Jace
With Nova gone to work the apartment is eerily silent.
We had our appointment this morning with her doctor, and he confirmed Nova is indeed pregnant. At the news, Nova immediately burst into happy tears and I might have shed a tear or two myself. I might’ve brought up having a baby first, but over the past few months of struggle, Nova’s desire for a baby has far exceeded mine.
I pick up my guitar and set it on my lap, strumming a few chords.
I hum quietly to myself, trying to let the words work themselves through my brain. It’s a new song, one I’ve titled Safety Net. It’s more upbeat than my usual songs, so it’s taking a hell of a lot longer to get right, but I know it’ll be worth it to get it perfect.
I haven’t been sitting for long when someone starts beating on the door like they’re determined to break it the fuck down.
I set my guitar down and stomp over to the door—pissed someone has dared to disturb my flow—and swing the door open sharply.
“What the fuck do you want?” I spit before I see who stands there.
“Move aside, motherfucker, and let me in,” Thea demands, baby Xael on her hip.
“I thought you weren’t allowed to cuss in front of the baby?” I raise a brow, stifling a laugh as I step aside. I’d fight her, but I’m actually kind of afraid of Thea. She’s batshit crazy.
She makes a face. “What Xander doesn’t know won’t hurt him—and if you even think about telling him I’ll kick you in the balls so hard you’re only going to be able to sing in a falsetto for the rest of your life.”
I can’t help it, I laugh, but I have no doubt she will make good on her promise.
“Here, take the demon spawn.” She thrusts the baby at me and I grab her. She smacks her chubby hand against my cheek and makes some kind of baby gurgling noise.
“Your mommy is crazy, you know that, right?” I ask the baby, and she blinks big brown eyes at me like my words are nothing new to her.
“I’m not crazy, everyone else is and they don’t understand the concept of normal.”
“Whatever you say.” I bounce the baby as Thea makes herself at home, plopping on the couch and picking up a magazine before looking at it with distaste and tossing it down so hard it slides off the table and onto the floor. She makes no move to pick it up. “Why are you here?” I ask.
She rolls her eyes like the answer is obvious and I’m too dumb to get it. “You and Nova have been rolled up in your little love den ever since you got back. We haven’t seen you in forever. I was getting worried.”
I raise and brow and kiss Xael’s cheek. “Worried, or in need of a babysitter?”
She sighs. “A bit of both.”
I laugh and shake my head. At least Thea’s always honest.
“Speaking of Nova, where is she?” Thea asks, looking around like she’s going to find Nova hiding under the damn coffee table.
“Working,” I reply, as Xael wraps her little fist around my finger and squeezes. The kid is freakishly strong, but I shouldn’t be surprised considering she shares DNA with Thea, and I’m one hundred percent sure Thea is not from this planet.
“Anyway, I wanted to tell you guys we’re planning a dinner at our house this Saturday and you’re expected to be there. If you’re not, do not underestimate me. I will hunt you fuckers down, tie you up, and toss you in my trunk and drag you there.”
I snort. “You really think you can lift me?”
She looks me up and down. “Adrenaline is a wonderful thing.”
I can’t help myself. I toss my head back and laugh. Thea is truly one of a kind.
“We’ll be there,” I agree, if only because she’s right. We have been MIA. Nova and I aren’t very social people and it’s easy for us to get caught up in our own little world and forget how much time has passed.
She levels me with a look. “You better be, that’s all I’m saying.”
She picks up the remote and turns the TV on.
I raise a brow at her audacity, but this is Thea we’re talking about. “Staying a while?” I ask.
“Yeah, why not.” She shrugs, flicking through the channels. “I’m hungry, why don’t you make me a sandwich?” She turns to me with a little smirk.
“Sure, dear,” I joke. “Take your baby.”
I hand the baby over to her and then proceed to make her a sandwich with all the grossest things I can think of.
Three-day-old fettuccine alfredo, some of the Chinese food we ordered in last night, pickles, sriracha sauce, a dabble of milk, topped off with macaroni cheese I find in the back of the fridge that I’m pretty sure we made when we first got back from Paris.
I put a piece of bread on top and smile at my masterpiece.
I trade Thea the plate for the baby and not taking her eyes off the TV she lifts the sandwich and takes a bite. She immediately spits it out everywhere, some spraying all the way across the room onto the TV.
She looks at the sandwich frowning in disgust and wiping her tongue with the back of her hand.
“Well played, my friend. Well fucking played.” She thrusts the plate back at me. “Now make me a real sandwich.”
We order pizza instead because I’m fucking hungry too.
Thea makes herself comfy, stretching her legs on the coffee table, Xael now sleeping peacefully in her arms making these cute baby snoring sounds.
I’m not really interested in watching the show Thea’s settled on—some reality show with lots of yelling—but I don’t have much choice. I can’t write my music with her here; it’s too personal and I know she’ll make jabs at it and even if she’s only joking her words will still get in my head.
I can hear the key slide in the door and then it swings open.
“Mmm, I smell pizza,” Nova hums, then she stops when she sees Thea. “Oh, hi, Thea.”
I know her sudden nervousness isn’t because she’s worried about Thea and me being alone together. Instead, she’s worried about the fact we have to tell our friends we’re having a baby and more than likely they won’t be happy about it. They’ve been on our case for months, ever since Rae and Cade finally got hitched, to get married. But no matter how much we explain our choice, they don’t get it.
Marriage isn’t for everyone and that’s okay.
“Hey, Nova,” Thea replies softly so she doesn’t wake the baby. “I was getting worried since we haven’t seen you guys at all since you’ve been back from Paris. I thought you got kidnapped or something.”
Nova eases the door closed softly.
“Sorry, we’ve been … busy.”
“Busy, huh?” Thea replies, raising a brow, like she doesn’t believe we’ve been busy for one second, which is kind of true. We have mostly been holed up in the apartment.
Nova drops her bag and keys on the kitchen table and makes her way over to us, sitting beside me and leaning over to grab a bite of pizza.
“I’m hungry,” she mutters. “No matter how much I eat I’m still hungry.”
She devours the pizza so fast that I’m sure it must be some kind of world record. I don’t know whether to be horrified or impressed, but I settle on impressed.
Thea tosses her pizza crust into the box and stands, cradling a snoozing Xael in her arms.
“Well, I better get going. Don’t forget Saturday.” She points a warning finger at me and then Nova.
Nova’s pizza slice pauses halfway to her mouth. “What about Saturday?”
“I’ll fill you in,” I promise, standing up to walk Thea to the door.
She leaves, and I watch as she bounces toward the elevator. Thea has more energy and zest than anyone I know.
I close the door and lock it.
“Now, what about Saturday?” Nova probes.
“Dinner with everyone.”
She frowns. “Do we tell them?”
I shrug. “It’s up to you.”
I don’t want to push her to share the news of the baby with our friends if she’s not ready. I don’t see the point in not telling them, they’re like family, but I do understand her reservations so I’m willing to do whatever makes her comfortable.
She puts the piece of pizza down she was eating and curls her legs under her. She bites her lip nervously, thinking it over.
I slowly creep toward and sit down beside her. I grab a piece of her long hair, wrapping the strand around my finger.
She brings her brown eyes to mine and nods. She smiles softly, almost shyly.
“We’ll tell them.”
I press my lips forcefully to hers and she laughs against me.
She wraps her arms around my neck and pulls back slightly. “Did that make you happy?”
I breathe out, overcome with emotion. “More than you know.”