Page 26 of His Arranged Plus-Size Mate

“And it’s a good thing I didn’t because you apparently fuck everywhere now. I could walk in and witness you getting slammed from behind.”

She rolled her eyes, a smirk pulling at her lips. “Oh, come on, please? It’s going to be fun.”

“Fine.”

“Yay!”

After I showered and changed, we headed over to her house. Gabrielle started to cook some chicken while I sat at their island. It felt weird to be back in the same space I once called home. It was exactly the same, but it felt so different.

“What are you guys doing to my old room? Or have you not thought about it?” It had only been a couple of weeks since I left. I didn’t know if she’d even thought about it.

Her hands paused for a split second. “We uhh…actually have been talking about turning it into a nursery.”

My eyebrows went up. This was news. “Wait, really?”

She nodded. “Yeah, we spoke about it the other night. I was standing in the room and told him the house felt empty. He asked if I wanted something more. And surprisingly, we both kind of agreed that we were ready.”

I couldn’t help but stare at her in shock. I hadn’t even been moved out long, and they were already talking about children. I knew that I had been holding her back, but I hadn’t expected this. It was just something I’d been telling myself, but it was clearly true.

I wanted to ask if they had been ready while I was living in the house, but I couldn’t. I didn’t want to know the answer. “I’m surprised.”

She smiled. “I know that it’s fast. But we’re ready.”

I shook my head at her. “No, it’s not fast. You guys are in love, and it’s the next step. I’m happy for you.” And I meant it even if I was a little hurt by the news.

I watched Gabriella cook while I sat and listened to her talk. She spoke about how they were planning to start the nursery once things settled in the pack. She’d explained how she looked forward to being pregnant and becoming a mom. She never thought she would. She never thought she would get anything that she has right now.

I felt so much had changed since I left. She seemed more vibrant, more alive. There was no extra weight in worrying about me. I could see the shift and noticed how light she was on her feet. She was happy.

There was knocking, and then I heard the front door open. I turned just as Jade and Nora stepped inside. “Hey!” Jade said, holding up some wine bottles. “Let’s party!”

Jade hurried into the kitchen, pulling out wine glasses. Nora slid into a seat next to me, nudging her shoulder against mine. “Hey, Hazel. How have you been? How is living with Asher?”

“We’re doing fine.”

“That’s good. He’s treating you well?” Jade asked.

I nodded.

Jade popped the wine and poured some glasses. “Well, that’s good.”

Jade slid a glass to each of us, and I took a small sip of it. Jade leaned onto the counter. “So, what is the plan today?”

“Chicken is almost done. I could put a movie on if you guys want.”

“Or,” Jade said, wiggling her eyebrows as she pulled out a deck of cards. “Does anyone want to play some poker?”

I frowned. “I don’t know how to play.”

“Oh, that’s okay. We can teach you.” Jade grabbed her glass, heading to the dining table. I looked at Gabriella, who laughed, giving me a nod in agreement.

Twenty minutes later, we were all sitting with our plates, holding cards. They had explained the rules, and I was pretty sure I had them down. I stared at my cards and then looked around the table.

Jade put a card down. “So, Hazel. How have things been with you and Asher? Besides that, things are good.”

I looked up from my card. “We don’t see each other that often. He took me skating yesterday, and it was nice.”

“Oh, I miss skating,” Nora said. “I haven’t done that in a while. I should see if Kaleb wants to. I’ve been told that they keep the skating rinks in really nice condition.”