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Nodding, I give them a quick hug. “I should go before they organize a search party. Or,” I roll my eyes, “track my ass down. Greg had a tracker implanted under my skin.”
Tori’s jaw drops. “Please tell me that you asked him to. Greg is way too fucking comfortable telling people what to do,” she grumbles.
Giggling, I shake my head. “Oh, I made him do it. There’s too many people who want to make me disappear, I refuse to make it easy for them,” I tell them, bearing my teeth.
“I really fucking like you,” Tesa says with a smile that matches mine.
As fucked up as today is, at least I know for sure I’m pregnant, even if I have no idea where to go from here.
27
ORION
Ikeep a close eye on Lennon on Christmas Day. Even though she’s smiling, it doesn’t reach her eyes, and I want to know why.
She had a therapy appointment yesterday, and her eyes were really red when we came in from finishing her porch. I think she had some residual emotions, because she burst into tears when she saw her porch. Waving us off when we looked at her in horror, and telling us she was fine.
Lennon’s family dropped in early this morning, and they’re staying until tomorrow morning. Layla’s mouth drops when she sees the house and Lennon giggles, then takes her, Atlas and Mav on a tour.
Layla and Lennon spend an hour on the porch afterwards with coffee as they catch up, though Mav and Atlas don't look upset in the least.
“Damn, I really do love gossip though,” Atlas says, watching them through the window as he hangs out in the living room with us.
Derek rolls his eyes, but smiles. It’s hard to not smile around Atlas, because he definitely has golden retriever energy.
“I have a feeling they need time to catch up,” Jordan murmurs. “Lennon’s had a lot going on, and we’ll have some tough decisions to make moving forwards.”
For a second, I wonder if he knows that Lennon may be pregnant, and watch him out of the corner of my eye. Derek, Turner and Roark also watch him curiously. Jordan has weird spidey senses when it comes to people.
“The label emailed me asking what the plans are forThe Darkest Nights, and while I refuse to talk about business today, we do need to sit down and chat,” Jordan murmurs.
Lennon and Layla stand with smiles, but it doesn’t escape my notice that they both brush tears from their cheeks. That must have been an intense sister chat.
“Here they come, men,” Mav murmurs, standing. “I’m getting hungry, which means the O’Reilly girls will be soon. Want to help me whip up some breakfast, Roark?”
Roark nods, following Mav out of the room. It speaks volumes that they’re so in tune with each other. I’m glad they’re here to keep Lennon distracted from whatever worries she has.
The morning passes quickly with chatter and catching up. I’m pulled easily into the chaos, even though I haven’t celebrated Christmas in years. Greg even stops by to say hello around noon.
“Hey, Merry Christmas,” Lennon says with a smile. Even here, she looks tired, though she’s attempting to push through it.
Greg’s eyes say he picked up the same vibe, but smiles back. “You didn’t get a chance to decorate the house for the holidays, so I wanted to invite you over. The kids are running around like crazy on sugar highs from candy canes, but if you can handle that, you’re welcome. Tori and Tesa are making hot chocolate laced with bourbon to get them through it.”
Roark and Turner smirk, which makes sense because they lived with them for a few months. “Are you up for it, Lenny?” Roark asks and she immediately nods.
“Yeah, it’ll be fun,” she says with a shrug.
We trek over, and I hang back, walking with Derek. “Hey,” I mutter under my breath. “Did you notice that there’s something off with Lennon?”
Derek nods, watching her. “Yep. She’s really in her head, but she has been for the last two days. I don’t want to hover, but I don’t like it.”
Nodding, I’m glad I’m not wrong. I’ve been trying to identify nuances in mood, and this isn’t Lennon’s normal.
Squeals and laughter greet us as we walk into the house, and my eyes widen as I see how large this damn place is. As I walk through the house, I realize it’s because two families actually live here.
“¡Ay, niños!”an older woman calls out as she gathers the kids together. “Who wants to play tag outside? Tesa and I have a surprise for you after.”
The kids run outside laughing, and she sighs with a breathless laugh.
