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“Exactly.” Declan looks away. “It feels stupid to be after we got everything we wanted…”
“I feel the same way, especially after he told me Grandpa gave him a choice to make amends with us and still picked himself.”
“Not surprised.” Rowan’s lip curls.
Declan’s shoulders tense. “Even after all this time and everything we’ve been through, it’s hard to accept your father is a selfish piece of shit.”
“Tell me about it. I’m the one who spent half of my life in therapy trying to.” My smile doesn’t reach my eyes.
Rowan snorts a laugh. “At least one of us got help for our daddy issues.”
“Consider that two.” Declan shakes Rowan’s hand off his shoulder and heads toward the elevator.
Rowan’s mouth drops open. “You’regoing to therapy?”
“Don’t tell me you haven’t considered it.” Declan shoots him a look.
Rowan shakes his head. “I’ll stick to living vicariously through you.”
“Coward.”
Declan shares all the baby facts he has learned over the last few weeks during the drive over to an Italian spot he loves. Never in my life did I think I would hear my brother gushing about having a kid, but I’m happy for him and Iris. After all the shit Declan has been through, he deserves a chance at being the kind of father we wished for.
So do you.
The reminder has me calling Lana from the bathroom so I can wish her and Cami a goodnight.
Once our waitress drops off our waters and takes our orders, Rowan starts talking about the upcoming Dreamland renovation and the land he and Zahra worked on together with the Creators team.
I ask Rowan more questions than usual, earning a bright smile from him.
Declan turns to me. “I’m proud of you.”
“Of me? What for?”
His brown eyes lighten. “For so many different things, but most of all for how far you’ve come in such a short amount of time. It makes me happy to see you happy and…free.”
My throat tightens. “Who knew you were such a sap?”
“What can I say? Iris’s pregnancy hormones must be rubbing off on me.”
Rowan snorts. “I don’t think that’s how it works.”
“Fuck off. This is exactly why I never say anything nice.” Declan throws his balled-up paper straw wrapper at Rowan’s face.
“Fine. My turn.” Rowan lifts his water in the air. “I’d like to make a toast to us finally achieving our dreams.”
I tap my glass against his. “And the women who helped us along the way.”
After dinner with my brothers, I don’t stop driving until I reach the lake house at midnight. I’m careful not to make much noise as I disarm the alarm and walk up the stairs. Lana and I claimed the newly configured master as our bedroom, which happens to be on the opposite side of the second floor, far from Cami’s room.
Lana lies in the middle of the bed, curled up with a pillow tucked between her arms. Moonlight pours through the curtain she left open, illuminating the curves of her face. I lean down to kiss the top of her head. She doesn’t stir, so I take the opportunity to shower prior to getting in bed.
The mattress dips under my weight as I crawl underneath the covers.
“Hey,” she rasps as she turns around to face me. “What time is it?”
I wrap my arms around her and tuck her against me. “Late.”
