Page 136 of Empty Net

Her words nearly knock me down. The thought of seeing Lilah walking down the aisle toward me rattles something deep inside me, something I’ve been holding on to for a while now, and the urge to drop down on one knee like I did all those months ago hits me. But I don’t. I keep the desire tucked down, buried away for another day.

This day is about her company, her accomplishments. I can wait. I can ask Lilah to marry me another day. Besides, I have a feeling she’ll say yes.

“Okay, break it up, break it up.” Lawson pulls me away from Lilah. “This is a party, not your sex den. Let’s celebrate!” He picks up a red cup and holds it in the air. “To Lilah!”

“Hey!” we all say, holding our cups up as well.

“To Auden!”

“Hey!” we cheer again.

“And to Hutch’s inability to pull out, which means we’re getting a second generation! Long live the Serpents Singles Group Chat!”

“What’s pull out mean?” Flora asks, sending everyone who is not Hayes and Quinn into a fit of laughter.

Hutch smacks him on the back of the head, and even Rory shakes her head, annoyed, though I see her smile as she takes a sip of her drink.

The doorbell chimes through the house.

“I got it!” Lawson calls, racing toward the door.

“Anyone else think he’s getting extra exhausting lately?” Hayes asks.

“He’salwaysextra exhausting. It’s like you people never listen to me,” Keller grouses.

“That’s because you hate everyone and everything. You don’t count,” Locke says.

Keller shrugs, indifferent as usual.

“Uh, Hutchy?” Lawson calls, walking back into the room.

“Yeah?” our captain answers.

“Someone’s at the door for you.”

“Who the hell is it?” Hutch growls, irritated by Lawson’s vagueness.

“Was hoping you’d tell us.”

Our star forward steps aside, revealing a tiny blonde woman standing behind him. Auden gasps, then looks up to her fiancé, but he’s too busy staring at the woman clutching a bag to her side.

“Uh, who is that?” Lawson asks in a hushed voice, which for him isn’t so quiet. Everyone hears it.

Hayes speaks up. “I think that’s his sister.”

“Stepsister,” Hutch corrects, brows tilted inward. “What are you doing here, Vanessa?”

“Sorry, I…I didn’t mean to intrude,” she says, pushing her hair behind her ear. “It looks like you’re having a party. I just…”

Her eyes slide around the space, looking each of us over like she’s looking at a room full of strangers, and shit, I guess she is—that is until she lands on the man standing at the back. The one with the salt-and-pepper hair at his temples, the wrinkles at the corners of his eyes. The veteran.

Locke stares back, looking like he’s seen a ghost from his past.

And I think maybe he has.

**