“I…” I sighed.“You’re not wrong.”
Bailey smirked.“I rarely am.”
“I just…I never knew my dad.My mom was out of my life by age four.You can imagine what foster care was like, I’m sure.And you know the whole Parker debacle.I guess I learned not to rely on anyone.I just can’t.”
“But we’re telling you that you can.”Lark stepped up to me and wrapped her arms around me then shook me slightly.“Let us love you, dammit!”
Bailey laughed and joined our little huddle.“Yeah, let us love you.”
I had to blink because my eyes kept filling up with tears.Then my arms wrapped around anyone I could reach.“I do love you guys.”
“Does that mean you’ll finally move into my complex?”Bailey wiggled next to me.“You wouldn’t believe the gorgeous men always hanging out in the gym.It’s a literal feast.”
“I…” I remembered the conversation I’d had with Noah about my pathological need to live way below my means.I had my friends, and I had him too.Maybe I could afford to spend a little more and not saveallmy pennies.“Are there any units available?”
“Yes!”Bailed squealed, bouncing in the middle of our huddle.“I bet we could get you in this weekend.”
“But she’s not going to be checking out the boys at the gym.”Lark laughed.“Alice already has her man.She just needs to get to publicly claiming him.”
I groaned and broke away to pick up my box again.
“How would you feel if he told you that he wanted to hide being with you?”
I couldn’t help but jolt at Lark’s question.Shit, that wasn’t right.
“Exactly.That’s how you madehimfeel.”Lark rubbed a hand on my shoulder to blunt the verbal blow she’d just dealt me.“Don’t ever spend a minute worrying about what people might say or think.If they’re not on the Monarch train, fuck them.There’s always gonna be haters.But you can’t dim your sparkle because some assholes might have a problem with it.There’s no point in wasting a second worrying about people who were never going to be on your side in the first place.”
“Unlike us.”Bailey grinned at me.“Lark and I will always have your back.One for all.”
Lark laughed.“Uh, I think you mean all for one?”
“Eh, I’ve heard it both ways.”Bailey shrugged.“We’re a package deal.That’s what I mean.For life.Good luck kicking us out of your life.You’re stuck with us, sis.”
I grinned back at Bailey.“That doesn’t sound half bad.Deal.”
“And Noah?”Lark asked with that one raised eyebrow.
I shifted the box in my arms so I could rub my temple.“Hey, you got me to agree to being family and moving all in one night.Can I take a breath to think about the rest?”
Lark shrugged, but I could tell she was disappointed in my answer.
“Besides,” I went on.“We have a lot to think about with the whole Tyler mother fucking Worthington thing.”
“Eeeee!”Bailey squealed.“I still can’t believe he wants to sign us!”
I grinned and laughed with Bailey and Lark as we continued to load up our van.
But in the back of my mind, I was thinking about what Lark had said.Maybe it was time to have a talk with Noah.
Probably long past time.
Chapter 27
Still Alice
Two days later, and I was still chasing that opportunity to talk to Noah.Yesterday we’d sat down with Tyler and showed him what we had.
And he’d officially offered to rep us!
