She’s quiet a long stretch that has me worrying she’ll bail, but then she rolls her eyes. “Why do you always make so much sense?”
“It’s my special power.”
“But if we tell your parents, we should probably also stop by my mom’s, and I’m worried she’ll figure out what’s going on.”
“We have to start somewhere. Maybe hanging out with Ted and Wendy will help us work on this couple thing we’re doing, so by the time we see your mom, we’re not so uptight.”
“I’m not uptight.”
I toss my arm over her shoulder and pull her close. She’s stiff as a board. “Babe. Relax. You look like you’re about to get audited.”
“Oh, God. Now that I’m adulting, that’s my biggest fear. Why don’t schools teach you anything about doing your taxes?”
I chuckle and kiss her temple. “So what do you say? We’ll visit the fam, get a nice little barbie going.”
“Please don’t pretend you’re Australian. It’s a bar-be-cue.” She draws little circles on my chest. “What about my brother? I’m not ready to deal with him yet. Just breaking the news that we’re together is a lot for me.”
Maggie and I were at each other’s throats for years, so I get where she’s coming from. “Then let’s hold off on Sebastian.”
“Have you spoken to him lately?”
“We’ve texted a few times, but haven’t really talked since the wedding. That’s pretty normal. We’ll go months where we do our own thing, and then we’ll hang out back home or meet up in Austin.”
She nibbles her bottom lip. “Are you worried about how this will affect your relationship with him?”
“Us being together?”
“That and… you know.”
“The babies?”
“Yeah.”
I think about it. “If he and I hadn’t been friends for so long, possibly. He can have a bad temper for sure, and he’s really protective of you. But if he can’t handle us dating, or if he really thinks I’m so terrible for you, then what kind of friend is he? It’s not like I’m a dirtbag.”
Her eyes soften, and she kisses my cheek. “You’re right. You’re a great guy, and if anything, he should be on our side. I’m being paranoid. He’s a big boy. He can deal with it.”
“You know what I can’t deal with, though?”
“What?”
“I haven’t gotten my quota of kisses today.” I yank her onto my lap and kiss her until her cheeks are rosy.
Because I need to get her used to actually dating me and not just being roommates.
34
MAGGIE
My palms are sweaty, and I’m nauseous. “Are you sure this was a good idea? What if I puke in the middle of dinner and they guess I’m pregnant?”
Olly threads his fingers through mine as he drives. “Then they guess.”
“How are you so calm about this? I’m freaking out.”
“Relax. My parents love you.”
I know how hard Olly has worked to get where he is now. How many things he’s sacrificed to play football. And I just don’t want his family to think I’m going to derail that plan.
