Page 25

CHAPTER TWENTY-FIVE

SOS

BOWIE

I push open the door to Luminary, the post-workout fog clinging to me as much as the news I’m still wrestling to process. I’ve hardly slept, every thought since Poppy’s revelation reeling me under like quicksand.

Clara glances up from behind the counter, her usual mischievous grin fading when she sees my face. “Americano coming right up,” she says, knowing I’m not up for dancing today. She slides it across the counter a minute later and when I look at the cup, I stare up at her. She wrinkles up her nose. “I couldn’t help myself.”

The cup says Daddy with a star next to it.

“Thanks,” I mutter, grabbing the cup and heading to the back room.

Henley, Weston, Penn, and Rhodes are already waiting, their expressions ranging from curiosity to full-blown concern.

“What’s going on?” Rhodes asks, standing up and squeezing my shoulder and then pulling out a chair for me. “You never call meetings. This is…unsettling.”

I sit down heavily, taking a long sip of coffee before setting the cup down.

“I’m scared,” Penn says, only half-joking.

Henley squints at me, leaning in, and Weston gulps nervously.

“Poppy’s pregnant.”

Silence falls over the table.

And then it goes haywire, everyone talking at once.

“Wait, what?” Henley nearly knocks over his coffee.

“You’ve been having sex with Poppy?” Rhodes screeches.

“Poppy?” Weston asks, eyes wide.

“I’m shook,” Penn says. “You didn’t even tell us you two hooked up. Here we’ve thought you were suffering from the world’s longest dry spell and you’ve gotten her pregnant?” He sounds deeply offended, but when I look at him, he gives me a small smirk.

Turns out I’ve not given Penn’s acting skills enough credit.

I acknowledge him with a little chin up.

“More than once, clearly,” Rhodes says, smirking.

“Twice, but guys, can we focus here?”

Henley reaches across the table and pounds me on the back, his smile huge. “We’re focusing. On the fact that you—Mr. I-have-no-time-for-relationships-Fox—have been sleeping with Poppy Keane.”

“And now she’s pregnant,” Weston says, letting out a low whistle. “ Dude .”

I groan. “This was a mistake, telling you guys today.”

“Oh no,” Rhodes says, holding up a hand. “This is amazing. Like Christmas, but better. Keep going.”

They all laugh. They freaking laugh .

I glare at them. “What do you want me to say? I’m at a loss. But Penn, thanks for keeping it a secret. I know that must have been killing you.”

Penn collapses on the table. “I was dying!”

“Wait. How did he find out about it before us?” Rhodes asks, smirk completely gone now.

“I was there for the blurtouncement,” Penn says.

They all look at him blankly, but I actually laugh. “She blurted it out here.”

“It was epic,” Penn says, laughing.

“I can’t believe we didn’t all hear about it by last night,” Weston says.

“Clara must have made everyone swear to keep their mouths shut,” Penn says.

“Okay,” Henley says, waving a hand for silence. “Let’s get serious. Tell us how you’re feeling about this.”

“I’m a wreck,” I admit. “I haven’t been able to think straight since she told me.”

“I can’t believe you didn’t call this meeting yesterday,” Rhodes says, annoyed.

I roll my head back to the ceiling and Henley clears his throat.

“You’re upset,” he says.

“I don’t know. It’s…a lot. ”

“Imagine what she’s feeling,” Weston says and then gives me a sheepish look when he sees my expression. He lifts a shoulder and I frown, guilt creeping into my chest. “How’s she handling the news?”

“I…don’t really know. We didn’t talk for long. She told me here…I’m surprised you hadn’t already heard the news actually. I’m not sure how many heard her say it, but Clara for sure did.” I show them the cup and they all crack up.

“You should check on her,” Rhodes says. “She’s having your baby, man.” He reaches out and holds onto my shoulder. “Do you have feelings for her?”

I swallow hard. “We had sex night before last again…I was sort of an asshole after the first time.” I glance at Weston. “It was the night of your wedding.”

He grins. “We should’ve all known after watching the two of you dance that night.”

“Damn straight,” Penn says, laughing.

“It was a big deal for you to have sex with her in the first place,” Rhodes says knowingly. “And you don’t do repeats. You like her.”

“I like her,” I say, head in hands. “Goddammit, I do.” When I look up at them, they’re all staring at me with pleased expressions and I shake my head. “All the more reason for me to not get involved with her.”

“Holy hell, what are you saying?” Rhodes says, scowling.

“I can’t go through that again,” I say. “I can’t do it to Becca.”

“Poppy is not Adriane,” Henley says. “Not even close. You’ve been closing yourself off for so long. I think this is the best news ever.” He points at me. “Don’t run from this, Bow. Talk to her. Don’t leave her hanging. Let her know you’re gonna be a great dad to that baby. ”

“And then take her to bed again and celebrate,” Penn says, holding up a hand for me to high-five him.

When I don’t, he looks around the table for another taker. Weston slaps it and then looks at me.

“For once, Penn’s got a great idea.”

“Hey!” Penn says, bopping Weston over the head.

“Maybe have a conversation first,” Rhodes says. “See where she’s standing with all this…and then take her to bed and celebrate.”

“There will be no taking her to bed,” I say firmly.

But even as I’m saying it, I’m imagining her hair spilling out over her pillow, her body on display for me, and I shift in my seat, hungry for her again.

I can’t believe how much I like the woman.

How did I let this happen?

“Let us know how it goes,” Weston says. “You’ll go see her today?”

“I don’t know. I feel like I need to have my head wrapped around it all a little better before I see her again.”

“Get your head wrapped around it together ,” Weston says.

Rhodes points at him. “That. Exactly. Don’t wait on this, Bowie. I love you like a brother, we all do, and we want your happiness as much as our own, so I’m telling you, do not fucking blow this. Poppy is incredible and the two of you together could be straight-up magic. Give her a chance.”

“Rhodes is telling the truth,” Henley says. “And since Tru is pregnant right now, I know firsthand how vulnerable this time can be, even when the circumstances are the best. Whether you know how you want to handle a romantic relationship with her or not, it’s important that you have a good relationship for the sake of your child. But I’m rooting for the two of you.” He winks, leaning back in his chair.

“Hold on a second…” Weston says, pulling The Single Da d Playbook out of his bag. He flips it open, pointing to the page where I wrote that Becca has been asking for a sibling, and I groan.

“I can’t even think about telling Becca yet,” I say. “She won’t be able to think of anything else until November.”

“That’s when Baby Fox is coming?” Henley says, beaming.

“You sly motherfucker,” Penn says, shaking his head. “You’ve been holding this secret all this time and now you’re Poppy’s baby daddy.” He throws his hands up. “This might just be the only way you’ll let yourself get involved in a relationship.”

They all laugh and Rhodes slaps Penn on the back.

“I think Penn might be right again,” he says.

Penn tries to scowl, but he’s too damn proud to have Rhodes’ praise to pull it off.

“Let’s not get ahead of ourselves,” I say.

“You already did that when you got her pregnant.” Rhodes laughs.

“I used a condom,” I mutter.

“How you like me now?” Rhodes sings like the pigeon in Storks .

It’s a line we’ve all sung from time to time, having watched way too many animated movies between us.

“How you like me now?” Penn echoes, giving me a smug look.

“You guys are useless,” I grumble, putting my hand on the back of my neck.

“Tell me it was at least a phenomenal night…excuse me, two nights…with Poppy,” Penn says.

“It was a phenomenal night…two nights,” I say rotely.

But then my lips crack, breaking into a smile and they hoot like a room full of frat boys .

I hold up my hand. “Settle. We can safely say that I was overdue, so...”

The words feel cheap and ring false. I hate that I even said that. But they all look at me knowingly.

“Yeah, keep telling yourself that,” Rhodes says, rolling his eyes.

“Poppy is special,” I say quietly.

I can’t help myself. I can’t leave that last sentence hanging like it didn’t mean anything to me that we had sex. It did mean something, both times…but night before last…that was groundbreaking for me.

For the past nine years, I haven’t once come close to changing my mind about staying out of a relationship. But Poppy…she makes me want to consider it.

More than that…I think I’m already invested.

She’s having my baby. I’m invested whether I want to be or not.

But the truth is…I want to be.

And that is seriously fucking with me.