Page 43

CHAPTER 43

SIENNA

So, it turns out one night was not enough.

Zoey and I have been here for three days now, and I don’t see myself ever wanting to leave. My little girl adores these big football players, and they’re so sweet with her. Well, most of them are. Carson treats her like she’s an infectious disease. He’s one grumpy bastard, that’s for sure. I can’t imagine him ever smiling, and the way he stomps around the house makes me wonder why they put up with him.

The others are all great, and they’re honestly so busy.

Every morning, they leave pretty early. I get kisses and neck nuzzles at around five in the morning, and then Zander creeps downstairs to have something to eat before his strength and conditioning workout. I can hear the guys downstairs, trying to be quiet for my sake, and usually drift off after the front door closes.

Yesterday, I hung out with that playgroup again and found it easier this time around. Zoey loved it and came home exhausted. While she napped, I read a book in the den and tried not to relive every second of the sexy times Zander and I shared on the coffee table. He’s so freaking hot I can hardly stand it.

I can’t wait until we get another session together. It’s hard with Zoey sleeping in the same room as us, but we did have a shower together before we went to bed last night and got each other off while soap suds ran down our bodies.

His fingers are magic. His lips are divine, and I feel slightly sex-crazed every time he walks into the room, but I figure we have some making up to do, so that’s probably why my hormones are acting like little beasts at the moment.

Zoey slept for a good long while, and since she woke up, we’ve done some laundry, cleaned the kitchen, and I’m now in the throes of making her dinner.

The front door pops open just as I’m frying up her chicken tenders.

“Foobawl! Wywee!” Zoey runs out of the kitchen, and my heart gets all warm and mushy when I hear them greet her.

A few moments later, Zander walks in with our girl in his arms, and I’m undone.

“Hey, Sparky.” He kisses my lips, his hand resting on my lower back, and I know I’m home. “That smells good.”

“Mine.” Zoey points at herself.

“Yeah, I know. Deeeelicious.”

Zoey giggles. “Deewish.”

“That’s right. Delicious.” Zander makes a big show of licking his lips, then pretends to eat Zoey, munching on her hand and up her arm to raspberry her neck. She gets the giggles, her little squeals echoing throughout the kitchen as Carson stomps in, yanking the fridge open and pulling out a can of beer.

He spins, glaring at me before snapping the beer open and guzzling it like it’s water.

I try for a polite smile and ask him, “How was practice?”

After a baleful glare, he lets out a ripper of a burp, which is his only reply.

I wrinkle my nose, turning back to Zoey’s meal prep while he crushes the can and throws it toward the recycle box. It misses, pinging off the floor, and it takes everything in me not to demand he pick it up and throw it away properly. But I don’t really want to interact with that douchebag right now.

“Dude,” Zander softly warns him.

“What?” Carson bites back.

My boyfriend raises his hand. “Just chill.”

Turning off the stove, I quickly pile chicken and veggie sticks onto Zoey’s plate. I can feel the tension in the air, and my little girl has gone quiet, too, her big eyes looking between Carson and Zander.

The scarecrow scowls at his roommate, his defined nostrils flaring, a muscle in his jaw working as he looks on the verge of eruption.

My first instinct is to grab Zoey and run, but Zander’s got her securely in his arms, and I’m not sure what to do.

“Chill?” Carson finally says, his tone icy.

I dart my eyes to Zander, but he’s not looking at me. His firm, steady gaze is on Carson, and I’m just gonna hold my breath for a lil’ minute.

“How am I supposed to do that? This is my own fucking house, and I can’t chill because you’ve turned it into a nursery with your little girl and missus walking around here acting like they own the place.”

“Carson—”

“No! This can’t stand, man. And you know it!” Carson points at the ground. “It was supposed to be one night. But as far as I can tell, they’re not going anywhere, and that’s a real problem.”

“Come on. They’re just here for a few days. No one seems to mind.”

“I mind! How the fuck are we supposed to party or have chicks over when these two are here? I can’t even walk around naked in my own fucking home!”

I flinch. They have parties and chicks here all the time?

I didn’t know that.

Gripping the counter behind me, I dip my eyes to the floor while Carson keeps ranting.

“This is not a daycare center, it’s a football frat! You feel me? And I’m not okay with your little family moving in. This should have been a house discussion, but as usual, you just made the call without consulting anybody.”

“That’s bullshit. I asked, and everyone agreed.”

“Not me!”

“Yeah, well, you weren’t there.”

“How am I supposed to stick around when this stink bomb here keeps making our house smell like a dumpster!” He points to Zoey, and my hackles go up.

I shift to block my girl from his view, but Zander steps forward before I can, getting up in Carson’s face and hissing, “She’s my daughter. Show some respect.”

“I don’t care who the fuck she is! She doesn’t belong here!” His eyes swing to me. “Neither of them do. It’s not fair to the rest of us,” Carson thunders.

And now my eyes are burning.

I don’t want to leave, but I don’t think we should stay if this is the kind of angst we’re causing. The thought of going back to Russell’s is like a boulder in my stomach, but?—

Zander growls and starts complaining that he has to put up with Carson’s shit all the time. Carson counters his shouting with some growls and complaints of his own, and I think they’ve totally forgotten that my sweet two-year-old is caught between them.

Until she lets out an ear-piercing scream, then yells, “Ba-da-ba-da-ba!”

We all freeze still, every eye in the room bulging as we look at her indignant expression.

“Excuse me?” Carson frowns at her.

She holds up her little finger. “No souting.” Her face puckers. “Too loud.”

Carson rolls his eyes and gives Zander a pointed look. My boyfriend stares down at his daughter, mumbling a soft apology, but Zoey doesn’t hear him. She’s too busy reaching out toward Carson.

“What are you doing?” Mr. Scarecrow frowns. “I don’t want to hold yo—okay, so this is happening.” He catches her before she starts to fall, pulling her against his chest and staring down at her like she’s a mystery he doesn’t want to solve.

She touches his cheeks, squishing them together as she softly demands, “Nice voice, pease.”

I cover my mouth, trying not to laugh as Carson talks through squished lips .

“You want a nice voice?” His tone dances over the words like he’s a happy camp counselor. Pulling away from Zoey, he stares down at her, still talking in that singsong way. “Okay, well, your daddy is being a complete dick right now.”

My mouth opens and I frown at him while Zoey’s nose scrunches up.

“What’s dick?”

“Something your daddy isn’t very good at wrapping.”

“Okay, that’s enough.” I step around Zander with a little growl and pull Zoey out of Carson’s arms. “We’re going to eat this up in Zander’s room, and you two can shout at each other as much as you like.” Snatching Zoey’s dinner, I walk out of the room and hear Carson’s voice drifting down the hallway as I go.

“All right, fine, she’s adorable.”

I grin.

“But she still can’t stay here. This is not a place to raise a toddler, and you know it.”

My smile fades.

Shit, he’s right. And Zander knows it too.

I hear his reply as I reach the stairwell. “It’s just a few nights until we can sort something else out for them.”

“Make it quick” Carson snaps before stomping out of the kitchen.

I hurry up the stairs so I don’t have to interact with him again.

Placing Zoey on Zander’s bedroom floor, I set her up with a picnic dinner. She’s eating so much later than usual, and it’s going to throw off her bedtime routine. Oh man, I hope she doesn’t have a rough night. That’s the last thing we need right now. It’ll be the nail in the coffin from Carson’s perspective.

A motorcycle engine roars to life outside, and I get up, walking to the window and staring down at the driveway. Carson revs the engine and squeals away from the house.

And my gut sinks.

He has a really fair point.

This isn’t a daycare center, and I’ve just muscled my way in here.

Glancing back over my shoulder, I watch my little girl happily eating her dinner and wonder if I just have to lump it and move back in with Russell. It’s not fair to stay here. It’s not?—

The door pops open, and Zander appears.

“Hey.” He smiles at me, looking completely unfazed by the argument downstairs. Brushing his hand through the air, he wanders over to me, wrapping his arms around my waist and resting his chin on my shoulder. “Don’t let him get to you. He’s a grumpy asshole, and there’s always a problem.” He sighs. “He’s the most challenging roommate.”

“Have you ever thought of voting him out of the house?”

Zander’s hand brushes my hip before he stands tall and turns to check on Zoey. “We can’t.” Dropping to the floor, he awkwardly crosses his legs and holds up a carrot stick, encouraging Zoey to eat her veggies. “This will make you strong, and carrots help you see better in the dark.”

Zoey perks up, snatching the carrot stick and munching on it while I sink to the floor beside them.

“What is it with Carson? Why can’t you ask him to leave? I mean, is this really a big party house? I don’t want to squash anybody’s style.”

Zander tips his head with a soft laugh. “We have parties sometimes, but not during football season. We’re too busy. He’s just pissed off because he doesn’t know how to act around little kids or girlfriends. He’s awkward as shit when Teah comes over.”

“Why doesn’t he like us?”

“It’s not that. He just…” Zander sighs and gives me a sad smile. “He’s had it rough, you know? And he doesn’t have a lot of support. He’s never had a girlfriend. He screws around a lot, but he can’t handle relationships. It’s like he’s wired to push people away or fuck it up before they can get too close.”

“But he’s let you guys in?”

“Sort of. I guess we kind of tolerate each other. He can be a real pain in the ass, but he doesn’t have anyone looking out for him, and none of us have the heart to kick him out. He obviously can’t leave either, which tells me he secretly likes being here.” Zander shrugs. “So, we put up with his bullshit and figure at least if he’s here, we can keep an eye on him. Stop him from self-destructing.”

Running my hand up his arm, I give his shoulder a squeeze and whisper, “You’re a really good man, you know that?”

He lets out a soft laugh and shakes his head, focusing back on Zoey and getting her to finish her dinner.

I don’t know why he won’t agree with me.

He is a good man.

And that’s why I don’t want to leave this place. I want to keep living with him and being a family the way we were always supposed to be .

But it’s not going to be as easy as I thought it would.

Carson seems determined to put a stop to this, and he was here first. I just wish I could think of an easy solution.

My daughter is currently living with a bunch of college football players. That’s not normal.

But I don’t want to be anywhere else.

Glancing at her crib in the corner of the room, I worry my lip as practical logic and emotion go to war in my chest.