“Pie!” I yelled.
Jazz jumped. “Jeez, excitement much? You don’t even like sweets.”
“You don’t like sweets?” Waverly asked in confusion. “That’s criminal.”
“You want to help me get everything out?” I asked her.
She nodded.
I caught Willa’s eyes and she mouthedthank you.
I winked.
Late afternoon lazily sank into evening. I sat on the long couch that was almost too big for the space, but not quite. Willa perched on the other end, and Duke was in between us. Savage took the matching recliner, while Roman, Brielle, Virgil and Waverly plopped down onto the floor.
Waverly tried to appear unaffected, but she kept staring at Roman, who completely didn’t notice.
Schoolgirl crush, for sure.
“You really don’t have any tattoos? Like, none at all?” Virgil asked me. “Not even an ankle heart or something?”
“Not even that,” I said.
“When you do get one, will you let me be the one to ink you?” Virgil asked.
Jazz snorted. “You think Slash is going to let you put ink on Brooklyn?”
“Depends where it is, I guess,” Virgil said with a teasing grin.
“Thanks for the offer,” I said. “But I’m not getting a tattoo. Not anytime soon, anyway.”
“Oh, because you’re pregnant?” Virgil inquired.
I raised my brows. “I don’t remember telling you I was pregnant.”
“Brielle told me. Congratulations, by the way.”
“You’re having a baby?” Waverly asked. “Why?”
“Waverly,” Willa hissed.
I let out a laugh and thought quickly about how to get out of telling a truth that wasn’t appropriate for younger ears. “Because I want one.”
“Huh.” Waverly frowned, like she couldn’t understand what I was talking about. Her phone chimed in her pocket, and she pulled it out. She immediately texted someone back. “Can I sleep over at Jessica’s tonight?”
“Why don’t you invite her back to our place,” Willa suggested.
“You mean it?”
“Yeah. Mom’s working. I’ll supervise—and even paint your toenails.”
“Will you paint them black?”
Willa sighed. “Teenagers.”
Waverly stuck her tongue out. “Will you?”
“Whatever you want.” Willa got up from the couch. “Tell her we’ll pick her up in forty-five minutes.”