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We both looked at Jake and saw that he was smiling. He shrugged and crossed his arms over his chest. “Fine. You don’t get to be in control every single time, though.”
Seb gave him a dark look. “We’ll see.”
“Alright. Now… We just have to convince her that we aren’t the pieces of shit she thinks we are.” I watched as a car pulled into her driveway but couldn’t see who it was that got out. “It’ll be easier to get her to forgive us as a trio, maybe. Hopefully.”
“Lucy says we need a grand gesture.” Jake tilted his head and I could tell he was trying to see who was getting out of the car, too. “I’d say a grand gesture from the three of us is bound to be better than a grand gesture from one of us.”
“What kind of grand gesture?” I finally saw it was Mallory in the car and sat back down. “Whatever we do, it’s going to have to be big. Mallory sent me a text last night. It was just a gif of a woman kicking a man in the nuts.”
Seb snorted. “She keeps leaving dog shit on my doorstep and not even bothering to hide that it’s her doing it.”
Jake shuddered. “She doesn’t even have a dog.”
“We’re going to have to win her over if we’re ever going to win Fiona over.” I glanced up at Jake. “Is she still hooking up with your bodyguard?”
Shrugging, Jake sank into the chair next to me. “I hardly ever see Paul. I can check, though.”
“I think that he might be Mallory’s only weakness if they’re still seeing each other. That woman is scary. She’s not the yogi Carl would expect, that’s for sure.” I heard a door slam inside and winced. “Sam?”
Seb groaned. “Should I tell her that we’re scheming to make Fiona forgive us and then enter into a bizarre relationship with us? Do you think that’d make her forgive me?”
I listened to the sound of stomping coming up the stairs and watched Seb’s face turn sad. Reaching over to pat his shoulder, I sighed. “Maybe don’t use the word scheme.”
Jake stretched his legs out in front of him. “Maybe we bring all the kids together and convince them to forgive us for being idiots. And then we beg them to help because clearly they’re all smarter than us.”
Sam walked out onto the balcony and frowned down at her dad. “Did you fix it yet?”
Seb cleared this throat and sat up straighter. “Not yet. But we’re going to.”
She stared at him for a few silent seconds and then smiled. “Cool. Want some help?”
50
***Fiona***
Mallory hadn’t gone out to do her daily poop dump on Sebastian’s doorstep. She thought I didn’t know she was doing it, but I knew. My hurt feelings kept me from telling her to stop. It didn’t seem like I needed to tell her to stop, though. Instead of getting up and sneaking out, she slept in. For a split second, I considered taking on the job myself. Just for a second, though.
I made me and Avery matching bowls of cereal and we watched cartoons in the living room. I planned on wasting the day away with him. Without the guys coming around to see me, my entire schedule opened up. As I watched a square sponge on TV try to pass his driving test, I tried my best not to think about the guys or my open schedule. I’d done everything I could to avoid crying about them and I was doing my best to not let Avery see that his mother was an absolute shit show.
It was hard. I wanted to go down to Sebastian’s house and shout at him until I felt better and then I wanted to crawl into his arms and let it all go. I was lonely and heartbroken and I didn’t want to be. I wanted to go back to feeling happy and cared for. I wanted to be loved the way I’d thought they loved me.
They weren’t coming after me. They’d gone to the doctor’s appointment, but they hadn’t tried to come and get me after. It hurt to know that if they’d really tried, I would’ve forgiven them and we could’ve moved forward but they didn’t want me enough to bother. I rested my hand over my stomach and silently prayed that whoever fathered the twins wouldn’t let them down.
“Alright. You’ve been moping for long enough. You need to get out of this house.” Mallory strolled into the living room in a full workout set and her hair in a high pony. Her smile was bright and she looked as happy as could be. “You have ten minutes to change into something decent or I’m dragging you out like that.”
A jolt of excitement went through me. I did want to get out. I needed to get out. I was going crazy sitting around wallowing in my misery. “I’ll be ready in five.”
She looked surprised. “I thought I was going to have to fight you about this.”
I got up and hugged her. “Thank you. If I sit here for another minute, I’m going to lose my mind.”
“It’s going to be better, Fifi. I promise.” She pushed me away and then winked at Avery. “Let’s see how fast we can get you dressed, kid. If you beat your mom, I’ll let you drive today.”
I gasped and both of the hooligans I was living with cackled. I frowned at them but then Avery was racing around me to get dressed and I had to gently trip him on the stairs so he wouldn’t beat me and demand the opportunity to drive.
“Hey!” Avery tried to grab my leg but I was bigger and faster.
“You’re not driving until you’re twenty, kid. I’m not losing this.” I slid into my room and threw on the first clean leggings I could find. I stumbled into a pair of Crocs and then ran my fingers through my hair as I raced down the stairs. I beat Avery by a full minute but I could tell by the look on Mallory’s face that my look suffered for it.
