Chapter Twelve
Theo
Noah has a shit-eating grin on his face when Tanner and I find them in the pool room. Maggie is curled up against him on the recliner, sound asleep, and he’s wrapped a blanket around them.
“How was it, stud?” I ask with a grin.
“Increíble,” he replies softly.
He looks like someone handed him the moon and stars. I’m glad he got to realize his dream for his first time—it makes all the occasions that sick bitch forced us to perform for her worth it just to see him so happy.
I lean over and stroke Maggie’s hair away from her face. Her eyes blink open, and she gives me the sweetest smile.
‘Hey, you,” she murmurs sleepily.
“Hey, Slugger,” I reply softly, returning her smile. “Fancy coming back to my place for a bit?”
“I’d love to.” She pauses to give Noah a lingering kiss. “Gracias, cariño,” she says against his mouth.
He grins. “No. Thank you.”
She wraps the blanket around herself as she stands, still a little shy in front of us. Moving towards Tanner, she gives him a sweet kiss and hugs him tightly. Tanner closes his eyes and rests his cheek on the top of her head. Yeah, he’s got it bad, too.
“Enough, already,” I say, plucking her from Tanner’s arms.
Maggie giggles as I throw her over my shoulder and march upstairs with her, heading for my room. I kick the door shut behind me and place her gently on my bed, following her down.
“How are you feeling, Slugger?” I ask gently.
She smiles. “Amazing. And a little worried.”
I frown. “Why?”
“I don’t want to come between any of you, spoil your friendship.”
“Why would you think you’d do that?”
Maggie shrugs. “I don’t know. What if I’m not enough for the three of you? I mean, I know we’re not in a relationship or anything, but I have feelings for all of you, and—”
I stop her with my mouth, kissing her softly, tenderly. “You bet your damn life we’re in a relationship,” I growl. “This isn’t some casual hookup for us. In case you haven’t noticed, we’re all fucking crazy about you. Noah’s in love with you. Hell, I am too. As for Tanner, I’ve never seen him like this, like he is when he’s around you. He may struggle to say it, but he’s all in as far as you’re concerned. You’ve got us all crooked around your little finger, Mags. You have all the power here.”
Maggie looks at me for a long moment, her eyes searching mine. “I think you’re amazing, you know that?”
“Yeah, I am pretty fucking awesome,” I smirk.
She laughs and punches my arm lightly. “Modest, too. No, I mean, after everything you’ve been through. You know what it’s like to struggle, growing up without the love of a parent. You’ve got more money than Jeff Bezos, but you haven’t lost sight of who you are.”
“Nobody’s worth more than Jeff Bezos,” I chuckle. “We’ve tried to do our bit since we all became stinking rich. We each give away over a million every year to worthwhile causes, and we’ve set up a foundation for underprivileged and abused kids.”
Her eyes widen. “You’ve kept that quiet.”
I shrug. “We don’t want the publicity. It’s not about that. It’s about trying to plug a huge gap in the social services accessible to young kids. We have tutors, therapists, guidance counselors. We’re having a place purpose-built to accommodate homeless kids. It’s only a drop in the ocean, but it’s a start.”
“You may think it’s a drop in the ocean but what you’re doing means the world to those kids,” she points out.
I look at her thoughtfully. “You sure you’re only twenty-one?”
She purses her plump lips thoughtfully. “Is that a polite way of saying I’m boring?”