Page 174 of Double Daddies
Scarlett gives me a great big smile. I nervously move on my feet, not knowing what to say.
“Uh, hi?” I whisper.
“Stop making her uncomfortable.” Thorin looks down at her.
I can see the love shining from his face as he gazes at her. Like she is his world and nothing else matters.
“I’m just so excited to meet you! When I heard that Brix and Elijah were taking someone in on short notice, I got a littleexcited. While we have guests come all the time, they are just guests, and I get sad when they leave, but Elijah talked like you were going to stay here,” Scarlett explains.
I look up at Daddy, and he shakes his head.
“I gave no indication that she was going to stay here for the rest of her life. I just said she was coming in very last minute,” Daddy replies. “Don’t you have a rule about not lying?”
Scarlett sticks her tongue out. “You didn’t have to. The way you spoke, while I didn’t hear it right away, it was clear you felt some type of way. And when Brix said you two were going to show her how having two Daddies is better than one, I mean, you can’t lie that you weren’t trying.”
“We were joking,” Papa points out. “We had never met her before, so we weren’t going to push anything on her. I know you don’t know us well, but we would never force anyone to do anything. But then we met her, and everything changed.”
“Where are my manners?” Scarlett completely ignored Papa. “Please, come in.”
They both move back, and I just stare at the door before looking down at my hands. Two of us, let alone three, are going to fit through the door side by side. How else are we going to get through?
“Follow me,” Daddy whispers.
He walks through the door first, me following, and Papa behind me. I let out the breath I was holding as we make it through the door. I didn’t have to let go of their hands.
“Please, sit.” Scarlett points to the couches.
There are two single armchairs and one loveseat. Unease fills my stomach as I look around. I’m not ready to let go of Daddy and Papa’s hands, but there isn’t a place for us to all sit.
“Please sit. Juniper is sleeping upstairs in her room. You don’t have to worry about being quiet. We soundproofed her room and have a baby monitor.” Thorin sits in the armchair,pulling Scarlett into his lap. “We just put her down for a nap, so she’ll be out for at least an hour.”
“We hope.” Scarlett giggles. “She hasn’t been wanting to sleep during the day. Too attached to Daddy. Can’t blame her. I’m attached to him too.”
Before I can think of anything, Papa sits on the loveseat, placing me in his lap as Daddy sits next to him, still holding my hand. I still but quickly relax into his body.
“I don’t know if they told you, but Juniper is my daughter,” Scarlett explains. “She’s almost a month old.”
“Ourdaughter,” Thorin corrects.
“Right, sorry. Sometimes it just feels surreal that you want her as well,” she whispers.
My eyebrows pinch together. Is Juniper not Thorin’s daughter? But I keep quiet, not wanting to ask any questions and stir something up. What if I say the wrong thing, and they both hate me? That is not how I want this to start.
“Scarlett has only been here for a month,” Daddy whispers in my ear.
“Oh!” Scarlett looks at me. “Sorry. I guess not everyone knows. We aren’t keeping it a secret by any means. Juniper isn’t blood-related to my Daddy.”
“H-how—” I clear my throat. “How did you two meet?”
I hold my breath as I wait for her to answer.
“If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to. I just am trying to make conversation because I suck at it, and I don’t want it to be awkward. But I also don’t want to ask the wrong questions, and can someone please silence me,” I beg.
Papa’s arms wrap around me, holding me tight. “Shhh, you’re okay. Take a deep breath. Everything is fine.”
I suck in a breath and look anywhere but at Scarlett and Thorin. I just word-vomited all over them. How embarrassing.
“Oh, I like you,” Scarlett exclaims. “I word-vomited one time, and Daddy didn’t shut me up. He likes it when I do it because I tell him things I normally wouldn’t say.”
