Page 75 of Toxic Hope
“You know what this calls for?” I already know what Carter has in mind when he grins. “A party. A really big party.”
“We would be happy to throw it,” Maya says, and Tucker nods.
“Why do you think I mentioned it? I thought we would throw it.” Carter looks at Elliana, whose head bobs.
People are actually arguing over who’s going to throw a party for me. Am I dreaming?
“No, we’ll throw a party,” Preston insists, touching my knee with his under the table. “We’ve already been planning it.”
“You have not,” I reply with a laugh that goes silent when I look at Easton and see how serious he is.
“Not, like, in-depth or anything,” he explains. “But we figured there was a good chance you would get the good news you were hoping for, and we knew we would want to celebrate that.”
“Dad already gave the okay for whenever we want to throw it,” Preston assures me before kissing my forehead.
“And your mom is all right with it? Does she know?” Mrs. Scott entered rehab two months ago, and from all reports, she’s doing great. But I doubt having a big party at the house when she’s just home will be very helpful.
“We’ll have the party before she gets home,” Easton replies.
They thought of everything, but that shouldn’t come as a surprise. It seems like they’re always a few steps ahead of me. Always anticipating what I might want or need, falling over themselves to give it to me. There are days I still want to pinch myself, even after being together all this time. It’s not always easy—they’re both stubborn, and so am I. But really, it’s not nearly as complicated as I assumed it would be at first.
Looking around the table, my gaze lands on Kellan. As big as he is, he can be easy to overlook, thanks to his quiet nature. He’s the only one in the group who’s still single, and I have to wonderif he feels strange. Like the odd man out. I’ve been that person way too many times and remember how it feels.
But I don’t have to feel that way anymore. Never again.
“How about we go visit Grandma after school?” Easton suggests. “We can give her the good news you got this morning. We’ll take her to dinner and everything.”
“If she’s got the time,” Preston jokes. “Since she’s always so busy with her friends and her activities nowadays.”
“Are you kidding? If it has to do with Emma, she’ll drop everything.” Easton gives me a loving grin full of fondness for her.
I’m sure he’s right, too. She has always dropped everything for me. I’m so glad she’s finally living on her own terms. Thanks to the assistance programs through the hospital, the bills that kept her up at night aren’t a problem anymore. It’s like a gift, but then that’s how I feel every day. Life is a gift.
And it just so happens I have two incredible men to spend it with, along with the friends and family they’ve brought into my world to make it so much bigger and fuller than it ever was before.
While everyone talks about the party, I touch a hand to the pearls around my neck. Mom’s pearls are mixed in with the ones Easton and Preston bought for me, and somehow that makes all the sense in the world. It’s like my past and my future blended together on the same strand, a constant reminder of all the good that has existed in my life and still exists.
And now that I’ve gotten the best news imaginable from my team at the hospital, it feels like the sky’s the limit when it comes to how much better life will get. All I know is, I want Easton and Preston by my side, no matter what comes.
And when they look at me with love in their eyes, I know in my soul they’re not going anywhere. Not ever.
I can’t wait for the rest of my life.