I had no idea what he was up to, but hopefully whatever hesaid to her in private would help. And I knew he’d only mentioned spin thebottle so I could make out with Kennedy. Or maybe he really was just misinformed.He didn’t go to school in the states. Who knew what they did in…Greece? Ivaguely remember him saying he’d been in Greece for high school. Or was itGermany?
“But I can’t imagine you being lame,” Tanner said. “Matt pretendshe was cool in high school and he told me the two of you were friends.”
“Matt was cool,” Kennedy said. “And he only hung out with meout of obligation.”
“That’s not true.” I lightly touched her back and she didn’t pushme away. “I always thought you were cool, Kennedy.”
She laughed. “No way. You were just being nice because Ididn’t have any other friends my junior and senior years. You just didn’t wantme to have to sit alone at lunch.” She patted my leg and let her hand linger.
That wasn’t true. I’d gotten used to eating lunch with herand Brooklyn. And I just…didn’t want to stop. But before I could correct her,James and Rob came back over.
Kennedy removed her hand from my thigh but didn’t seem tocare that my hand was on her back.
“Sounds like girls’ night is ending early,” James said. “Pennywill be home any minute. So you guys better…down those shots?” he said lookingat the coffee table. “Since when were we doing shots?”
“They’re actually only for Matt,” Mason said.
“No way. Which one of them is sick?” I asked.
Rob laughed. “How did you know that? Liam and RJ are bothfussy. Daphne thinks their tummies are upset.”
“Boom,” I said. “Drink up.” I pointed to Mason.
“Fuck.” Mason shook his head, but started downing shot aftershot.
“What the heck did we miss?” James asked.
“Mason bet me that your wives were calling because Liampulled Sophie’s hair again.”
Mason cringed on the fourth shot but kept going.
“And I bet it was because one of them had a tummy ache. Iwon.”
Mason slammed the last glass down on the coffee table. “Bee’sgoing to be so pissed that I’m coming home this drunk. Well, not this drunk. Drunkas in drunk me 15 minutes from now.” He coughed. “I’m pretty sure that tequilais in my veins.”
Kennedy laughed. “In my defense, I thought we were each goingto take a shot. I didn’t know you guys were making a bet.”
The front door opened. “Daddy!” Scarlett called from thehallway. “Liam’s doing the burping thing!”
James laughed. “Excuse me for a sec. Liam has the cutestburps.”
“Gross,” I said.
James lightly slapped the back of my head as he made his waypast me. After a few seconds, Scarlett came running into the room. Headingright for me.
“Uncle Matt, Uncle Matt!” She ran into the great room andclimbed up onto my lap. “I got to eat chocolate cake tonight! A whole piece allon my own. This big.” She showed me with her hands how big the ginormous sliceof cake she’d eaten was. She seemed…very hyped up on sugar. “You should’ve seenit.” She turned to look at Kennedy and then ducked under my arm to hide fromher. “Who is she?”
Kennedy smiled. “I’m a friend of your uncle’s.”
“Which one?” Scarlett asked from her hiding spot.
“Matt. Well, all of them, actually.”
“It’s okay, kiddo,” I said and ruffled her hair. “Kennedy’sreally nice. How about you come say hi to her.”
Scarlett shook her head.
“For me? Please?”
Scarlett peered out. “So you’re my aunt?”
“Oh.” Kennedy laughed. “No.”
“But all my other uncles are married. So that means you’redating Uncle Matt. Which means you’re my aunt. It’s nice to meet you.” She satback down on my lap, her fear of Kennedy completely gone.
“Your uncle and I are just friends.”
“No.”
Kennedy laughed. “Yes we are.”
“No, boys and girls can’t be just friends. That’s what Axelsays.”
“And who is Axel?” Kennedy asked.
“My boyfriend.”
“You have a boyfriend?”
“Yes. And we’re going to have ten babies because he doesn’tcare that I like playing with dolls. And he’s going to be on the TV with thefootball.”
Kennedy smiled. “It sounds like you have it all figured out.”
Scarlett nodded. “You too.” She grabbed my hand and Kennedy’sand put them together. “You can have ten babies too if you want. It’s okay.”
Kennedy and I looked at each other.
I knew Scarlett had no idea what was going on outside theworld of her dolls and Axel. But to me, this felt like her blessing. Like maybeshe was telling me I should take a chance on being happy. That maybe it wasworth the risk.
“Pumpkin, it’s time for bed,” James said and lifted Scarlettupside down.
Kennedy pulled her hand out of mine. I didn’t want to be putin the friend zone. And I didn’t want to wait around being Poppy’s puppet. I’dbeen waiting my whole life. Just letting it pass by in one big blur. Scarlettwanted me to be happy. And James would understand. Hell, he’d already said heunderstood. I’d find another way to ensure that Scarlett was safe. But Icouldn’t put my life on pause again. Not when I’d finally figured out how tostart living again.
Scarlett laughed. “Daddy, I had the biggest piece of cake.”
“I can tell,” James said as he righted her in his arms andpeppered her face with kisses.
She squealed.
I grabbed Kennedy’s hand and pulled her off the couch.
“What are you…” her voice trailed off as I brought her intothe kitchen.
“I’m done,” I said when we were alone.
Kennedy shook her head. “Done what?”
“I’m not going to make the same mistakes I did before. I’mnot going to keep how I feel about you a secret. I would never do that to you,Kennedy. You deserve more than that. So much more.”
“Matt…”
“I’m telling Poppy I’m pulling out of our deal.”
Kennedy took a deep breath. “I can’t let you do that.”
I stared down at her.
“Maybe if you had said this downstairs earlier, I would haveagreed. But I just met that cute little girl. Scarlett’s adorable. And the wayshe ran right over to you?” She
