Page 63 of Pretend it’s Forever

Of course, Isabella immediately answered Kyler, pushing at him in the lovable way that the eldest daughter did, and I met Emily’s gaze.

She rolled her eyes, yet gave me a concerned look at the same time.

Because we were here for numerous reasons. The fact that Kyler was back in town, the concept that our families actually liked being with one another, and because they were all worried about me.

When I had texted the girl group chat that I needed them, they had all shown up in full force.

The girls had run to me, talking a mile a minute, and I had held back my tears and pain until they had gone down for their naps. And then I had fallen into Isabella’s arms and confessed it all.

My being with Carson, the promise that we would never want each other for more than we had.

The idea that I had failed so wholeheartedly that I had fallen in love with a man who could never love me back.

He had said so. It wasn’t like he had ever lied to me. And that was the hardest part. Because no, he didn’t love me. He never would, and I needed to be okay with that.

It was on me that I wanted more, and these feelings were my problem. Not his.

I wasn’t allowed to hate him for my own failures. Of course, explaining that to Isabella was impossible. Because she had merely glared at me and promised to cut Carson’s balls off.

That was a big sister for you.

And while I knew Kyler visited, I had a feeling that one, if not all of my sisters and sisters-in-law had contacted Kyler to tell him that I needed him.

Of all of my siblings, sometimes I felt like Kyler and I were the closest. It wasn’t always the case. He had a special connection with each one of us, just like I did with my sisters—and now the brothers I had never known about before the will reading.

None of them were here today, but it wasn’t because we didn’t want them here. It just so happened that this family meeting had been this group.

All of our brothers had been invited, but each had had plans, or had promised to try to show up later.

Because we were a family, and we loved each other.

Something my father would’ve hated. That made me smile, and perhaps I was a terrible person in thinking that, but I didn’t care. Just like Cale, my father had tried to break me. And maybe he succeeded in some ways, but like Kyler, I had found my own future and ways to breathe. Kyler and I were artists—something that had always pained me to even say. I didn’t like the concept of being an artist at first because I had my father’s voice in my head. But my mother had been the one to push us, to prove to us that we could do anything—even if we hadn’t known why she had been so sad sometimes.

And now here I was, a teacher rather than an artist, and my brother had sold-out shows all over the world with people clamoring to be part of his life.

I was pretty sure our father would’ve hated every bit of this. Perhaps that’s why I liked it so much. Call me petty.

My phone buzzed and I looked down at the read-outs, realizing that the childcare video app had alerted me, and my girls were up from their nap.

“Oh, I’ll be right back,” I said, and each one of my siblings gave me a worried look. “The girls are up.”

“Here, let me help.” Kyler set down his beer, ran his hands over his jeans, and followed me down the hall to the nursery.

A nursery that he had put in the moment I had told him I was pregnant, because he wanted to be the best uncle there was. Of course, he had to fight for that title with the rest of our brothers, but he was doing a decent job of it. Each one of my siblings had space in their homes—however large their homes may be—in order to have space for the next generation. I walked into the small nursery and looked at the tiny beds that were set up on one side, and the cribs on the other.

“You know, one day you may run out of space with the way the Cages procreate,” I teased.

Kyler rolled his eyes. “You say that, but I feel like there’s a slight break. I don’t plan on having kids anytime soon, and I think the rest of the newlyweds are taking their time. That gives me more space to spoil your baby girls, as well as Stone and Micah.”

I leaned into my brother, hugged him tight, and he gripped me so hard I was afraid he might bruise me for an instant, but then he kissed the top of my head, and I shook it off. Kyler had his own demons, he always had. There was a reason there was so much emotion and guttural rage and pain in some of his music. We all had our own paths and burdens, and mine happened to be my choice in men.

Cale hadn’t called me or contacted our lawyers since that last time, and I was forever grateful. Maybe he had given up wanting a weekend with the girls, and that would be just fine with me. I didn’t want to deal with him, or his needs. I was done dealing with the man at all.

“Hey there, my little rock stars,” Kyler said with a wide grin, and sidled up to my girls. They jumped up and down on the bed, and even as I frowned at them, they didn’t care.

“Uncle Kyler!” Violet squealed, and Hazel jumped without fear, and her uncle caught her.

Kyler picked up Violet as well, hung them both on his hips, and began to spin in circles.