Page 132 of Tangled Hearts

Today is the day Roman and Beck bring Lexi home. She was so happy when they told her they wanted to bring her home with them, and her very first question was, “Is Eli going to be my big brother?”

That one hit me right in the heart. I really wanted to be with Eli today, but he and Roman are on their way back with Lexi now, so I offered to help Beck set up her homecoming party instead.

“Well, thanks for adopting me too, at any rate.”

Beck shakes his head. “You can thank Eli for that one.” He smiles, organizing the trays on the table. “Look at me, passing on family traditions. Now that’s nice. But hey, even if he hadn’t, we still would have. You’re alright, kid.”

I grew up without a dad, so I can’t say for sure, but that might be the mostDadthing Beck has ever said to me. And I’m still not going to bring up my age to them. Pass. If they aren’t concerned, there’s no reason to rock the boat. “Thanks,” I say, laughing a bit to myself.

The sound of the front door opening catches my attention, and a woman calls out. “Beckett?”

Beck rolls his eyes. “Fucking Holden,” he mumbles under his breath. “In here, Mom.”

I laugh. “What did Holden do?”

Beck waves his hand through the air in fake irritation. “Little fucking chaos twink started calling me Beckett one day and wouldn’t let it go. He still does it, and worse, he’s had my mom doing it for just as long.”

I mean… “Could it maybe be that you call him a chaos twink?”

Beck levels me with a glare. “Whose side are you on here, Nicolas?”

I can’t help but grin. “My brother’s.”

His jaw drops open in shock, and then he pats my back with a chuckle. “He’ll be happy to know that.”

“Is my newest grandbaby here yet?” Beck’s mom asks when she rounds the corner. She stops short when she sees me. “Oh, hello. You must be Nic. I’ve heard so much about you! Hold has been talking about you nonstop. It’s so sweet.”

That makes me so happy. I love that Holden talks about me. That he’sexcitedabout me.

I hold my hand out to shake hers, but she swats it away and wraps me in her arms. She smells… A million memories flood me—dinners on the couch with Mom, movie marathons, and decorating our Christmas tree—and my eyes fill with tears. “I’m sorry,” I choke out, jerking myself away from her.

“What’s wrong, love?” She truly looks so concerned that it makes me smile.

I shake my head. “Nothing. You just… you wear the same perfume my mom did. I wasn’t expecting to be hit with that smell.”

Lydia frowns, confused, so I explain. “She passed away last year.”

“Oh, honey.” Her face falls. “Can I hug you again?”

“Do you see where I got the adopting strays mentality?” Beck asks, patting me on the back. “This is my mom, Lydia. This is Nic, obviously.”

“It’s nice to finally meet you, and definitely.”

She steps closer to me and wraps me in a hug, squeezing me half to death. “I’m so sorry for your loss.”

I hug her back, soaking in all the mom-love and breathing in the scent of my mom. “Thank you. I’m mostly okay, but occasionally it hits me, you know?”

I let my hands fall, and Lydia steps back, a sad smile on her face. “I do know. I lost my parents when I was young too. They never even got to meet Beck.”

“I’m sorry,” I murmur.

She pats my arm. “It’s been a long time, but it still gets you every now and then.”

I nod at her, but before I have a chance to respond, the door flies open, and I catch Eli say, “I’ll show you your room. It’s Uncle Hold’s old room. I even put a makeup station in there for you.”

Little feet shuffle across the floor, and Lexi pops her head into the dining room. “Hello, Prince! Hello, Nic! Hello, Gigi Lydia!”

“Hi, Lexi!” I wave at her with a smile, and she darts off again.