“I love you,” she says, her arms circling around my waist.
I kiss her head. “I love you, too.”
We finally have everything in the U-Haul, except for a few smaller things Ember asked me to leave for cleaning and staging to put it on the market later this month.
Ember buckles Aria in her car seat, and Atlas jumps into her car. Ember closes the door. “I’ll text you the address, Atlas!” she says before jogging off. Before Atlas backs out, I walk over to the window.
“You doin okay?” I ask her, though I know she won't tell me anything, especially if she hasn’t talked to Ember yet.
“I will be. Life is just hard right now,” she says, looking up at me, hands on the steering wheel.
“We’ve got you, you know.” I make sure she knows we’re here for her and Aria no matter what.
Just then, her phone pings, and it’s Ember texting over the address. “I’ll meet you at the house, yeah?” I ask her.
“Yep, see you soon,” Atlas says quickly, and I swear I see a tear slide down her cheek before she turns away from me, putting her hand on the passenger headrest to check behind her before pulling out.
I jog over to the U-Haul and jump in the driver’s side. Chase is in the middle, and one of the guys is riding in the passenger seat. The other three guys are in one of their tiny bench seat trucks.
I crank on the truck and roll out of the driveway. Chase turns on the radio, and we all sing along toFive Finger Death Punch. We don’t speak until we pull into the driveway with the double garage.
As I hop out of the truck, I see Ember walking into the house with Maggie’s cat carrier. Just as I’m about to walk up the path to the house, Atlas pulls in. I start to head back to her car, but Chase rounds the truck and walks towards her.
“Can I get Aria, for you?” I hear him ask her, and I don’t hear her answer, but I see the back door open and Chase disappears as he bends over to unbuckle Aria.
I walk into the house and Ember is coming down the stairs, a smile across her face. “This doesn’t feel real.”
“It’s real sweet cheeks, and it's ours.” I give her a big wet kiss, sending my tongue into her mouth.
She moans, and my cock starts to harden. “Ember, don’t think I’m above taking you into the master bathroom and breaking it in early,” Itell her, breaking away. I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t surveying her face, to see if that’s exactly what I should do.
Just then, Atlas comes through the door, her jaw dropping, mouth wide open. “Ember, Harley, this is fucking beautiful,” she says, panning from left to right.
“Harley found it,” Ember says, putting a hand on my chest as if she’s proud, and my heart swells. “It’s perfect. It’s got all the little pieces of us in it.”
“I have to agree, honestly. The brick with black shutters and door. You’re kidding,” she says.
“Wait till you see the kitchen.” Ember gives her a shit eating grin. Ember walks down the rest of the stairs and leads her sister into the kitchen to show it off.
“Oh my fucking god, I hate you.” I hear Atlas from the kitchen, just as Chase walks in, Aria passed out on his shoulder.
“You want me to take her?” I ask Chase, who looks uncomfortable with Aria.
“No, I’ve got her. Did Atlas grab her pack and play to lay her down?” he asks, looking around and not seeing it anywhere.
“No, let me run out and grab it and set it up.” I pat his shoulder and head out the door. I open the driver side door, and look for the button to pop open the trunk. Atlas’s phone lays in the seat and lights up with a message reminder that came in two minutes ago.
Asher
I’m sorry, Atlas. I love you.
Sorry for what? I wonder, but don’t want to get caught snooping, so I shove her phone in my pocket before I open the back door to grab Aria’s blankets and diaper bag. I grab the pack and play from the trunk and slam it closed. I jog into the house, and find Chase sitting on the steps waiting.
“Let’s put her in their room,” I tell him. He nods, and we head up. We get to the room Ember deemed Atlas and Aria’s the second time we came to look at it. I throw the bag down, and start setting up the pack and play. Chase stands against the wall, arms still tightly wrapped around Aria’s sleeping body, and he begins rubbing circles on her back.
I struggle for a few minutes, Chase quietly trying to tell me how to do it before Ember and Atlas appear in the doorway. “This hurts,” Atlas says, before waltzing into the room and setting it up within seconds.
“No fair, we don’t have kids,” I tell her. “Yet.” And my eyes land on Ember, my eyebrows wiggling up and down playfully. She lets out a laugh, covering her mouth to try and keep herself quiet.
