Page 33 of The Road to Forever (Beaumont: Next Generation #7)

TWENTY-THREE

T he Westbury house bustles with Christmas activity. We’re greeted at the door by Bianca, Noah’s grandma who instantly takes one of the two baby carriers he was holding. The second is taken by Josie, and the third, which I’m holding is snatched from my hands by my mother.

Who doesn’t even greet me.

“Merry Christmas, mother,” I say pointedly. She hates when we call her mother but do it when she’s upset us, or we need her attention.

“I’m sorry, come here.”

I bend down to reach her and she wraps her arm around me, while still holding onto my precious princess of a niece. “Merry Christmas. I’m glad your home.”

“Me, too. You can never tell with that manager of mine.”

Mom rolls her eyes, but even she knows Elle can be a workaholic. Maybe now that she has the twins, she’ll slow down. Doubtful, but hopeful. Although, I like to keep busy, and Elle definitely keeps me busy.

Dad comes up to us next, greeting us all before turning his googly eyes onto the trio of sleeping babies that are now in the arms of their grandmothers.

“Wanna help me with the gifts?” Noah asks as if I’d say no. We go outside to the back of the SUV, and each grab the very large bags Peyton packed everything into. “I have no idea what she bought. Everyone in that house has everything.”

“You’re telling me. I forgot it was Christmas until I was flying here and then I sat on the plane, scrolling through TikTok looking for ideas. I do think the gift I got all the women is going to be epic.”

“I’m sure they’ll cry,” Noah says with a sigh. “My mom started crying this morning on the phone because one of the boys cooed in the background. I didn’t have the heart to tell her it was Stevie Nicks chomping on a toy.”

I hold back my laughter as we reach the house. Soft holiday music wafts from the in-house speaker system. Liam’s walking around wearing a Santa hat and handing out eggnog.

“Merry Christmas, Quinn.” He hands me a glass.

“Thanks, you too. Is it spiked?” I answer my own question as soon as I take a sip. “Shit, this’ll put hair on my chest.” Liam laughs and hands Noah one, who tells his dad no thanks.

Betty Paige comes over and helps me spread the presents out. She seems quiet and honestly a bit withdrawn. After a few moments of no eye contact, which is extremely odd, I elbow her.

“You okay?”

She shrugs.

“Wanna talk about it?”

She looks around the room, and I do the same. There’s no doubt we’re seeing the same thing, our parents obsessed with the babies. Even Ollie is more interested in them. He didn’t even try to tackle me when I walked in.

“Come on, let’s go down to the studio and bang on the drums.”

Betty Paige and I escape to the basement studio, where there’s an entire set of instruments, including a drum kit, set up. Honestly, I’m surprised with the new studio in the center of town, Liam keeps this one stocked.

I remember spending a lot of time down here when I was a kid, watching 4225 West record album after album, prepare for their numerous tours, and learning how to play the guitar, keyboard, and drums. The instruments were never off limits.

“What’s your pleasure?”

Paige shrugs. “I don’t really play anything.”

“What? How can that be?”

She sits on the bench by the keyboard and presses the keys. “I don’t know. Dad never pushed it or anything and I never asked to learn.”

“It’s never too late,” I tell her as I tap the snare. “I didn’t think I wanted to be a musician, but here I am.”

“No, what did you want to do?”

“Honestly, be a surfer.”

“Eden has that one in the bag. Me, I’ve got nothing.”

“That’s not true, what do you like to do?”

Paige shrugs. “I’m lost and with the babies here, I feel . . .”

“Invisible?”

She looks up at me. “Yes. How did you know?”

Sighing, I twirl the stick between my fingers.

“Because I feel the same way. I always have,” I tell her.

“It’s not that I was neglected growing up or anything, but I came into the twin’s life when they were five and they already had each other, plus they were very close to your brother.

I was the outsider. Plus, they have that twin language thing.

Now, they have more boys than girls with their offspring, and Juniper is going to be just like us. ”

“She’s very sweet,” Paige says. “I always hold her first when I get there and then right before I leave.”

I can’t help but laugh. “I held her all night the other night and slept in the chair with her.”

“So, you’re trying to make her love you more?”

Without hesitating, I nod and then bang the cymbal. Paige shakes her head.

“At least you got one named after you.”

“True, but you’re named after your bad ass great grandma. Have you ever looked her up?”

Paige shakes her head.

“Oh, man. You’ve got to. My grandma loved Betty’s movies back in the day. Seriously, Paige, you need a movie marathon. Your name is so iconic, you don’t want to share it with anyone.”

She frowns a little.

“If I were you, I’d learn all you could about your great-grandmother and roll with it. Embrace who you are and who you’re named after. I’m going to tell the newbies the same thing. Look at poor Jett,” I say, shaking my head. “He doesn’t even get to go by his first name.”

This time she smiles.

“You know he’s going to be that kid in school where the teacher calls his name and he’s going to have to say, I go by Jett, and his teacher is going to roll their eyes, because who names their kid Jett?”

“Elle does,” Paige says.

“Exactly.” I hit the cymbal again. “What I’m saying is probably a bunch of nonsense, but you just have to learn to embrace what you can control.

Is having your niece or nephew named after you nice?

Sure, but none of them are actually using those names.

Junie will never go by Elle. Now maybe if her name was Quinella that would be a different story. ”

“Oh God, that is worse than anything,” Paige says. “There’s a group on one of the apps that makes fun of people who give their children outlandish names. I don’t always agree with the names their hating on, but whatever. I’m not having kids so what do I care.”

“You’re not?”

She shakes her head. “By the time I’m ready, my parents will be old. I see how happy they are now, with the triplets and I don’t know . . .” she shrugs.

“You know, now that you mention it, my parents are old and they’re adopting a baby. Who do you think gets Ollie if something happens to them?”

“Peyton,” Paige says quickly. “She’s the responsible one out of the three of you.”

“Ouch.” I put my hand over my heart while nodding. “You’re right.”

“Where’s Nola?”

Damn, I didn’t think she’d pick up on Nola’s lack of presence. I sigh and run my hand through my hair. “At her parents.”

Paige eyes me and then looks down at the keyboard, pressing more keys. “I don’t like her so I’m glad she’s not here.”

“Really? I thought you guys got along.”

She shrugs. “I guess it’s one of those things where you pretend until they’re not around.”

Interesting. Her admission makes me wonder who else doesn’t like my ex. It’s not like I’m going to take a poll at the end of the night to find out. It’s unsettling though, to think my family faked their way through my relationship with Nola to make me happy.

“Damn . . .”

Paige looks up at me. “Sorry.”

“No, you don’t have to be sorry,” I tell her. “I’m just taken aback.”

She plays a few more notes on the keyboard and then brightens as soon as Mack opens the door. She stands so fast, her knee bumps everything out of her way.

“Hey, Quinn,” Mack says as he tries to hide how excited he is to see Betty Paige.

“Hey, Mack.” We exchanged holiday pleasantries.

“I’m going to go upstairs and hang with Mack. I hope you’ll be okay.” Paige leaves the studio, leaving me in a stupor over her words. She hopes I’ll be okay? I’m the one who asked her to come down so we could talk about her melodrama.

“I was duped by a teen.” I hit the cymbals one last time and head upstairs, where the party has grown exponentially.

As soon as I step into the kitchen, I bolt through the door into the other room, needing to avoid any type of kitchen duty.

If my mom or Josie asks, sure, I’ll help but I’m not going to be a sitting duck and turn into everyone’s server boy.

In the living room, where I had my first ever Christmas in Beaumont, my entire and extend family has gathered, minus the moms. My aunt Yvie sees me before anyone else and squeals as she comes running toward me, as if she floated on air.

I’ve always marveled at how light she walked which is a testament to her years of dancing.

After our little love fest, where she told me she was very proud of me, my grandma—looking frail—beckons me for a hug.

“Such a handsome young man.”

“Thank you, Grandma. The cruise life looks good on you.”

Grandma fans herself and blushes. “Let me tell you, if you ever decide to go for an older woman, I’ll have a list for you.”

My insides twist into knots. Something tells me I don’t want to go on any of the cruises these grandparents of ours are going on.

In fact, I should have my dad check them out and make sure nothing nefarious is going on.

The last thing any of us want to hear is about the freaky stuff going on while they’re at sea.

I make my way around the room, saying hi to Xander, Nick, Talisa, and my grandpa, who like my grandma is getting up there in age.

While Grandpa and I are chatting about the tour, Josie yells it’s time to eat.

Everyone rushes to the other room, and we line up like kids in the cafeteria on pizza day.

Why we ever thought school pizza was the best is beyond me.

Or maybe we just thought it was the one decent meal they fed us.

When it’s my turn to fix my plate, the front door busts open and JD announces his arrival by letting us know the party can start. Jenna, who I’m shocked doesn’t have permanent rolling eyes, whacks him in the back with a bag.

“Be quiet, there are sleeping babies in the house.”