Page 59 of Knot Convenient

I couldn’t help the laugh, taking my burrito out of the microwave and sitting down. “Oh no. I’m sorry. That sounds like a lot.”

“Yeah, but I know she’s just nervous. I get it. I’m definitely ready for the baby to be here. Only a little while longer.”

“Well, I wish you all the luck, man. Both of you.”

Leo smiled as he sipped away at coffee, and I did my best to get through the entire burrito before I had to go back to class.

When I got home later, Emmett, Marshall, and Tobias were already chilling in the den off the kitchen. I walked in, having set my bag down near the door, and they all looked up.

“Hey, there you are,” Marshall called out.

“Come eat,” Tobias instructed, gesturing to the boxes.

While I knew it was another less-than-healthy meal, the pizza smelled delicious, and I dove right in, taking several slices. With food in tow, I sat down and started eating, taking the drink Marshall offered as I sat on his other side.

“So what was so important that you needed to make sure we were all home tonight to discuss it?” Tobias asked, giving Emmett a pointed look.

Emmett cleared his throat. “Well⁠—”

“Have you and Summer taken your relationship to the next level? I mean, you’re sharing a bed every night. I know you’re trying to hide it from us, but you’re not exactly subtle,” I said, smiling.

The idea that he and Summer were taking that step in their relationship was actually quite exciting to me because it meant that she was open to it and could potentially take those steps with us in the near future.

I wasn’t going to rush her, regardless, but I’d been thinking about it. I couldn’t deny that. I wanted to be around Summer all the time, and we weren’t even the ones bonded. No part of me seemed to care much. Summer had already captivated me, bond or no bond.

Emmett sighed. “So Summer and I didn’t have sex, but we got close⁠—”

“Fuck yeah!” Tobias grinned before Marshall quickly reached out and smacked the back of his head.

“Be polite,” he growled. “And quit interrupting. There’s a point to this conversation, remember?”

“Sorry, I was just excited,” he mumbled, rubbing the back of his head.

There was no denying the fact that I was also very excited. I had just been smart enough to keep my mouth shut.

Marshall looked at Emmett. “Continue.”

“Summer confided in me that she is, in fact, a…virgin. Before you guys look at me like that,” he rushed on, “she explained it. Milo is her adopted son. It turns out her best friend died in a car accident, and there was no one to take in her son, so Summer did it. She’s had legal custody of Milo since he was just a few weeks old.”

“What?” I asked, trying to wrap my head around his words. “Adopted?”

Marshall frowned. “Why weren’t we told?”

Emmett shrugged. “From what I can tell, Summer was concerned that we wouldn’t see Milo as her child. She never lied to us. Legally speaking, he is her son.”

“Well, duh. Of course he’s her son,” Tobias said. “Why would we think otherwise?”

Emmett nodded adamantly. “That’s what I said! I knew none of us would give a damn about that, but Milo’s biological father abandoned him before he was born, and you guys know how people can be. So, yeah, I get her apprehension. Also, we have to take into consideration that she hasn’t really had any experience yet. So we need to take it slow with her.”

“Completely. Everything at her pace,” I said, agreeing.

“Though—and don’t smack me for saying this—surely if she disclosed she was a virgin from the beginning, she would have had interest from larger, wealthier packs, right?”

Marshall sighed deeply. “Yes, no doubt she would have been snatched up by one of them in a flash. But they would have insisted that she rehome Milo like he was a goddamn puppy…”

My stomach turned uncomfortably at that thought.

“That’s horrible, but…” Tobias groaned, shoving a hand through his hair. “I get it.”