Mathias sighed. “But what if—”

“If I need something I can get it myself.” Before he could protest she leaned back with her head on his shoulder and covered his mouth with her hand. “Or ask Emma to get it for me.”

“Fine,” he agreed, albeit reluctantly.

He slipped out from behind her and ran after the little boy that was currently using his squirt gun to water the grass since he’d been scolded.

I turned back to Maddox and Emma and adjusted my chair so that I was sitting more angled and not blocking Remy.

“How are the wedding plans?” I asked them.

Emma hadn’t peeped one word about her upcoming wedding since my engagement fell apart. I knew she thought it would make me sad hearing about her dream wedding when mine wasn’t happening, but I was truly okay with everything. I wished everyone would stop treating me like glass. I wasn’t going to break.

Emma was slow to smile. “Good.”

“Good? That’s all I get? You’re getting married in September, I know you have more details than that.”

She frowned, her nose crinkling. “Are you sure you want to hear about this?”

“Yes!” I threw my hands up, sighing in exasperation. “I’m your best friend, so yes, I want to know about your wedding and I want to help if you want me to! I’m okay,” I emphasized the word, “so stop treating me like I’m not.”

She looked at Maddox and back at me. “Okay,” she replied. “I’ll stop.” A smile broke out across her face as she launched into details on the wedding. I listened and inserted comments here and there, getting excited. She deserved this and so did Maddox. I was honestly kind of surprised they’d waited this long to get married. I knew it was Emma’s doings though. Maddox would’ve married her as soon as she graduated high school. I had no doubts on that.

Halfway through our wedding talk Maddox left, joining his twin, Hayes, and Ezra in the pool.

Remy ditched us too, saying that she was starving.

Emma finished gushing about her wedding plans, her cheeks flushed a pleasant pink color.

“So,” she started, reaching over to grab a drink off the table, “you’re really okay?”

“Not one-hundred percent,” I answered honestly, “but I’m getting better.” I draped my arms over my bent knees. “I realize now that my life was headed in the wrong direction. Braden and I would’ve ended up divorced within a year, I’m sure of it.” I sighed, looking off in the distance. “It sucks feeling like I’m back at the starting line while all of you are moving on to the next step. Everything happens for a reason, right?”

She nodded, setting her now empty glass aside. “It does.” She stood up, stretching her arms above her head. “I’m getting in the pool, before I die and all they can find of my body is a puddle of sweat.”

I laughed at her and pushed up from the chair. “Good idea.”

Sweat clung to my arms and the back of my neck. I’d lived here my whole life and I still wasn’t used to the summer humidity.

We joined the guys in the pool. They played with Collin, all of them now the proud owners of squirt guns. When Emma and I stepped into the pool all of them turned their water guns on us and squirted us in the face. Even in their twenties they all still acted like a bunch of little boys.

Emma yelped holding her hands up in defense. “Maddox! I’m going to kill you!”

“Hey!” Trace yelled and I turned to see that he and his wife were in the pool now, their son sitting in a tiny float. “Don’t get my kid wet.”

“Sorry,” the guys chimed, lowering the guns.

“Where’s Remy?” Mathias asked, his voice sounding panicked as he swam for the stairs.

“Stop getting your panties in a bunch,” Remy’s voice boomed as she neared us, “I’m fine. I wanted something to eat.” She held a plate piled high with food in her hand. She stuffed a grape in her mouth. “You worry too much.”

Mathias sighed, his shoulders sagging in relief. “You can’t scare me like that.” He swam over the edge of the pool and I noticed he’d gotten a new tattoo. I’d missed it before since Remy was sitting in front of him. Above his heart was one word: Hope.

I swallowed thickly, knowing the significance behind the tattoo.

“Aw, poor you. Would you like me to put a tracking monitor on my ankle so you know where I am all the time? I can be your prisoner. Maybe,” her voice lowered, “if you don’t irritate me too much, I’ll even let you use your handcuffs on me.”

Maddox cleared his throat and muttered, “Well, this got awkward really fast.”

Remy gasped and the plate tumbled out of her hands, falling to the ground. I knew her reaction had nothing to do with what Maddox said.

In a lightning fast move Mathias leapt out of the pool and over to his wife. “What’s wrong?” He asked, fear sticking to his words. He looked her over, searching for what had caused her distress.

She grasped his wrist and brought his hand to her stomach. “The baby. I felt it.” Her mouth parted in wonder and tears pooled in her eyes. “It’s kicking. Do you feel it?” She asked, looking up at Mathias with wide, love-filled eyes.

He held his hand to her stomach and gasped when he felt it too. “Wow,” he murmured, looking at her lovingly. “That’s amazing.”

“I never thought I’d see the day,” Maddox whispered.

When I turned to look at him he was smiling at Mathias and Remy with a look of awe. I think we’d all worried that Mathias would remain angry and brooding for the rest of his life—and he still was those things occasionally—but you couldn’t deny the fact that for once he was actually happy. Seeing someone that had once been so miserable find a light in their life was a truly beautiful thing.

“What are you guys looking at?”

We all turned around to see a pretty redhead standing on the other side of the pool, her hand clasped tightly in the hold of the guy beside her. The guy was wearing a fedora—yes, a fedora—with his sandy colored hair peeking out of the bottom. They were both dressed in swimsuits, but the girl had a bag slung over her shoulder like she’d only just arrived at the party.

“Avery!” Olivia, Trace’s wife, chimed. “I was afraid you weren’t going to make it.”

The woman named Avery straightened her pale blue bikini top that had white stars. I noticed that her bottoms had red and white stripes. It was the perfect bikini for the holiday. “Yeah, we spent more time at Luca’s parent’s house than we meant to.” She shrugged. “Where should I put my stuff?”

“Our cabana’s fine.” Olivia pointed.

“Thanks.” Avery set off in that direction and the guy, I assumed he was Luca, followed her like a puppy.

The next interruption came in the form of Trace’s younger brother, Trent. He let out a war cry and bound towards the pool, executing a perfect cannonball, and drenching all of us in the process. It was a good thing we were already wet.

Trent surfaced, grinning.

Dean began to cry, not pleased that his face got wet. Trace pulled Dean out of his float and into his arms as he glared at his little brother. “Look what you did. Now my kid’s going to be terrified of the water.”

“Oh, shut up,” Trent kicked his feet swimming away, “a little water won’t hurt him.”

Trace continued to glare at his brother, but chose not to argue, and instead bounced the baby in the hopes of cheering him up.

Ezra swam over to me, his curls plastered to his forehead. He cracked a small smile and treaded water. “Enjoying the party.”

I smiled back. “It’s nice to be with my friends.”

“I’m still your favorite, right?” He joked, winking.

I mock gasped. “I don’t pick favorites.”

He chuckled and lowered his lips, blowing bubbles in the water before speaking. “But if you did I would be number one?”

“Maybe.” I splashed him.

He splashed me back and soon it was an all out war.

“You guys are children!” Maddox called, he and Emma now at the other end of the pool to avoid our splash fight.