Page 142 of The Troublemaker
I haven’t told anyone.Although I love all the girls in Easton’s friend group, I haven’t really divulged my feelings to them because I’m scared that if it doesn’t turn out the way I want, then I’ll look like an idiot.But Honor would be there to console me if it went bad.
“I haven’t.”I cover my face with my hands.“How stupid am I?I mean, you know… I used to have a friends-with-benefits relationship, and now I’m in love with him.Neither of us has ever had a serious relationship.And then Tanner called me mama yesterday.”I groan.
I peek through my fingers and her eyebrows are raised, but there’s a smile on her lips, so I drop my hands from my face.
“What’s going on with the mom search?”she asks.
“Easton called it off.Said if she doesn’t want to be found, then why is he trying, but what if… what if she just shows up one day and wants custody of him?I mean… can he be mineandhers?”
Honor reaches over to touch my thigh but spills her bottle of water.“Oh shit, hold on… hold that thought.”
She rushes inside, but I see the nurse come out to talk to her in the doorway.
I dig in the bag for napkins, trying to get the water soaked up, but I don’t have much else.
Honor’s shoulders fall and the nurse touches her arm, continuing to talk to her.
I forget about the water, the bagel, and everything we were talking about.I go through the glass door, and I hug Honor from behind.
She turns in my arms.“She said it will be soon.”She pulls back.“I have to call her friends.They made a pact to be here when it was close.”
“I’ll stay.”I’m not sure if Penelope can watch Tanner for that long, but I’ll figure something out.
“No.”Honor shakes her head.“You have the baby to get back to.”
“Honor, I want to.”
But she’s already shaking her head, pulling out her phone.Her thumbs move across the screen, and she holds it up for me to see.
“Crazy, right?All of her friends in one group chat.It gets a little insane sometimes because technology isn’t always their friend, but they’ll all be here shortly.”She goes into the screened-in room.“I got all this.Seriously, Hadley, I’ll call you when it’s all over.”
She balls it all up, even my bagel that’s half soaked with water, and walks back into the kitchen.“Believe me, you don’t want to be here when they get here.”
She heads to the front door and opens it for me.
“Okay, well…” I give her a hug, and she holds me tightly, her back racking with a few tears.“I’m sorry, Honor.Call me if you need anything.”
She straightens and wipes her eyes.“Thank you for coming.I’ll call you.”
I don’t want to leave, but she pushes open the screen door and waits for me to walk down the steps.
“Bye, Hadley.Love you.”And the door shuts.
Okay, what the hell just happened?
ChapterFifty-Three
Hadley
When Easton returns from his away series, he has one day off before his home series starts, then he’s back on the road for a week.
“I never realized how grueling a season of baseball is.I should’ve been a football player.At most you play twenty-one games.”He brings over the avocado for Tanner on his tray.
“Then you’d be bruised up all the time,” I say, scrolling through my phone.
“Did you see the bruise on my thigh?”
“I kissed it, didn’t I?”I smirk at the screen.
