CHAPTER TWENTY-SEVEN

STELLA

Paris was on my bucket list. Hell, Europe in general was. One of Gage's family meetings? Nope. Definitely not. It's more likely to be on my most dreaded list because it rarely goes well. And almost always it ends in fighting or fucking, with zero resolution. With the tension between Maverick and Sebastian lately, it worries me. Gage too, really. All three of them have been on edge like they are ready to start screaming that the sky is falling.

Maverick sits on the end of the couch with Lucy between him and I, Sebastian is on my other side while Gage stands pacing back and forth, like he's about to lose what's left of his already fragile mind.

"We go home soon but we need to go somewhere first," he says, glancing between Lucy and Maverick, while Sebastian and I look at each other like we're missing something.

"Where?" Sebastian asks while running a hand through his hair in agitation. Gage is the only one that thinks these meetings are a good idea.

Gage stops pacing as he answers, with displeasure written all over his face, "Lucy's parents' house."

This is clearly a conversation they've already had, because Sebastian and I are the only ones that seem surprised; however, it's not him that speaks up, it's me.

"No. No way."

Gage cocks an amused brow. "No?"

"Yeah, no. She can call them on the phone. I'm sorry, Lucy, but it didn't exactly go well last time."

She glances at me with teary eyes which guts me. "I need to tell them about the baby."

Now it's me running a hand through my hair, ready to pull it out at the roots. "Would someone please tell her what a terrible idea this is? You think telling them about a baby is going to end better than telling them about our," I air quote "family."

"It's important to me, Stel."

Standing up, I place my hands on my hips. "You know what, Lucy. These three men are important to me. You do realize when we went before, one of them could've ended up in prison for killing your god-awful parents, right?"

Gage says, "Enough, Stella. No one is killing anyone."

Stepping up to him, I get in his face as much as I can manage, considering the height difference. "Oh, I see how it is, Gage. This was never a discussion. It was an order from our dictator. Keyword; dick ."

Turning, I go to storm to the bedroom, but his words stop me on a dime.

"Jesus. Are you sure she's not pregnant?"

I glance over my shoulder at him. "You know what, Gage. Fuck you." And walk to the bedroom, slamming the door with as much force as I can possibly muster.

GAGE

What the fuck was that? I have never seen Stella quite like that, not even when we first took them. Maybe it's because she isn't scared of us anymore? Sebastian gets off the couch to go to her, but I stop him. "I'll handle it."

"Gage," he says, "She's really upset, I don't think-"

Glaring at him, I say, "I said, I've got it."

Do I leave my knife with him? Yes, because I just want to be extra sure I don't get fucking stabbed by one of the people I love, and the way she looked at me when she swore at me, yeah, it could happen.

"Don't start with me, Gage," she says, before I even make it through the door.

"I just want to talk."

She angrily swipes at the tears on her face and, yeah, there was a time I relished her tears but not now, certainly not like this. I walk over to the bed where she sits and kneel in front of her. "Baby, what's happening right now? You're scaring me."

Stella stares down at her knotted hands on her lap as she sighs heavily. "At what point do we admit this isn't working, cut our losses, and just go our separate ways?"

I stare at her with what I'm sure would be a bewildered expression if she was actually looking at me. "What?"

It seems to take forever for her to elaborate, and for a minute I think I simply can't hear her over my thundering heartbeat echoing in my eardrums. "I think it would be better if I just go," she says, barely over a whisper.

This is it, this is the moment when my entire world comes crashing the fuck down. I can't lose her. We can't lose her. I probably should've let Sebastian come in here instead of me, because as sure as it rains in London, I'm going to fuck this up beyond belief. Still, knowing that, I can't walk away from her. The ball is already in play and if I leave this room, I think there's no chance of saving anything. Fuck.

"Why do you think it would be better if you go?"

She shrugs her shoulders. "Mav has Lucy. You have Sebastian. I'm just an extra hole to fuck. Don't I deserve more than that, Gage?"

Standing up, I sit beside her on the bed and wrap my arms around her and pull her reluctant body toward me and against my chest. "How could you possibly think that, baby? At first yeah, that's what all three of you were, but we're so much more than that now, Stella."

She sobs against my shirt, getting the material wet with her tears. "You have him. Mav has Lucy. I have no one. I'm just the third wheel."

Now is clearly not the time to correct her, by saying she means fifth wheel. It's also not the time to tell her she isn't fucking going anywhere, although she's not. I don't want her here out of force. In order for us to be a permanent family, everything has to be consensual.

Lifting her chin, I tilt her head back gently. "Baby, look at me."

Her lashes flutter, as she opens her reddened eyes that make my heart sink. "Stella, I love you. This doesn't work without you. You are not just a hole to fuck. Jesus baby, we're in Paris because I'm fucking crazy about your goddamn smile. I'd do anything to see it. The way your eyes light up when you're so fucking happy, it's addictive. It makes me feel things I wasn't sure I ever could. The reason I keep taking down the pirate sites is because it hurts you, and what hurts you, hurts me."

Leaning in, I press my lips to her salty ones, tasting her slowly as she pushes her tongue into my mouth. Wrapping her hair around my fists, I move her head slightly to the side, changing the angle of our kiss, deepening it, wanting to prove to her how much I need her. Lying her down on the bed, I get on it beside her as she rolls her eyes. "Yeah, I know the drill. You want to fuck."

Shaking my head, I say, "Soon maybe, because I can't get enough of you, but right now I want to hold you, if that's okay."

I close my arms around her and pull her into me. "Stella, I'm sorry about what I said before. That was a dick thing to say."

She speaks low like she's afraid someone will overhear. "It was, but what if you were right?"

"Baby, are you pregnant?"

Stella giggles, the vibration of it shaking my chest. "I have no idea. I'm only three days late."

I kiss the top of her head. "Is that still what you want?"

Sighing against my chest, she admits, "It really is, but I'm terrified of everything right now. All of us together. How will we make it work long term? Am I enough? Will I be a terrible mother?"

"That's a lot to unpack, gorgeous girl. We will make it work by being there for each other. Everybody here loves one another in some way. Even Mav. I love him like a brother. Are you enough? Oh baby, if there was one thing I could change about you, then you'd see how fucking perfect you are. As far as the kind of mother you'll be an amazing one, because you have so much love to give."

She nuzzles her face into my neck. "Who knew you could be so sweet, Gage?"

I don't have an answer for that question, but I sure as fuck didn't know. I'm an asshole by nature, but whatever they need I'll give them, and this is what she needs right now.

"Why haven't you taken a test?"

Sighing again, she says, "Because that's probably what terrifies me the most. I'm not sure I could handle the heartbreak."

LUCY

I'm doing it again, aren't I? Ruining things for everyone with my selfish wants. Do I really need to see my parents again, face to face, to tell them this? Is Stella, right? I can't answer that on my own, so I speak up, addressing Sebastian and Mav, because Gage has followed Stella, and I really hope he doesn't make things worse. My girl's hurting, and I wish I knew how to help her, but maybe I'm not the one who can.

"Am I being a twat here, guys? Should I do what Stella said and just tell them over the phone?"

Mav and Sebastian exchange a look before they both shrug.

"Honestly?" Mav asks, and I nod, knowing what's coming. "It's up to you. Do I want to see those assholes again? Do I want to watch and hear them hurting you again? Do I want to spend the whole time trying to keep Pretty Boy and Gage from killing them?"

Sebastian snorts, moving closer to us on the sofa. "That'd be no, no, and no, right, Mav? You do get that it's not going to change their feelings for any of us, right, Lucy? Do you really want to go through that again? It was hell for us to see you being in that hell because of them. Can I suggest an alternative?" We both wait with bated breath for Sebastian's pearl of wisdom.

"Video call. You can see their faces, but you won't be trapped in a house with them, and you can end the call if they're being cruel again. Likewise, none of us can reach through a video and tear their heads off, so it's a win-win."

Mav's chuckling on the other side of me, but I know he agrees with Sebastian, and maybe he's not wrong about this.

"What if they won't answer my call?" That's the main reason I haven't considered phoning them instead, because it'll kill me if they do that. What if they're so mad at me, or hate me so much, that they just ignore me? Can I take that?

"What if you get to their door, and they refuse to answer it? Or slam it in your face?" Mav asks reasonably, and my heart thuds in my chest. Oh my god. What if they did that? It hadn't even occurred to me, but he's right.

"Let's call them," I say decisively, and Sebastian grabs my phone from the table.

"Best we do it now, while they're busy out of the room, because it might be easier for your asshole parents if there are fewer of us here." He was doing so well until the ‘asshole' part.

I dial my mum's number and sit with clenched fists as I wait for her to answer. Sebastian's holding the phone, but he's making sure all three of us will be visible if she answers. And she does!

"Lucy, oh… I thought maybe you'd come to your senses, but they're still with you." Mav growls under his breath but pastes on a smile.

"Hi Mrs Greene, so great to see you again." I dig my elbow in his side, because my mum does actually understand sarcasm, dammit.

"Hi mum. Is dad there too? I need to tell you both something."

She sighs, glancing across the room and nodding.

"If you're just going to rub this depravity in our faces again, I'm not interested," dad's voice calls from off-screen.

"See? Asshole," Sebastian mutters in my ear.

"I had some news, that's all. It's… I'm really happy about it, and-"

"We all are, by the way," Mav adds firmly, interrupting me mid-flow.

"It's not going to make a difference to you, is it?" I ask mum suddenly, noticing that she never walked closer to dad with the phone, so clearly, he isn't willing to give me even a moment of his time. I feel tears burning my eyes again, and I really don't want to cry on this call. Mav's hand strokes up my thigh, squeezing gently to offer support.

"If you come to your senses, and move back home, love, we can get back to being a family and start again. Your dad's company is looking for people right now, and you know it's a good-"

"Fuck that, Mrs Greene. Lucy's a fucking great writer, and more than that, she's happy with her career," Sebastian practically spits at her from beside me.

"But… but this… Lucy, please."

"Baby, I think they don't deserve your news," Mav says gently, squeezing my thigh again, as we hear footsteps approaching the room, and know we're risking an impending Gage intervention.

"I really wanted you to be proud of me," I whisper to my mum, the person who should always be on my side, and supporting me. "I wanted that, but nothing will ever be enough for you both. I can't keep doing this, putting myself in a position for you to hurt me again."

"Yeah, we were in the bedroom, but we didn't even fuck! Check out how I'm growing," Gage declares loudly as he walks in, halting in the doorway and taking in the scene in front of me, while mum's disapproving frown deepens.

"Is that them?"

We're out of time if I don't want Gage yelling at them.

"You don't deserve to meet your grandchildren," I say sadly, reaching over to end the call. "Block the number, Sebastian, and my dad's. I'm done trying to fit into their box."