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The house gets full very quickly, and it’s not just Iris’s two mates who are disheartened that the twin boys aren’t here—mine are, too.
The men all start to chat, their boisterous energy changing the atmosphere, and not in a good way for me. Talia takes off her long coat and comes over to sit with Ben, Seb, and I.
Her long blonde hair is braided, and she’s wearing a very pretty pink dress that separates her looks from Iris. She’s so elegant as she sits and crosses her legs, and her smile is warm, but also a little tense.
“Where are my nephews?” Ben demands.
“They’re at a playdate,” Talia says, smiling at Ben’s pout. “Sorry, baby brother. Next time, they’ll be here, too. They’re desperate to see Phoebe again.”
Ben shrugs. “Just means Phoebe can get all of the attention this time then, I suppose.”
Talia nods, moving over to sit down on the empty sofa. She sniffs and looks around the room. “Where’s Iris?”
“Outside, getting yelled at by Cade,” Ben says with a smirk.
“He’s not yelling at her,” Aaron says with a roll of his eyes. He moves from the group of men and comes to sit down next to Talia.
Phoebe whines, and Seb moans but hands her over to me with a very reluctant offer.
“Sorry,” I say, laughing at my grouchy mate. I unzip the section of my dress that opens to my boob and unsnap my bra, feeding my nipple through the opening.
Phoebe latches immediately, and I look up to see Talia frowning at me as the men have all turned even further away.
I sigh and look down at Phoebe instead. It’s my house—sort of—I shouldn’t feel so uncomfortable. I don’t understand why I do.
Before they came over the first time, Alex told me how they were excited to meet me, and yet, the first time, they were a little hostile. More concerned with each other than me, and that’s fine.
It really was.
But today, it’s been a little more one-on-one, and it’s been rough for me having such hostility from Iris, and then from Talia. Iris’s men have been lovely, but Talia’s haven’t said more than a few words to me.
I hear the backdoor open, and Iris storms through, with Cade hot on her heels. I peek at her from under my eyelashes, and she comes to a sudden stop, anger still simmering in her gaze, before smiling at her sister.
They reunite, hugging and grinning, and the guys all roll their eyes. Seb tugs me in even closer to him as Cade enters the room.
He seems a lot less happy than his mate, but he greets Seb, Lyle, and Kyle before coming to sit near me.
“So, Maia, how the fuck—how the…” He trails off, narrowing his eyes as he tries to think over how to word it without swearing. “How did you find these guys?”
“We found her,” Alex says, winking at me.
“No, we found her,” Ben says, gesturing to Seb and himself. “You fuckers would’ve been oblivious if it wasn’t for me.”
“Oh, yes,” Alex says, snorting. “You could’ve kept her entire existence a secret if it weren’t for Seb being there and ruining it.”
“Exactly.”
I giggle, and Ben rolls his eyes.
“I didn’t even realise you were living up here,” Cade says. His gaze hardens slightly. “I’m truly sorry for your loss, Maia. I wish I was able to see you at the funeral.”
I give him a tense smile. “It was a busy day. I just appreciate you going.”
“I had great respect for your mum,” he says. “I wish I could have?—”
“Okay,” Talia calls, everyone falling silent. Cade sighs, mouthing “later” at me, again.
“Can everyone come and grab the trays from the car so that I can get dinner served?” She claps her hands, and I watch in amusement as most of the men get up to go grab food.
