Page 52 of Shatter

Harrison clears his throat next to me, and my smile breaks wide.

"Something you want to share with the class?" Cass teases as she sits back in her chair.

I blush a little but shake my head 'no'. Things are still so in the air with us; I wouldn't know where to begin. But maybe I could ask her.

"We need a girls' night!" Serenity announces, likely wanting to get me alone so they can pry me for information.

But I've never had a girls' night. "I'd love that. Is that okay?" I ask Harrison, but my mood drops when he shakes his head.

"You're not going to ask me for permission. It's your time. You decide who to spend it with."

Oh. He's giving me the autonomy I desperately wanted from my parents.

I just don't know what to do with it.

Chapter twenty-six

Harrison

Ihate my friends.

I mean, not really.

But in this moment, I do.

The girls have migrated into the living room after dinner, and June woke up from her nap and is nursing under a privacy blanket. Elijah's on the floor with his back against the couch, playing dolls with Cammy and Danny, all long-limbs and a worn baseball cap on backwards. He was there at Cammy's birth and has taken the role of big brother very seriously. Cass has sworn she's never having another kid, so he gets little siblings through us.

Through them, I correct myself.

"Love looks good on you, big man," Daniel teases as he joins me at the kitchen table. All three of us are sipping whiskey and simply watching our girls.

I scoff, but he's closer to the truth than I want to admit right now. I know I framed this relationship as temporary - that I can be someone she can rely on while she picks herself up and dusts herself off - but I'm slowly falling for her.

I thought I knew her before. I even found her charming, and my desire to protect her was always there. But the real Melody? The real Melody is begging for a soft, simple life. She's strong, and she's brave. She's trying new things and doing the hard work. She's figuring her life out one day at a time and learning how to take what she wants. And I'm addicted to the journey. I'm addicted to her.

Her soft side, her strong side, her struggling side. I want them all.

I tense when her smile drops, ready to rush in and fix whatever's made her scared. She holds up her hands to Nell, alarm written clearly all over her face. I'm almost out of my chair when I realize what's happening. Nell's offering to let Mel hold June.

"I've never held a baby. I wouldn't know what to do! What if I drop her?" Mel rambles nervously.

"Babies bounce. But I promise you, I won't let you hurt her. Trust me," Nell replies.

The comment stuns Melody, but I relax back into my seat.

I've never asked her about kids. If she wants any of her own. She's clearly not been around them much, or at all, by the way she's reacting. Nell positions June at Mel's hip and moves her arm around to hold the toddler by the waist.

Mel's as still as a statue.

"Hi there," she whispers to the baby, who's babbling back happily. June grabs a fistful of Melody's hair and gets a tug in before Nell rescues the locks from her daughter's death grip.

Slowly, I watch Melody melt in front of me and transform into a completely different person. It starts with her shoulders sagging in relief. Then she starts bouncing a little in place, then she takes June's hand and starts doing a little twirl and dance with her, which causes the baby to squeal with laughter.

Nell, Serenity, and Cass talk about cars, giving Melody her little moment. Cass wants to buy a new car, but she's torn on what kind. Elijaha's a catcher so all of his equipment means she needs a large trunk area.

When June's laughter seems to wane, Mel drops her cheek to the baby's head and holds her against her chest, eyes closed, breathing in her baby smell, with the sweetest smile I've ever seen.

"You got kids in your future, Harrison?" Declan asks, his voice softer than normal as he watches my woman and Daniel's baby.