Page 79 of Wild Side

Looking over at him, my eyes flick up to meet his, and I frown slightly. “Trent?” I ask.

“That’s my name.”

Sinking my teeth into my bottom lip, I worry the flesh back and forth. Trent. Chase and Trent.

I like that.

A lot.

I don’t tell him that, though. I think there must be a special meaning behind these men telling someone their real name. I’m pretty sure only my father’s closest friends knew his legal name. And even then, I don’t think I’d ever heard it spoken aloud a day in my life, unless it was a solicitor calling our house; that’s how I always knew it was someone who didn’t actually know him.

I don’t want to act crazy and have him regret telling me that information, so I smile up at him, inhaling a deep breath and holding it for a moment, then letting it out slowly.

“Let’s go check on my niece or nephew.”

“Yeah,” I breathe. “Let’s do that.”

CHAPTER THIRTY-FOUR

ZADIE

Twins.

Turning my head, I look over at Goose, who is sitting in the driver’s seat, his fingers curled around the steering wheel. His eyes are focused straight ahead. He doesn’t move, doesn’t even start the engine of the pickup truck.

He just stares. Then, as if something inside him causes his body to come alive, he turns quickly to look at me. His eyes are wide as he watches me for a silent moment. Then his lips slowly curve up into a wide smile.

“You’re having twins.”

“I’m having twins,” I whisper.

The news hasn’t quite sunk in yet. Twins. What am I going to do with two babies? I didn’t even know what I was going to do with one. Now it’s two. Goose and I stare at one another. He’s smiling like a crazy person.

Then he reaches out, toward my lap, and wraps his fingers around my wrists. He flexes his fingers, his gaze not leavingmine. Something washes over me, a calmness. I don’t know what it is, but I let out an exhaled breath and dip my chin slightly.

“Excited as fuck, Zadie. Happy to have you in my family.”

He releases my hands, turns toward the windshield, then starts the engine. I do the same, shifting forward and watching as he drives, the entire time wondering what is about to happen. Because it’s going to be huge. I know it is.

I can feel it.

I’ve felt it since the moment I met Chase. Something shifted in my body, in my mind, in my atmosphere. I don’t know what it is, but I knew it was going to be big, and it’s not just big—it’s gigantic times two.

Twins.

Twin babies are going to be coming into this world. Placing my hand on my belly, I let out a heavy exhale. I’m not sure what tomorrow is going to look like. Just like I wasn’t sure what today would look like yesterday, but I’m excited for it to happen.

And I’m excited to share it all with my brand-new family.

Trent accepting me into his life is probably the best thing that could have happened. I know this will make Chase happy. And it makes me…ecstatic.

Beyond ecstatic.

Just when I thought I had nobody, just when I felt that my life was going to be incredibly lonely, I came here and was not only welcomed but accepted with the most open arms to ever exist.

I can’t wipe the smile off my lips.

Trent pulls up to my new home, into the driveway, and kills the engine. Wordlessly, he opens the pickup door and jumps out. Not waiting, I open my own door and follow him, climbing out and walking behind him to the front door.