Page 119 of Rebellious

Rubbing my hands together, I sit up straight and bring my other hand under my fist for a base. “Rock—” We both bang our fists down. “Paper—” Slaps sound in the small space of the car. “—scissors, shoot.” On “shoot” we both reveal our weapon. Cade’s hand is flat—a universal sign for paper—and mine is my index and middle finger split apart for the sign for scissors. “Scissors beat paper,” I boast. “Now we’re tied.”

“You’re such a sore loser,” he notes. “We were only supposed to have one round.”

I arch my brows. “Then you shouldn’t have agreed to the best two out of three.”

He’ll never learn. “Last round, winner takes all.”

Just as I ready my hands, the phone rings, coming through the car’s Bluetooth.

“Breck?” Cade says it almost like he’s surprised his wife is calling again, for the tenth time in the past hour. “Is she okay?”

I swallow, the earlier high of kicking Jameson’s ass fading with Breck’s tone. “She’s asking for both of you.”

My heart slams into my chest as Cade punches the gas without another word, sending us racing to the hospital, our game easily forgotten.

Fifteen minutes later, we pull in and I’ve already removed my seatbelt. “Park in the emergency spot.”

Cade ignores me, mumbling, “This isn’t an emergency.”

“Jameson!” I swear. “I will jump out of this car.”

Gripping the steering wheel, Cade’s knuckles turn white before he growls out a, “Fine. Fuck it.”

I nod quickly in agreement. Any other time, I would have congratulated Jameson for not being a vagina, but right now, I have other things on my mind.

Whipping into the emergency spot, Cade and I both jump out and sprint for the door. We’d been practicing our time to get to the third floor for the past two months, but nothing, not even practice, could have prepared us for the crowded waiting room when we exited the stairwell.

“Congratulations,” Hayes says, stepping up to pat me on the back.

I nod, absently looking at a waiting room, more than likely, over capacity.

“Did you guys decide who got to hold him or her first?” Tim asks. Vee’s next to him with a goofy grin on her face.

I shake my head, dazed when Cade speaks up. “We have one more round.”

I swallow and Cade claps me on the shoulder. “You ready to see the newest Jameson, Grandpa?”

He loves to throw that Jameson shit in my face. I tried to tell Aspen she didn’t need to take Bennett’s last name, but she started babbling about contracts and shit. Like her mother, she’s too sentimental for her own good. “Don’t call me that,” I snap at Cade, my shock clearing. “You are Grandpa, not me. I’m G-daddy, the cool one.”

Cade shakes his head, a slight snicker rumbling between us.

“Theo! Cade!” Breck steps out into the hall, the biggest smile I’ve ever seen on her face. “Come on!”

I hesitate and look at Cade.

“You ready?” he asks.

For a moment, I just stand there.

I never thought this would be my life.

If you would have told me that the man who I once hated, would be, not only my neighbor, but my best friend, and who I would eventually share a grandchild with, I would have stabbed you. Cade was a transient; he wasn’t supposed to stay in our lives. He wasn’t supposed to make us love him. He wasn’t supposed to have a son that loved my daughter more than life itself. I wasn’t supposed to love his sons like my own. I wasn’t supposed to enjoy his company or spend the holidays with him and his wife. No, none of this was supposed to happen, and yet, I wouldn’t change a thing.

“Theo?” He squeezes my shoulder. “You all right?”

I narrow my eyes, shaking off the emotions. “Of course, Jameson. I’m not a sap like you.”

“Guys!” Breck interrupts. “Come on.”

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