Mason lazily hangs his arm on my shoulder as we stand off to the side and watch her and Liam battle, but it’s not without smack talk from either of them. Lennon walks over to me, and Hunter decides he wants to start in with the trash talking too. The three of them have me nearly bending over with tears from their comebacks, but it doesn’t surprise me that Maddie can hold her own. She had lots of practice growing up with Lennon and me as sisters.
Lennon gives me a smile and yawns as she sits on a barstool.
“How are you doing, Mama?” I ask, leaning over to rub her belly.
“Tired, but good. This pregnancy is so much different than the last one,” she admits as I impatiently wait to feel a kick or something. She’s not due until March, but we find out next month what she’s having, which is so damn exciting.
“Is Hunter still dead set on it being a boy?” I ask, glancing over at him as he smacks Liam on the back.
“Yeah, and he might be right. For his sake, I hope he is, or he’s gonna have a house full of women, and he can barely handle two.” She snorts.
“And we all know how Dad turned out after us,” I admit. “But if you do have a girl, you can always try again for a little boy.” I waggle my brows, making my hint more than obvious.
Instantly, she starts shaking her head. “No, I think after this one, I’m done. If I survive being a mom of two toddlers, that is.” Hunter walks over and places a quick smack on Lennon’s lips and then gives Mason a high five.
“You’re all way too competitive for my taste.” I point at each of them.
Mason scoffs. “Says the girl who nearly had Liam naked the first time you came to the house.”
Lennon giggles, and we all remember the night of strip pool. It seems like a lifetime ago now. The guys walk to the bar for a refill, and Maddie comes over to us with rosy cheeks and a mile-wide smile.
Lennon just shakes her head.
“You’re way too transparent,” I tell her.
“I’m determined to break him down, and I think it’s actually working this time.” She falls back into an overly dramatic ballet pose, her body nearly bent in half. I don’t know how she’s so damn flexible. There are times when I can barely tie my shoe.
“He saw my moves, and now he can’t stay away,” she says with a bow.
Lennon nearly spits out her water, and it causes me to laugh at both of them.
Soon the guys return, and they go back to playing darts.
“I might make a million dollars soon,” Maddie says to all of us.
“How?” I ask, and she gives me an evil grin.
“Selling my virginity. I actually read an article about a girl who sold hers on eBay. She literally auctioned off her V-card,” she tells us all matter-of-factly, and I watch as Liam’s jaw nearly snaps.
Maddie notices too, which only encourages her further. “Apparently, she used the money to invest in some tech company, and it basically saved her life. She almost went homeless.”
“Don’t be stupid,” Liam tells her, his expression hard as stone.
“Stupid? I could make a lot of money,” she retorts. “I’m not exactly rolling in the dough here. Or dick. So…” She shrugs as if that’s the most valid reason on earth for selling your body.
“It’s probably a fake article. You can’t believe everything you read on the internet,” I remind her.
“What if you get some weirdo or some old guy with shriveled up balls?” Liam’s trying to reason with her, and all she’s doing is teasing the hell out of him.
“If you’re so worried about it, I’ll give you the link when I make the listing, and you can place your own bid,” she quips, going back to her darts.
Liam grunts.
“What? Worried you’ll lose? Not a gambling man?”
When I look at Liam, he’s tense as fuck, and I think Maddie might’ve actually hit a nerve.
As Liam and Maddie go back and forth, Hunter notices how tired Lennon is, and they decide to call it a night. We all exchange hugs, and after Maddie completely destroys Liam and Mason in two more rounds of darts, we leave too. The entire ride to her dorm, she has me laughing to the point where my face hurts, and it feels good. There’s no worry or stress, and right now, I feel more like myself than I have in a month.
We pull into the dorm parking lot, and when Maddie gets out of the truck, Liam volunteers to walk her to her door. Mason and I watch as he chats all the way up the sidewalk with wide eyes.
“I’m shocked,” he says. “I think she’s really getting to him.”