Page 139 of Playbook
Brother.
The word hits different tonight. They didn’t do anything different. They’ve always shown up for me, always treated me like one of them. I guess I just feel it now. We’re not blood, but we’re family. The family you choose, the ones who choose you back, are so much harder to find.
We spend the next hour catching up. Flynn lets us pepper him with questions about school and baseball. Knox fills us in on how he plans to spend the off-season doing freestyle and hanging out every free second with Avery, Hendrick is all smiles and constantly turning the new wedding band on his left ring finger. It’s nice. I missed them and I don’t want to go this long without seeing each other again.
When the conversation comes to a lull, I take London’s hand under the table for encouragement and then decide to tell them the news.
Releasing her hand so I can sign as I speak, I say,“I, uh, have some news.”
“You already got married, didn’t you?”Hendrick asks, looking between me and my girl.
“We just literally watched them get back together.”Knox shakes his head atour older brother then me.“I’m betting there’s a baby involved, or maybe you’re a throuple instead of a couple.”
Archer starts coughing on his drink.
“Kiiiidding.”Knox grins.
London’s brows rise. “I’m not pregnant.”
I glance at her. “That’s more important to clarify than the fact you’re not also sleeping with Arch?”
“I mean…” She shrugs. “You two are close and the three of us hang out a lot. I can see where people would think that.”
“We’re not a throuple.”I glare at everyone around the table.
“Eh…” Knox keeps on smiling, the smug bastard.“I took my best shots.”
“I’m pretty sure I have a sister,”I say before they can come up with any other ridiculous ideas.
“A sister?”Hendrick leans forward.“How?”
I tell them what I know. How Sabrina was adopted as a baby and grew up in Flagstaff. And the letter and texts that I ignored, thinking it was another scam from someone just wanting money. London squeezes my fingers, silently supporting me. But the truth is it doesn’t hit me with the same sort of pain that I thought it would.
Not with these five. They’re my family, and family loves you no matter what.
I’ve always hesitated in planning things and instead let them come to me because I guess I felt like I was inconveniencing them in some way, but before they leave, I make sure we’ve got some solid dates for Christmas while Flynn is home and Archer and I have a few days off.
And if I had any reservations about them all liking London, though the thought didn’t even cross my mind honestly, it’s obvious they do by the way they each hug her and then me on the way out the door.
The three of us, Archer, London, and myself, head back to my apartment. Archer gives us a salute and heads off to his bedroom, and then it’s just me and the most gorgeous woman in the world.
“So…” I take both her hands and swing them between us. “What should we do now?”
“Hmm…” Smirking, she glances up as she thinks. “Maybe we should go to bed.”
“Yeah, sure, we could do that.” It’s after midnight, but I’m wired. Totally fine though. I’ll just stare at her while she sleeps. That’s not strange, right?
She leans in and brushes her lips over mine then says, “I’ve been dying to really test out the sturdiness of the bed.”
“I love you,” I blurt out.
She startles, smiling.
I wince, but fuck it. “Not because you want me to fuck you hard enough to break a bed. Or not just because of that.”
She laughs.
“Thank you for showing up for me tonight and for wanting to know all of me. I’m not good at opening up about my family, but I will if you still want to hear it.”
