The Very Naughty List

42. Hailey

42

HAILEY

“I really can’t thank you enough for everything you’ve done over the past few days,” I say, cradling my phone by my ear.

“Eh, it’s nothing.”

Lorelai laughs, casually downplaying her skills as a keyboard warrior who’s been coming to my defense in the comment threads of nearly all the social media channels where people have been talking about me online.

“Someone had to get on there and talk some sense into all these ignorant, backward fools,” she adds, indignation clear in her voice. “Whatever happened to open-mindedness? Besides, nobody trashes my bestie and gets away with it.”

A grimace twists my lips. “So… has it been really bad? Is it getting even worse?”

I haven’t allowed myself to look at any of it, choosing to preserve my peace and the happiness I’ve found with my men.

“Actually…” Lorelai’s voice perks up a little, and I can imagine her grinning. “I’ve been pleasantly surprised by the number of supportive comments I’ve seen lately. I think that’s sort of taking the wind out of the sails of the haters. And do you remember that reporter who you said tried to talk to you?”

I groan, wondering what kind of article he might have published, even though he seemed a lot better than some of the other people who have tried to pick apart my personal life since Dylan blasted all of this into the public eye.

“Well, he published a big piece in the Frontline Journal talking about how more and more people these days are choosing to explore supposedly ‘non-traditional’ romantic situations, and how it’s redefining the way people think about relationships.”

“Really?” I blink.

“Yup. He agreed with what the Cooper brothers said, that shaming people for consensual sex is outdated and stupid. It was a really well-written article, honestly. I’ll send you the link.”

“Thanks.” I grin, resting my head on the back of the couch as I idly pet Bruno. Then I let out a quiet sigh. “I’m still worried about the fallout in Chestnut Hill,” I admit. “It’s different in person and inside a small town. It’s more personal here, and there are people who would love to make my life hell.”

“Like your ex?”

“Yeah, he’s definitely at the top of the list. And the Divas.”

But even as I speak, I don’t feel the same worry churning in my gut that I used to. I feel more settled and certain about all of this—partially thanks to the guys and their unwavering support, and partially thanks to my talks with Lorelai. I’ve changed a lot in the weeks since I arrived back in Chestnut Hill. I’m neither as timid nor as guarded as I once was.

“So what are you going to do?”

Lorelai asks the big question, and I take a moment to gather my thoughts before answering her.

“I’m not going to let anything hold me back anymore,” I say simply. There’s a confidence in my voice that isn’t faked this time. “I’ve decided to stop letting anyone else influence my decisions. I’ve spent too long letting people’s opinions get to me. Hell, I fled this town the last time because I was part of a scandal that wasn’t even my fault. But I don’t want to run away this time. I’m all done feeling lost and holding my heart behind a wall of armor. I want to reclaim who I want to be and who I want to be with. I’ve finally found something really good here, and I don’t want to lose it.”

“Yesss! That’s my girl!” Lorelai’s voice is full of happiness, and it makes me smile.

She’s been there for me for a long time now, keeping me sane ever since I moved out to LA and always ready to show up with a bottle of wine and a pint of ice cream… or a shovel to bury a body. I owe her a lot.

We talk for a bit longer, and Lorelai catches me up on everything that’s been going on in LA. I love my bestie, and love hearing about her life—but as I listen to her, it strikes me suddenly that I have no desire to return to California at all. It’s funny how easily I’ve settled back into Montana life. The winter here at the holiday time feels magical, and even though I was apprehensive about returning to Chestnut Hill and facing the small-town drama that I left behind… now I find myself not wanting to leave.

Obviously, the triplets have a whole lot to do with that, but I’ve also come to recognize that there are parts of my hometown that I truly do love—and I refuse to let Dylan or Brielle or the Divas ruin that for me anymore.

After Lorelai and I catch each other up on all the minutia of our lives, we finally say goodbye, and I set the phone down, nestling deeper into the comfy cushions of the couch.

I’m scratching the spot behind Bruno’s ear that I’ve discovered he likes best when Nick walks into the room. He freezes in the doorway, his gaze locked on me for a long moment as he stands there in silence.

“What?” I ask, scrunching up my nose. “What is it?”

Nick clears his throat, as if he didn’t even realize he was staring. He smiles sheepishly, looking boyish despite his thick, dark beard. “Nothing. I’m just still getting used to the idea that you’re actually mine. That you’re ours .”

I like that. I like it so much that I get up and walk right over to him. I love how I can knock this big, gruff mountain of a man on his ass and make him vulnerable despite himself. I love seeing those rare smiles of his become less and less rare, and I love being able to get up every day and kiss him, just because I can.

When I reach him, I wrap my arms around his neck, leaning into his solid frame as I press my lips to his.

“I like the sound of that,” I say against his mouth as his beard tickles my cheek. “As long as you’re mine too.”

He makes a low, hungry noise, wrapping both thick arms tightly around me and holding me close. He kisses the life out of me, lifting my feet off the ground before setting me back down.

“You know,” he murmurs thoughtfully, “I’ve never really been one to be super nostalgic about the holiday season, but I can’t help feeling like you’re the very best thing that the magic of Christmas has ever brought me.”

I plant several kisses all along the side of his cheek and down his scruffy jaw.

“Wait, wait,” I tease him. “You’re telling me that Nick Cooper has a soft spot for Christmas? Baking holiday cookies, riding on parade floats—pretty soon, you’ll be putting up Christmas decorations all over, and your brothers won’t be able to tease you about being a grumpy scrooge anymore.”

Nick raises an eyebrow at me, his dark blue eyes glinting with amusement. “Who do you think helped Reid hang up that mistletoe?”

My thighs clench at the memory of that moment after we got back from the hospital. It will forever remain one of the best moments of my life—not just because of how good it felt to be eaten out and shared by all three of them, but because it was the moment we finally all admitted that we wanted this thing between us to last.

I never stopped to think about who had placed the mistletoe there, although I have to admit I’m slightly surprised that Nick was in on it with Reid.

“Well, Nick Cooper.” I arch a brow. “I guess that puts you on the naughty list.”

He laughs, then shows me why he really deserves to be on the naughty list, his hands roaming possessively over me as he kisses me again. When we finally break apart, I’m breathless and a little unsteady on my legs.

“We should head out soon,” I say, glancing at the clock on the wall. I talked to Lorelai longer than I realized, and it’s getting to be late in the day.

“Are you sure that you want to do this?” Nick asks, a protective edge to his voice.

I nod. “Yeah. I do.”

Going to a party in the town square tonight feels a bit intimidating—but like I told Lorelai, I’m done hiding or letting other people dictate my life. The Christmas Eve Bash is the biggest and most celebrated of all the holiday events in Chestnut Hill. Most of the townspeople attend it. And I’ve decided to go with the guys, not pretending to be with just one of them, but acknowledging that I’m with all of them.

“Okay.” Nick nods, kissing me tenderly again. “We’ll be by your side the whole night. Whatever happens, you’re with us.”

His reassuring words cloak me in comfort, and I reluctantly leave the haven of his arms to go upstairs and get ready. I’ve just gotten my dress on and am rummaging around for my heels when Reid knocks on the door frame, stepping into the room.

“Fuck, you look gorgeous, trouble.” He smiles, his gaze roaming over me before he meets my eyes. “Are you nervous?”

“A little,” I answer honestly. “Mostly just because my brother will be there. I couldn’t care less about the rest of the town, but I do want to try to smooth things over with Lucas. I want you three to mend your friendship with him.”

“And we will,” Reid promises.

He strides across the room and wraps me in a protective embrace, kissing the top of my head. I nuzzle my cheek against his chest where I know the flowers that were meant for me are inked onto his skin.

The two of us head downstairs, where Sebastian and Nick are waiting, looking handsome as hell. Sebastian, never to be outdone by his brothers, tugs me away from Reid and smudges my lipstick with a breath-stealing kiss before drawing back and helping me fix my makeup. Then we all pile into the car together, heading downtown for the Christmas Eve Bash.

I can feel people glancing over at us and hear the undercurrent of their whispers the moment I walk into the square with all three men, but I keep my head high.

Nick is on one side of me, and Sebastian on the other. Reid is slightly behind me, and I can feel the warmth of their body heat enveloping me in a sort of protective encasement as they all gather close.

When I catch sight of my brother through the growing crowd, my stomach flutters with nerves.

Here we go .

He notices us too, and a hard look settles over his face as he approaches us. With every step he takes, the butterflies in my stomach flap harder. I hate that my relationship with the Cooper brothers caused this rift between them and Lucas, but the truth is, I was hiding things from him too. If he’s mad at them, he should be just as mad at me.

“Lucas,” I say when he reaches us, trying to keep my voice steady. “We were hoping to see you here.”

“Oh really?” He narrows his eyes, glancing at the three men who are flanking me. “You were all hoping to see me? Got any more lies to come clean about?”

My shoulders tense, but Sebastian gives my hand a reassuring squeeze before he steps forward.

“No,” he says simply. “No more lies. Lucas, you know we love you, man. You’ve been our best friend ever since we were kids, and none of us want that to change. We all respect you and feel like shit about having kept this from you for as long as we did. But in our defense, everything we told you was true at the beginning. It was all meant to be fake. Then, when things started to change and we realized our feelings were real, we weren’t sure how you’d react.”

“Can you blame me?” Lucas’s voice is gruff.

“No,” Nick says, his hand settling on my lower back. “You’ve always protected your sister, and you always will. But we’ve always protected her too. And we always will. We’re not letting this go. Hailey means the world to all of us, and I hope you’ll come to accept that.”

My brother’s face is unreadable, but I can practically see the thoughts churning through his mind as he weighs their words.

“Remember that time she drew lines all over her face to connect her freckles?” Reid says, fond amusement coloring his tone. “Remember what I told you that day after we all made sure no one in school would make fun of her? I said I wouldn’t let anyone hurt her. I meant it then, and I mean it now. So do Sebastian and Nick. All we want—all we’ve ever wanted—is to take care of Hailey. We’ll treat her the way she deserves to be treated, I promise.”

Lucas’s eyes widen a little, and my heart thumps at the reminder of that day.

“Please, Lucas,” I whisper. “They make me happy. This makes me happy. I want to be with all of them, and we’d really love your blessing.”

His throat works as he swallows, but before he has a chance to say anything, a chipper voice rises above the hum of the gathered revelers.

“Oh, there you are!”

Pippa pushes her way through the crowd to join us, a broad grin on her face.

True to her usual form, she glances between the five of us and seems to immediately pick up on the vibe of what’s going on. Sidling up to Lucas, she drapes an arm around him, giving him an exuberant side hug.

“Hey, big brother. Hi, Hailey. Hi, guys!” She grins broadly at the Cooper triplets before nudging our brother. “You know, it’s really great to see Hailey so happy again, isn’t it? For a while there, I thought she would never open up her heart to anyone else, and just look how things have ended up. Not only has she found happiness again, but she found it three times over !”

Her words, and her genuine display of happiness for me, seem to land hard with Lucas. He grimaces, as if he’s feeling a bit like an asshole for not being as supportive as Pippa has been. He glances down at her, then back to me and the guys.

“Fuck,” he mutters, blowing out a breath. “I’m sorry, Hailey. I didn’t mean to… I was just worried about you, you know?”

“I do know,” I say softly, emotions forming a lump in my throat. “But you don’t need to be. Not anymore. I’m happy, Lucas, just like Pippa said. I haven’t been this happy in—well, forever. I feel like I’ve finally found myself. And this…” I glance around at the Cooper triplets and then rest a hand on my heart. “This is who I want to be. Who I want to be with .”

He nods, the remaining tension draining from his face.

“That’s all I want for you. And I guess… I guess it’s a good thing that you have three people standing up for you. Especially three people I trust as much as them.” He narrows his eyes, glancing at his friends. “But no more lying. No more sneaking around. That’s not how best friends operate.”

“You’re right.” Reid nods seriously. “Never again.”

I bite back a smile as the air around us seems to thaw a bit, despite the winter chill. Giving my men a quick grin, I pull Pippa aside to allow them to talk to Lucas a bit, giving them the chance to bury the hatchet once and for all.

As their deep voices float over to us, I lean in to whisper to Pippa. “Thanks.”

“For what?”

“For always having my back. And for helping Lucas see the light.”

“Of course!” She beams with a satisfied smile. “I like you and the triplets together. It just makes sense. More sense than you and Dylan ever made together. I always thought that maybe the three of them had a thing for you, and the fact that you didn’t have to choose just one? Well…” She fans herself in an exaggerated motion. “I’d say that makes you the luckiest girl in the damn world.”

I grin, because it’s starting to sink in that this is my reality now and not just a fantasy. The men that I crushed on and daydreamed about throughout nearly my entire adolescence are now my boyfriends.

It might not be a traditional fairytale ending, but it’s the perfect one for me.

Pippa and I talk for a while longer before she catches sight of a few friends of hers and gives me a quick hug, promising to meet up with us again later. Then I head back to rejoin Lucas and the Cooper brothers, and we move through the crowd in search of my parents.

I’m just starting to think that this night will go off without a hitch—until Dylan steps into my path.

“Well, well, well. If it isn’t the woman of the hour.” His words slur a bit as if he’s been drinking. My stomach tightens into a knot, and I glance around to see if he’s here with Brielle, but I don’t see her here anywhere.

“Just keep moving,” Reid murmurs in my ear, his hand gripping my arm gently to steady me.

We try to walk around Dylan, but he steps sideways, blocking our path again.

“You’ve definitely changed Hailey,” he says, his voice full of condescending derision. “At least the old you would’ve been too embarrassed to make a spectacle of yourself by showing up here with the three men who are passing you around like a cold.”

I glare at him, the knot of anxiety in my stomach dissolving into a ball of anger.

“You know what, Dylan? I’m not the spectacle here— you are,” I shoot back. “I didn’t cheat on my fiancée with her best friend. I didn’t try to trash my ex’s reputation just because I was being a jealous, petty little bitch. I didn’t launch a social media campaign to smear someone because I couldn’t stand the fact that they might be happier without me. That was all you .”

The Cooper brothers are all standing so close to me that I can feel the strength and solidity of their bodies, but none of them speak, allowing me to be the one to tell Dylan off.

It makes me feel powerful and supported, giving me the strength to stand up against the asshole who put me down for years and crumbled my self-worth. Dylan made me feel hopeless, both about my dreams of becoming a singer and my chances of ever finding real love and happiness.

But not anymore.

“I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks of me or my relationship. And the fact that you seem so obsessed with my personal life honestly just makes you look like the pathetic one.”

Dylan’s face turns three shades of red, drunken fury filling his features. “The only reason I’m obsessed with it is because it reflects badly on me now that everyone in Chestnut Hill knows my ex-fiancée is nothing but a trashy whore who’ll spread her legs for any?—”

“Watch your fucking mouth, Montgomery.” Sebastian’s voice is low and full of warning.

“If you say another goddamn word about her, you’ll regret it,” Reid adds.

“Now move the fuck along before we land you on your ass.” Nick jerks his chin, looking just as pissed as his brothers as all three of them square off with Dylan.