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“And how are you doing?” she asks, forcing me to think about myself for the first time since we walked into Wayne Nash’s house.
“I’m…I’m okay.”
“Garrett,” she warns.
“No, I’m serious. Sure, today has been stressful. But it feels right.”
“You’ve just signed up to be some kind of step…brother…father to these boys. Is this really what you want?”
“Yes. It is. They’re incredible, Sisi. And they deserve this.”
“And what about you and Cooper? How are you going to play this?”
“He told his father that I’m his boyfriend. The boys know that we’re a couple.”
“And what about the rest of the world?”
“We’ll get to them. Right now, the most important thing is getting Huxley and Ryker to LA and getting them settled in. Everything else will fall into place,” I say, fully believing that’s what’s going to happen.
“You sound happy,” Sienna comments.
“I am,” I say, hearing movement from the other room. When I look up, I find a sleepy Cooper standing in the doorway, looking adorable with a pillow crease in his cheek and messy bed hair. “I’m really happy,” I say to my sister, but also to him.
Despite telling him that I’m okay with all of this multiple times today, I know he’s worried that he’s pushing me into it. He’s not. If he didn’t demand we take the boys back with us after nearly witnessing his father hitting Ryker, then I would have.
A chill runs down my spine just remembering that moment. The pure fear that raced through me. I can only imagine how Ryker felt.
“Good. I’m glad you’re all okay, but I’ve got to go. I’m kinda in the middle of an important mission right now.”
“Thank you, Sisi. They’re going to really appreciate it.”
“You know I’d do anything for my little brother.”
“Hmm, I can think of a few instances where that isn’t true,” I mutter as Cooper climbs onto the bed and drags me with him.
“Pfft.”
“Talk tomorrow.”
“You got it. Get some sleep, bro. Big day tomorrow.”
The second I hang up, Cooper pulls me closer and nuzzles my neck.
“Thank you doesn’t seem even close to enough for everything you’ve done for us today.”
“Stop,” I say, squirming when his breath tickles over my collarbone. “You have nothing to thank me for. I’d do it all a million times over to keep those boys safe.”
“They love you,” he breathes, settling back on the pillow.
“They don’t even know me.”
“They know enough. I’ve never seen Ryker take to someone as he has you.”
Cooper’s not wrong. That little boy has been like my shadow today. Whenever I’ve been with them, he’s been at my side, soaking up as many hugs as he can.
He’s still said very little, but we don’t need words to communicate; I can see everything I need in his eyes. Once we get home and he gets settled, maybe he’ll feel safe enough to speak a little more around me.
“Well, that’s because I’m so freaking awesome,” I laugh.
