I check the time and see I have about an hour before everyone shows up for lunch. Today’s the first day we’re letting everyone over at once after having Amethyst. I slowly make my way out of bed and to the shower. After I’m finished getting ready, I head down the stairs and hear voices coming from the back patio.
“Hey, guys,” I greet Reed, Sage, Keaton, and Morgan. “Where’s Tinsley?” I ask no one in particular.
“She had a breakfast date, and he’s supposed to drop her off,” Reed grumbles, rubbing his thumb along Amethyst’s cheek while Sage holds her in her arms.
“We talked about this. She’s a big girl and can go out with whoever she wants.” Sage sighs.
“Doesn’t mean we have to like it,” Keaton grumbles while playing with Morgan’s hair as she’s sprawled on his lap.
Sterling pulls me down onto his lap and runs his nose along my neck. “How was your shower? Feeling all right?”
“I’m perfect,” I tell him softly.
“Finley tell you when he’s headed back this way?” Keaton asks Sterling. After graduation, he took off, eating and fucking his way through Europe.
“When I asked, he blew me off.” Sterling rubs his face. “Honestly, who knows when we’ll see him again.”
“Honey, I’m home! Give me my baby!” Tinsley yells.
“Wash your hands!” everyone shouts in unison.
The water turns on and off before Tinsley makes her way out.
“Hey, T, who’s your friend?” I ask.
“Oh, this is Brodie.” Tinsley goes through the introductions.
“Can I borrow your phone real fast?” I ask Sterling.
He hands it over without question, and I pull up the camera. “Everyone smile,” I tell them as I take a picture of all of us. You can see that I’m sitting on Sterling, Sage is curled into Reed who is now holding Amethyst, Keaton and Morgan are still cuddled up, and Tinsley is sitting close to Brodie with his hand resting on her crossed legs.
“Perfect.” I smile wickedly.
I pull up the gram and post the photo, labeling it family brunch.
“He’s not family,” Sterling says softly with a head nod toward Brodie.
“No, but I’m sure he might light a fire under Finley’s ass to come home.” I smirk.
“God, I love you, you evil woman.” He laughs.
“I love you too.”
If you would have told me this time last year, I would have Sterling Brooks all to myself, I would have thought you were crazy. If you would have told me we would have a month-old daughter, I would have laughed out loud. But here we are, happier than I could have ever dreamed possible. I wonder what will happen in the next 365 days…
Sterling’s phone vibrates.
Finley: Who the fuck is touching Tinsley?
The end.