“It was real for me,” I say. “Real as anything I’ve ever known. Can’t you see that, Ellie? Can’t you feel it?” I place her hand on my heart, knowing it’s racing. Doubting my ability to convince her of the truth is enough to make me panic.
Ellie’s eyes widen, and I nod. “I’ve wanted you every day since you moved into our house. Every day I’ve found another reason to love you. My brothers too. And we’re not letting you push us away because you doubt yourself and your worthiness. Dares can only take you so far, honey. After that, you have to be prepared to take a leap. I just need you to know that whatever you decide, me, Micky, and Colby will be with you all the way. You’re our forever girl, Ellie.”
She blinks, tears welling in the corners of her eyes.
“Forever’s a long time?”
“Here’s hoping,” I say, sliding closer. Now’s my chance to pull her into my arms and really show her what it means to have us in her life, a reliable presence to make everything easier. “We’ll protect you and the baby, Ellie. We’ll make sure everything works out.”
She gazes up at me with wide eyes as black as night. “Will you dare me, Seb?”
“No more dares,” I say softly, stroking her cheek. “You don’t need dares, sweetie. You’re strong and kind and loyal and fierce. You’ve got the strength to face any situation and come out on top. I see it. Colby sees it. Micky sees it. The only person left to see it is you.”
Taking a shuddery breath, she closes her eyes and relaxes against my chest.
I stroke Ellie’s soft hair, finding it still damp with her tears, but she’s not crying now. She’s relaxed and pliant. It’s hard for me to sit with her in silence. The urge to fill the space with a joke tickles the back of my throat, but I resist. This isn’t a moment for humor. It’s a moment to face up to the parts of ourselves that hold us back from becoming who we truly are.
Ellie’s hand finds the hem of my shirt and slides beneath to rest against the warm skin of my abs. I hope she finds comfort in our skin-to-skin contact the way I do. Her face moves against my shirt as though she’s smiling. “You know, when you’re not telling jokes, you’re pretty wise, Seb.”
“Don’t go too far, Ellie,” I say. “Wise is Colby’s domain.”
“Maybe I need to dare you to do something,” she whispers.
“And what would that be?”
She lifts her head from my chest, her pretty eyes searching my face and a smile playing on her lips. “I dare you to take the lead in talking to our parents about what’s happened.”
Drawing my head back, I frown. “Why me?”
“They won’t expect it, and I think you’ll do the best job.”
“You do?”
“Sure.” She rests her warm hand on my cheek. In my pocket, Lara’s phone rings.
“As much as I’m enjoying this hug, should go back,” I say. “Are you ready to face the music?”
“As ready as I’ll ever be.” Ellie places her hand over her belly, smiling as her eyebrows draw together in a quizzical v. “I’m pregnant, Seb,” she whispers.
I rest my hand next to hers, overwhelmed by the significance of the moment. “You’re having our baby,” I tell her softly. When she frowns, I laugh, and it’s a bubbling, happy sound. “We’re identical triplets, honey. You get pregnant with one of us, you get pregnant with all of us.”
“Shit, I never thought of it that way,” she smiles. “How perfect is that?”
Perfect.
It absolutely is.
28
ELLIE
My heart beats triple-time for the entire journey home, even with Seb by my side.
Walking up to the front door in my nightwear and without shoes doesn’t help my anxiety. The quietness of the men surrounding me adds to the tension.
As soon as Seb puts the key into the lock, the door is yanked open from the other side. Harry looms large, even though he’s a few inches shorter than his sons.
Before he says a word, mom barrels past and grabs me, pulling me into the fiercest hug she’s ever given me. “You scared me,” she says. “You scared me so much. Don’t ever do anything like that again.”
I stare wide-eyed over her shoulder at Celine and Gabriella, who lurk in the hallway, watching everything. Celine has her hand over her mouth in a rare display of emotion.
“Dad, we’re going to explain,” Seb says calmly. “Can we go into the living room?”
Harry opens his mouth to say something, but mom puts up her hand. “Let them talk,” she says softly.
We all troop into the rarely used formal space and sit on the nice sofas, looking completely out of place. Colby’s eyes meet mine, and I can tell he’s itching to take over, but after our conversation in the parking lot at Molly’s, he understands what I want.