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Gabby comes out of the house in her swimsuit and goes straight for the older pool floats, bringing back a lounger. “What’d I miss?”
Maddox grabs the float from her and places it in the water, propping his feet on it to keep it in place while she sits beside him until she can slip down on the float that he’s holding for her. “Landon is moving to California,” he answers her.
“Oh, I knew that,” she blurts out, Maddox’s mouth dropping.
“How did you know?”
“Konnor told me,” she says, as if it’s not anything interesting at all. Everyone is staring at her like she has two heads: Maddox and Riggan, anyway. “Was he not supposed to?”
“Was he not supposed to?” Maddox gapes, repeating the question. “The real question is why didn’t you tell me? I’m your fiancé.”
“Uh, because it doesn’t concern you? Konnor is my friend. Paxtyn is my friend. I’m privy to that information. Like you tell me everything that goes on in the band.”
“I do! What the fuck?” Then he nudges Konnor in the shoulder. “And why didn’t you tell Riggan if you knew? Isn’t he your little tattoo twin or some shit?”
“One, not my shit to tell. Two, like she said, it doesn’t concern me. And three, what the hell does it matter? He’s been living there all year. All he’s actually doing is moving his shit.”
Maddox looks over my head at Landon. “You selling?”
“Yes, to Dad, for Layken and the kids to move closer.”
Maddox lightly slaps Konnor in the back of the head. “That’s what the hell it matters, dipshit. Landon has planned to build by his dad since he was a kid. If he sells everything he has to move for a girl, that’s the one he’s planning to marry. It’s important. Band history—learn it.”
Konnor shakes his head, a smile pulling from the corners of his mouth. When Landon chuckles from behind me, every male eye is pointed his way, even Konnor’s. I take a sip of my drink, ready with my imaginary popcorn to see what the hell is so interesting now. Konnor’s eyes lock on mine. “I don’t think I’ve ever heard him laugh; for sure not like that. What’d you dose him with?”
“Virgin pussy,” Landon answers for me.
The three originals return, “Aye,” in sync with each other. My heart feels warm. I could definitely get used to being around all of them. They’re going places—I’m going to make sure of it.
THIRTEEN
PAXTYN
My eyes pop open to the sound of a baby crying down the stairs. I blink, trying to focus in the dark room. It gets louder, like lungs are backing that cry. That’s going to take some getting used to. My room at home is at the opposite end where everything is quiet, peaceful, and solitary compared to my parents’ room or where my siblings’ was upstairs.
I stare at the ceiling from the middle of the bed, waiting for it to stop. I can sleep through a lot, but not that. Landon’s face is next to my neck where he’s lying on his side with his arm under the pillow, on the side of the bed closest to the wall, farthest from the bedroom door. I feel his warmth every time he exhales, his breath coating my skin.
I glance at my side of the bed, realizing how much empty space is there, and guilt seeps in. I need to figure out a way to sleep like a normal person, on my assigned side. I’ve always slept in the middle. It started when I was little and being scared I would fall off. He can’t possibly have more than a sliver of space beside me, yet he’s sleeping like a rock. He hasn’t even budged over the loud, nonstop crying, which is still going strong.
Do they not hear her? Maybe parents learn to tune it out. For babies to be so cute they are a nuisance in terms of noise when they cry.
I scoot to my side of the bed and touch my phone to light up the screen, glancing at the time. Three in the morning. I’m up now. May as well go hydrate with a bottle of water from the drinking I’ve done today.
I get out of bed and walk to the door. The second it’s open, I leave it ajar. If I have to be awake, his ass is going to be awake too. I miss the basement. As I come down the stairs and hit the second floor, I peek into Chloe’s room as I pass. She’s still crying, almost angry-like, and the only light is what is coming in through the window.
No one is in here. Weird. Should I go knock on their door? It’s closed. I wait for a second to see if anyone comes out or makes noise to imply that maybe they’rebusyand trying to finish, but nothing comes. I mean, I’m up, I guess, and I don’t know what the hell to do, but I could try to calm her. No reason for two to be awake.
I walk in the dark room, seeing the lamp immediately to my left now that my eyes are adjusted. I turn it on and continue toward the crib against the wall facing mine and Landon’s room, giving the room a warm, amber glow.
When I look over the rail, my heart melts a little. She’s so mad her eyes are clenched shut and her mouth is open, her gums the only thing you see. Arms and legs are flailing in her little sleeper. Awe.
I place my hand in the crib and touch it on her belly to avoid scaring her, shaking it a little to get her attention. “Chloe.”
At the sound of my voice, her cry dies a little but doesn’t stop, and her eyes open, those light blues staring at me. That eye color is so rare. It’s almost clear with just a hint of blue, like island water. “Hey, pretty girl.”
Her little legs start kicking in her crib happily, the tip of her tongue inching out. She quietens down a little more. I glance around, still no one in here. My head jerks back to her when she starts to cry again, clearly getting her point across that she wants out of there. A little queen in the making, I’d say.
I reach inside and pick her up, bringing her to my chest and then altering my arms so that one is across her back and one under her bottom, my body doing some weird rocking thing like that’s just what you’re supposed to do when holding a baby. I pull my hair to one side and return my arm, careful not to drop her.
