Page 27 of The Last Person (Baker Girls #5)

CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE

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Postseason: Super Bowl Week

We’re going to the Super Bowl.

Postseason has been grueling, and a couple of games had us on our toes, but it’s official. We’re playing in the Super Bowl. A rematch against the team we played last year, when everything fell apart and we lost catastrophically.

Our team was in the news for the worst reasons, and team management has made it clear they don’t want that to be the case this time.

While I know that’s directed at everyone, it feels a little pointed at us too, even if we’re the only ones who know it.

We’ve been good little football players and have kept it to ourselves, though if we’d lost any of the games, we probably would’ve said fuck it.

We’re not letting the team dictate our lives, but we both want this win, and the argument that us coming out could negatively impact the team wasn’t incorrect.

It’s ridiculous. No one should care. But people hate minding their own business and worrying about their own lives.

What we decide to tell the team or the world and when will remain our decision, and for now, we’re comfortable not shouting about it.

Granted, I’m more comfortable than Ryan is, mostly because he’s always been loud by nature.

Thankfully, all of our friends and family are coming into town over the next couple of days, so that will be a good distraction.

My phone goes off with a call from the concierge desk, and I quickly answer. “Hello?”

“Hi, Mr. Ackley. I have a June and Keaten Ackley here for you.”

“Send them up. I’ll meet them at the door.”

“Will do. Have a good day.”

“Thanks. You too.” I hang up, then yell. “Babe, my mom and Keaten are on their way up.”

“I’m coming,” Ryan calls back, his footsteps coming from our bedroom. Ours. Because one morning I woke to find all his clothes in the closet and all his stuff in the bathroom, and the contentment within me grew.

In some ways, we’ve moved fast. But in others, we’ve been building this for years. There’s no getting to know Ryan better when I already know the beauty of his soul.

He walks through the living room, and I bite my lip, fighting back a groan.

When he gets to me, I grab his shirt and pull him to my lips.

“You have the audacity to look this sexy when I don’t have time to fuck you?” I whine. “And I won’t be able to do what I want to you for days because we’ll have people staying with us…”

“Some of them already are.” From behind us, Christy clears her throat.

“Sorry, babe.” Ryan kisses me on the cheek. Then he looks at Christy. “And I’m almost sorry you had to hear that.”

She slugs him in the shoulder, then the elevator dings and we all hurry down the hall.

I throw the door open right as my mom and Keaten step off the elevator.

“Hi, sweetheart!”

“Hey, Mama.”

I wrap her in a hug, extending my fist out for Keaten to bump as I do. She’s not much of a hugger—she’s one of the few people who Ryan doesn’t try to hug because he doesn’t want to push her boundaries.

When my mom lets me go, she goes right to Ryan. “Do I get to call you Mama Junie now?”

Mom laughs as she hugs him. “I love the sound of that. And I love how happy you make my boy. Thank you for taking care of him.”

“I’m glad I’m the one who gets to do it.”

I turn toward Keaten, only to see Christy reaching out to hug her. I almost tell her to stop, but then Keaten reaches for her and they share a warm hug.

“Hey, Keats.”

“Hey, Christy.”

I glance over at Ryan, who shrugs.

When Keaten sees me watching them, she steps back and says, “We got closer over Christmas break.”

“Mhm,” I say. Whether it’s friendship or there’s a vibe there, I can’t tell, but either way, I’m happy for Keaten because she deserves to have great people in her life, and Christy, like her cousin, is one of the best.

Ryan wraps his arm around my mom and leads her inside. “My parents should be here soon. It’s only been a few weeks, but my mom is thrilled to see you and fill you in on her life.”

“Ah, I’m excited to see her too.”

I rub my hand over my chest as I follow them inside. All the little pieces of my world have collided and intertwined in the best ways. All that’s missing now is the chaos of the Baker girls.

I’ve never been a people person.

I can form friendships, but I’ve often struggled to maintain them because I was the one who was different. My need for solitude and boundaries, and my desire to stay in rather than go to a party drove a wedge between me and my friends of the moment in both high school and college.

For a long time, I thought I was the problem. Until I met my people.

Our living room is filled with conversations and laughter, and my heart is happy. Will I need quiet later? Yes. I’ll need space from everyone. Except Ryan, whose arms are wrapped around me as we snuggle on one of the couches.

The whole Baker Girls tribe is here. Kennedy and Devon flew in from California, and everyone else came down from upstate. Kennedy is rocking a little baby bump—she’s a few months behind Hallie, whose bump is prominent now at six months pregnant.

Everyone is unbelievably happy as we all catch up and share stories.

My eyes land on Hallie, and seeing the peace in her demeanor as she sits with Wilson on the couch, his daughter Sophia nestled against her, warms my heart. She was so afraid to let love in, and now she’s happier than she’s ever been. We all are.

After Kennedy and Devon made things official, we started joking that the love bug was making its way through the group, biting each of us, and now, nearly a year after Mark and Frannie first met on a plane and turned all our lives upside down, here we are.

My life is so much better with all of them in it.

Jade leans against Justin and looks around the room. “Look at everyone all cozy and loved up with their partners.” She glances at Hallie, Wilson, and Sophia. “Or families. My romance author heart is happy.”

Justin’s gaze drifts to us. “So glad we meddled for the greater good.”

He and Jade high-five, but the room goes silent around them.

“Meddled with what?” Ryan asks.

“Us?” I mutter. “How did you meddle with us? You were the one who was encouraging me to try online dating. You helped me set it up.”

Ryan’s gaze snaps to her. “You did that?” Then he lets out a chuckle of disbelief. “Of course you did.”

“Did what? I’m confused. I don’t live for the romance and drama like the rest of you. Someone help me.”

“Hey, leave me out of this,” Mark says.

“You meddled with the apartment,” I point out.

“He did?” Ryan asks, gaze swinging to Mark, who shrugs.

“I pulled some strings.”

“So many twists to this story,” Kennedy says.

“Back to you two,” I say to Jade and Justin. “How was setting me up on a dating app meddling?”

Justin clears his throat and smiles, his southern drawl strong as he speaks. “Because we both knew you weren’t going to act on your feelings without reasonable certainty Hardy had feelings for you. But all Hardy needed was a little push.”

“So you used the idea of online dating not to help me find someone, but to get him to reveal his feelings for me?” I ask, incredulous.

That’s so sneaky and underhanded. And probably smart if I’m honest. Minus the fact that it could’ve gone sideways if Ryan hadn’t admitted his feelings. “That could’ve backfired.”

“Seriously. That’s worse than Phoebe lying about the pregnancy test to Rachel on Friends. Risky,” Ryan says.

“We played the odds.” Justin smiles and winks at us.

“To be fair,” Jade says, “you were the one who believed that I, a romance author, would encourage you not to follow your heart and go for your happily ever after. That’s not on me.”

“Brilliant,” Hallie says, shaking her head.

“You’re only saying it because it’s not you they messed with,” I say.

“Obviously. But at least you didn’t have to deal with everyone nagging you about letting yourself fall in love,” she says.

“We didn’t nag you.” Kennedy smiles sweetly at her. “We just pointed out how dumb you were being.”

Sophia laughs. “They were being very silly. I knew from the beginning they were supposed to be together. Everyone should listen to me.”

Wilson groans a little. “You’re killing me, kid.”

Ryan pulls me tighter to him, shifting on the couch so we’re closer to lying down. “I would’ve told you anyway. I knew I couldn’t lose you, and reading your words inspired me. We were always meant to be together.”

My eyes drift up to his. “I love you.”

“I love you too.” He cups my cheek and kisses me, not giving a damn that everyone is watching us, and for once, I don’t care either. These people are my family, and we’re lucky to have their support—meddling and all.

“Hey,” Kennedy says, joining me in the kitchen where I’m unloading the dishwasher.

Christy, Keaten, and my mom got back about an hour ago, and everyone has separated off into little groups.

Christy, Hallie, and Ryan are judging a fashion show Sophia is putting on—mostly with Christy’s clothes.

Wilson and Mark have been talking football while Devon catches up with Justin and Jade.

Kennedy was chatting with my mom and Keaten, but Mom went off to bed, and now Keaten has joined as a judge for the fashion show.

I’m still wondering about her friendship with Christy, but unlike everyone else in this room, I can survive without meddling.

“Hey.” I pause and take her in. “You look cute with your little bump. Are you and Dev excited?”

Her smile could light the city. “So excited.” She looks over at Devon, then up at me. “It’s fulfilling a longtime dream.”

“I get that. In a different way, but I get it.”

“I know you do. So…”

“Yeah?”

She leans against the counter. “When I was going out to visit Dev in May and everyone teased me about wanting him and told me to say something, you defended me. Told them it wasn’t easy when it was risking a friendship. You were talking about Hardy, weren’t you?”

I turn toward the living room, and like he can feel my stare, he turns and smiles at me before focusing back on Sophia.

“Yeah. I was.”

“Look at us now.”

“Part of me regrets not acting on it sooner because I’ve never known happiness like this. Or peace.”

“Finding the person who completes you will do that.” She looks out at everyone, all the love in the room.

“We’re all whole on our own, but I truly believe our hearts or maybe our souls are never quite complete without the right person.

Maybe it’s someone we build love with or maybe it’s the love we stumble into, but either way, we’re the best versions of ourselves when we have that. ”

“That’s very profound,” I say softly.

“Well, I was inspired by that poet you suggested we carry at the library in Brighton. B.W. Cole? He had some relatable things to say about life, longing, and love.” She looks up at me with a knowing smile.

I can’t hide the pink creeping onto my cheeks.

She elbows me gently. “Don’t worry. Your secret is safe with me. But I hope someday you feel ready to share a little more of yourself with the world, because you have so much beauty to share.”

She leans up and kisses my cheek, then heads toward where Devon, Justin, and Jade are chatting.

Again, my man turns and looks at me, his eyes lingering on me as he smiles, and this is it. This is all I need to be happy for the rest of my life.