Page 96 of Shattered Souls
“You think, Logan?” Riley retorts, still staring dumbfounded at the mountain of stuff.
“Dude, did you buy out the entire store?” Royce chuckles.
Rubbing at the back of my neck, I’m starting to feel uncomfortable as fuck. “We were having such a good time. I just wanted to make her smile.”
Riley finally tears her eyes away to look at me, her mouth closing as an empathetic smile graces her lips. She wraps her arms around my waist, and unable to resist touching this woman, I envelop her in a hug.
She simply breathes me in for a second before looking up, her chin resting on my chest. “Thank you. I’m sure she had a blast with you today, and it means so much to me. The stuff is… a lot. And she definitely doesn’t need it, but I’m sure it made her day. She’s used to my mom not caring and me having to say no ’cause I can’t afford it.” Tears sting her eyes, and I squeeze her tighter. “I hated seeing her smile dim every time I disappointed her, and while I don’t want her to become spoiled, I equally want her to have everything she’s missed out on.”
Bending my head, I kiss the top of her head. “I don’t believe for one second that you’ve ever disappointed that girl. She loves you. You’re all she truly needs. That, ice cream, and something called a princess castle doll house that I promised Grayson would help her build.”
“Great,” Grayson grouses in a low voice. “Exactly what I wanted to do.” He’s complaining, but there’s no real annoyance in his tone. Dude just has issues showing his softer emotions. I’m hoping Aurora will be able to help him with that.
Riley’s shoulders shake with silent laughter. Pressing onto her toes, she lifts her head and plants her lips on mine. It’s intended as a quick peck, but not giving two shits about the two assholes watching us, I slide my hand to the back of her head and hold her there as I deepen it.
As my tongue parts her lips and I fall into her essence, I know I could do this for the rest of my life. Shopping with Aurora.Roping my best friends into girly shit they want no part of. Coming home to Riley every night.
“Thank you for looking after her today,” Riley murmurs when she pulls back.
“Anytime, Shortcake. I loved hanging out with her and getting to know her better. You’ve raised one hell of a kid.” I stroke my thumb over her heated cheek as she ducks her head before pulling away.
“Please tell me what’s in the living room is everything you bought,” she teases.
“Uhh…”
“Logan!” she chastises, but she’s grinning too brightly to be truly annoyed. “Where are we even going to put all of this?” she asks, facing the mountain of bags and boxes. I don’t even remember what’s in half of them.
“We’ll figure it out,” Royce assures her.
She glances back at him over her shoulder before flicking her gaze to Grayson and arching an eyebrow. “Are you sure you still want us to live here, now that you’ve seen how much baggage a three-year-old comes with?”
Royce merely smirks. “I’m ninety-nine percent certain most of this isLogan’sbaggage.”
Undeterred, Riley waves in the general direction of the living room before turning her back on it. Arms folded across her chest, she’s a warrior as she stands tall against the three of us. “It’s not just thestuff. Three-year-olds are hard workandexhausting. You’re all in your senior year. You should be out partying and enjoying your last few months of freedom.”
Eliminating the bit of space between them, Royce’s chest bumps against Riley’s, effectively pushing her back into me. Grayson steps up beside him, so the three of us crowd her. My hands fall to her hips, steadying her, and I like the feel of her sandwiched between us. She’s so much smaller than us that shehas to tilt her head back, and something about the sight gets all my blood pumping due south.
Grayson’s voice is gravel as he drawls indifferently, “What has given you the idea any of us want to go out and party?”
“What about studying? How are you going to study with a screaming kid running around?” She’s grasping at straws, and based on the way her hands shake with anxiety, she knows it. She’s scared. Looking for any reason to push us away, but what Riley has yet to comprehend fully is that we’re not fucking leaving.
None of us.
Not now.
Not in five years.
Notever.
We’re all in when it comes to her and her kid.
And in due time, she’ll realize that.
“Probably the same way you’re going to study,” Royce counters unwaveringly. “We have the schedule and factored in everyone’s extracurriculars. We can study at the library if we need to. Got any more excuses you want to try, Babydoll?”
She glares at him, and I have to bite back my laugh.
After a moment, her gaze flickers to Grayson. “What about you?” She doesn’t sound as fierce now, but I understand that she needs to be sure. That she needs to hear it to believe it.
