, but they were my real family, and your real family didn’t fuck you over.

Kenton had the widest smile I’d ever seen plastered on his face as we stepped up to the table. “Ah, there’s the happy couple. Are you going sit down so we can eat, or are you just going to stand there and stare at us?”

I pulled out Pen’s chair and waited for her to sit before I took the seat beside her. She looked green and as if she was about ready to throw up at any moment. Taking her hand back in mine, I tried my best to let her know we were in this together. I was slightly worried she might call it off now that they knew. She hadn’t said she loved me back in the bathroom, not that she had a chance before Cross knocked on the door. I narrowed my eyes at him, pissed he’d ruined the moment. Perhaps the bathroom wasn’t the best place to profess my love to her. I had wanted to wait until we got back to the hotel, but the words slipped out of their own volition. I started to open my mouth to tell them they couldn’t say anything, but Pen beat me to the punch.

“Please don’t say anything,” came out her small, tortured words.

Kenton scoffed while Cross looked personally affronted by her words.

Cross started piling his plate full of the food that had arrived while we’d been in the bathroom. Maybe our quickie wasn’t so quick after all. “If we haven’t said anything before, why would we start now?”

Pulling our joined hands onto the table, I leaned forward with my elbows anchoring me to the spot. “What do you mean by that?”

“Did you really think we didn’t know?” Cross laughed before shoving a forkful of food in his mouth.

It made no sense. These guys didn’t know how to keep their mouths shut about anything. “Why didn’t you say something if you knew?”

“Because you obviously wanted to keep it a secret,” Cross rolled his eyes at me like I was an idiot.

“Why do you think I made the comment about incest earlier?” Kenton said, looking back and forth between us. “If we’re a happy family, it’s with you as the dad and Pen as our MILF of a mom, of course.”

“Don’t even,” I growled.

“Oh, this is going to be so fun,” Kenton laughed, and Cross joined in.

“Does Greer know?” Pen asked quietly. She was still shaking by my side. Moving my chair closer to hers, I wrapped my arm around her and gave her a squeeze.

“Oh, if he knew, he would have let you know.” Cross’s mouth turned into a thin line. “It would be best if he never found out.”

“Especially if you want to keep it a secret,” Kenton chimed in.

“I don’t want to lose my job, and if Cristiano finds out, then…” Tears welled up in her golden eyes as she looked around the table at all of us.

---