Page 72 of Open Net

“But it’s a start and I’ll take it.”

I nodded and started to turn.

“Emma?”

I let out a small sigh and turned around.

“Thank you for coming.”

I wanted to tell him Addison forced me, but I knew that was a lie. She encouraged me, but I wanted to come. I wanted to take steps toward repairing us.

18

Olli

I felt like a teenager going on my first date. I wiped my sweaty palms on my tuxedo pants and knocked on the front door. It felt strange picking Emma up from our house rather than getting ready together.

Janice opened the door with a smile. “Don’t you look dapper.”

I smiled and stepped in, with Grant following me. Since Janice was watching Jackson and Elijah, the girls decided it would be easier to get ready together and have us pick them up from one place.

“The girls should be down in a second,” Janice said. “The boys are in here.”

She led us to the living room where the babies were laying on their backs on a blue blanket. They both had smiles and Elijah was cooing.

I bent over them and smiled. “Hi handsome boys.”

Grant got on his knees next to me and started playing with Eli. I dropped my tie on Jackson’s forehead and slid it over his nose, making him smile bigger. It was the greatest thing I’d ever seen. He made a few gurgling sounds like he was trying to laugh.

“You think that’s funny?” I repeated it over and over, loving the sounds he was making.

“Hey.” I stood up and turned to see Emma and Addison smiling at us.

“Wow.” Emma wore a burgundy gown with sleeves that hung off her shoulders. She looked stunning. “You’re beautiful.”

She blushed. “Thank you. You look very handsome.”

I stepped toward her and kissed her cheek lightly, not wanting to mess up her makeup. Her eyes widened but she didn’t protest.

I took her hand and slipped it through my arm. “Are you ready?”

She jerked her head toward Addison with a sneaky smile.

I glanced over to see Grant staring at her friend like he was seeing the sun for the first time. He was frozen, mouth open and everything, staring at Addison in her purple dress.

If the poor guy wasn’t going to say anything I would. “Addison, you look gorgeous.”

She smiled. “Thanks Olli.”

Grant nodded. “Yeah, wow. You look absolutely amazing.”

He walked forward and held out his hand. When she placed hers over his, he lifted her hand up and she spun. “Wow.”

She wore a light purple gown that left her back exposed. Her short blonde hair was somehow pinned up in a fancy twist.

The two women both looked like goddesses.

“You look very nice too,” Addison told Grant.