Page 147 of Twins for Three Bad Boys

I close my eyes.

“It feels like I do.”

His thumb moves slightly back and forth, a small, absent motion.

“You don’t,” he repeats.

“I don’t want this to push you away,” I admit softly.

“It won’t,” he says immediately.

The certainty in his voice cracks something open in my chest.

“You’re not alone in this, June,” he adds.

It feels different hearing it from him.

Serious. Relationship serious.

He reaches for the throw blanket and drapes it over me without comment.

“Stay put,” he says. “If you get sick again, I’d rather not have you sprinting around the house.”

I huff a weak laugh.

“Yes, sir.”

His mouth twitches, but he doesn’t move away. He stays there, shoulder brushing mine, hand resting on my knee.

And finally, I don’t feel I’m fighting this by myself.

It scares me how much that matters.

CHAPTER TWENTY-EIGHT

Fletcher

Wayne doesn’t call in late.

Wayne’s never late, and I can’t recall the last time he took the day off. Even with difficult days with Evan, he makes it to work with the help of his mom.

So when my phone rings at 7:12 a.m., I know something’s off before I even answer.

“Yeah?” I say, already pushing myself out of bed.

“I won’t be in until later,” Wayne says.

“Okay,” I reply. “Everything alright?”

My mind spins. I panic, thinking about the emails and everything going wrong. What’s gone horribly wrong overnight?

A beat.

“I’m taking June to the doctor.”

“She sick?” I ask.

“She’s been throwing up. Dizzy. I don’t like it.”