Worlds Collide (Fan Service #6)

26. Wolf

TWENTY-SIX

WOLF

February

“I guess you liked the cookies then,” I say, with as much snark as I’m capable of infusing into every word.

“Be careful, Wolf. I have two brains inside my body and I’m prepared to use them to inflict indescribable emotional pain with just a few words.” Josie stares me down without blinking.

I snarl at her, and drag the plate of cookies we just made in Theo’s kitchen away, so I can eat at least one of them.

I like Josie, she understands my humor and my dislike of polite chit-chat or small talk. She always gets right to business, and doesn’t mind my lack of polite lies.

I haven’t hung out with her much in the past, but in the last two months that I’ve been here—and she has as well since she’s pregnant with Sebas and Adam’s baby—we’ve built a solid friendship that no one but us understands.

There are only seven cookies left after Sebas and Theo grab one each to sample, so I take my phone out to text Rich who’s chatting with Theo’s bodyguard somewhere else in the brownstone.

Less than five seconds later, Rich and Connor are practically sprinting to the kitchen and grabbing cookies.

“These are awesome,” Rich moans around his bite.

I hear the front door open and then... “Are those cookies?” comes the deep loud voice of Mike, and then his thumping steps on the hardwood floors. “Oh, good, there are still some left.” He throws Josie a sly, sideways smirk and dives in for two.

I can’t blame him, but luckily I now know how to make these myself after today’s baking lesson.

Another set of steps come from the front door and I can’t help but feel annoyance, knowing damn well who’s coming.

“Isn’t this a nice party,” Adam says, casual and charming as alway. I don’t like it.

Since I moved here I’ve become close with Theo and Sebas—and even Carter to a degree—but I only tolerate Adam, and I know damn well it’s the same for him when it comes to me.

“You’re gonna be thankful when I make these at home,” Sebas sasses his husband, then offers up his mouth for a welcome kiss.

Seeing the easy affection between them is never easy, just like it stings whenever I see Mike give Theo one of his bear hugs. They all fit together so seamlessly, and I want that.

I’m not too ashamed to confess it to myself.

I know I can eventually have that, I truly believe I will, it’s just fucking annoying that I have to wait another year and put in so much damn work when they all got it seemingly by accident.

Of course that’s an oversimplification—I know that.

Everyone has issues—except Adam, he’s the golden boy who has always gotten what he wanted, and for that I resent him.

I’m not too ashamed to admit that either. In fact, I even said it out loud to another person. Sure, it was to my therapist who I know won’t tell anyone, but still.

Dr. Sasha and I are still getting to know one another, but the fact that she can handle me—and Theo, who I bumped into right outside her office before my session—tells me she’s damn good at her job.

She doesn’t shy away from letting me know when she’s getting tired of me lying to myself, and I’d bet everything I have she never speaks that way to Theo because who the hell would dare be mean to Theo? That person would have to have a death wish ’cause I know at least ten people who would go to war for him in the blink?—

“Motherfucker!” comes a loud shout from my left.

Everyone in the room turns quickly to Josie—me included. She’s got half a dozen men ready to slay whatever hurt her, but she’s... looking down at her feet. And then she’s bending over with a hand around her huge belly.

“Jesus fucking Christ almighty, what the actual hell?” The screech is a bit much, but it’s not like I know what she’s going through.

It takes Sebas longer than I’d expected to start freaking out.

“We don’t have the bags.” He turns with huge eyes to Adam instead of helping Josie, so I walk over to her, grab her shoulders, and slowly start walking her to the front door, since apparently I’m the only one who can use his brain in an emergency—ironic, I know. “Adam, we don’t have the bags !” And now Sebas is in full-on breakdown mode.

Josie and I have barely walked three steps when she reaches for my hands and squeezes like she’s trying to test the strength of my bones. I worry there for a second, but she loosens her grip marginally after a few eternal seconds .

“Get the car, Rich,” I shout over the sea of voices, and look back to see him snap into action.

“Shouldn’t we call an ambulance?” Josie asks through gritted teeth.

“It’s going to take too long to get here and the hospital isn’t far away. Your doctor is at Mount Sinai, right?”

“Yes,” she says fast and pants once, twice. “How do you know?”

“I just pay attention,” I mumble as I keep walking her out the door, then very carefully down the steps to the sidewalk, where Rich is opening the back door and I see Connor is already at the wheel. Good, he knows the city better, he’ll get us there sooner.

It’s only when I’m helping Josie put on her seatbelt that Sebas’ voice reaches me again.

“Wait for us, wait.”

Once I hear the click of the seatbelt I turn around to see Sebas flying down the steps with everyone else hot on their heels. Adam and Sebas go around the car to get in through the other door, and when Theo and Mike go to follow I step in their way.

“No room for us. Call us a cab or another one of those fancy bodyguards of yours, Theo.”

Theo gets his phone out immediately as the car drives away, and Mike grumbles about me being one to talk about bodyguards. Since it’s a sensitive moment, I decide not to put my life in the giant’s hands today.

That’s the only reason why.

We arrive at the hospital only to be stared at by everyone in the reception area. Right, forgot I’m a celebrity for a second. I run to the elevator throwing the nurse an apologetic wince on the way, and manage to get the doors closed before anyone can even utter the word selfie.

Theo and Mike jump in with me and thankfully know which floor we’re supposed to go to.

A very angry nurse meets us there, and berates us about using the special entrance they have for celebrities while we sign in and show her our IDs, then we’re shoved into a waiting room and told to wait.

For ten minutes I hear them talk excitedly about Sebas and Adam becoming parents while I wonder what the hell I’m doing here. This is their moment, I shouldn’t be intruding. Adam for sure doesn’t want me here, I know that.

But still, when Adam comes in looking crazed and lost, I stand as fast as Mike and Theo do, waiting to hear that the baby is here.

“I need to call everyone,” he says in a scared voice.

“What’s wrong?” Mike asks at the same time as Theo.

“What happened?”

“Nothing,” he tells them and pants. “Nothing’s happened yet. The doctor said it could take a while but I need to call everyone and they kicked me out of the room to make the calls and because Josie said I’m breathing too hard.”

“Okay, we’ll help you. You call Sebas’ family, I’ll call Derek and Glenn,” Theo lists off. “Mike you call Adam’s family.”

An offer of help gets lodged in my throat when Adam turns to me, and for the first time I see something other than hostility.

“CJ will be the godfather,” he says apologetically and way too gently. “I’m calling him too.” There seems to be regret in his face and I don’t know why but it chokes me up.

“I’ll leave,” I whisper.

“No, stay. Sebas and Josie—” He stops himself and shakes his head. “We all want you here. At least until...” He trails off but I get what he means. I can’t believe he amended his statement, that it’s possible he actually does want me here, but I’m not about to argue with him, not today.

“Okay,” I agree easily and nod. “I can call my brother and he can make sure everyone in LA flies together.”

“Thanks.” Adams sighs out the word, but he’s already putting his phone to his ear.

It’s been ten hours ... and nothing has happened really.

Except that the waiting room they shoved us into? Well it’s full now.

Sebas’ whole family—they’re a loud bunch—plus all the friends are here. Of course my brother, Derek, Adam’s parents, brothers, and Clive and CJ are still not here.

Because of course they’d be the last to get here.

Adam’s been freaking out every time there’s news that there’s progress because he doesn’t want his family to miss the birth, but they won’t actually be in the room so I don’t really get it—it’s none of my business.

Not my clown, not my circus.

I’ve just been keeping my head down, my mouth shut, and acting as butler for everyone here. Someone wants coffee? I go make a coffee run to the Starbucks down the block—in the clever disguise of a hat, sunglasses when the sun is down already, and a Kings puffy jacket that Theo happened to grab on his way out of the house.

If someone’s hungry, then Mike and I go to a restaurant he selects and with the help of Connor and Rich we bring in bags of food for everyone.

Eventually though, Adam is called into the room. It’s time, and Sebas and Josie have apparently reached the point where how loud Adam breathes isn’t relevant. He’s still a mess, but I understand why, better than they do as far as I’m concerned. If I were becoming a dad I’d be going insane too.

The door opens and everyone deflates when it’s not Adam but his grandfather who comes into the room. I, on the other hand, freeze completely.

CJ comes in right behind him, wearing a soft-looking white sweater and black pants, his hair mussed as always, and his face set in the usual smirk. It looks happier this time as he greets Adam’s cousins, and everyone in the room as well.

I wait by the corner while he makes the rounds only to be jostled when Birdie throws himself at me for a hug.

“I missed you,” he whispers by my ear and I close my eyes and hug him back.

“Missed you too, Birdie.” I enjoy the embrace more than I have in a very long time, and I just saw him a couple of weeks ago when we went snowboarding—just us two—in Aspen. We had a great time for two days. Goofed off, ate only junk food, and we even worked on a few songs.

But it wasn’t like this time, for some reason it’s different.

And then I feel a big body standing behind my brother and it’s time to face the music—or more like face the bull of a man that’s my brother’s husband.

I open my eyes and gasp at what I see.

Derek just shrugs, not minding the tears streaming silently down his face. I barely tip my lips up and then he’s joining the hug. I close my eyes again and accept the silent apology for what it is .

Derek and I were never friends because we had deep meaningful conversations, or inside jokes, we were friends because we could just be with each other. There were days when we didn’t exchange a single word—just grunts, and that worked for us. Looks like it still works.

In the past few months, somewhere in there, I accepted that Derek was always meant to be for my brother. And that’s okay .

It’s fate, and I’m still grateful that my brother has his perfect match. That will never change.

“Good to see you, Deedee,” I whisper and get the expected grunt in return. He never liked that I called him that, but because of a stupid bet, I earned the right, and I’m the only one who has it.

I linger in the hug when normally I would’ve stepped back by now because I know what’s coming next, what I’m going to have to do next.

Face CJ and not ask him to run away with me the way he asked me all those months ago.

The moment comes too soon.

Derek and Birdie step back and CJ is just there, walking toward me with a serene smile on his face. I have no idea what that smile means and it grates on me. I should be able to read him better than this, but because of my fuck ups, because I don’t—and never will—have control over myself, I haven’t had the chance to learn everything about him the way I want to.

“Hey, Max,” he whispers and hugs me. I resist for about half a second before I bury my face in his neck and hug him back as hard as I can.

“I can’t, CJ,” I whisper helplessly, and after a rattling breath I step back and look down. “I’m sorry.”

I go to walk away but he holds my shoulders .

“You have nothing to apologize for. I’m glad I could see you and I understand. Don’t apologize,” he says like a plea.

“Okay,” I answer simply, but still walk away just a few seconds later.

I only look up once I’m in the hallway again. Rich is there, and Adam comes out right at that moment.

I manage to get over my damn self for two seconds, and know exactly what to say when I see his huge smile.

“Congratulations, Papa.”

He lets out a slightly hysterical laugh and I can’t resist a big smile of my own.

“It’s a girl, Wolf,” he whispers, and my smile only gets bigger. “You’re leaving?” he asks suddenly.

I nod and gesture at the door to the waiting room. “Everyone just got here.” That’s all the explanation he needs, apparently.

“Well then, I’ll tell you her name is Daniela and you better come visit us as soon as we’re home, okay?”

“Okay,” I whisper brokenly, choked up beyond anything I’ve ever felt. My throat actually hurts from how big the knot inside it is. “Thank you.” It’s not enough for how he’s bringing me into the most amazing day of his life, but it’s all I got.

“See you soon,” he says and gives me too casual an up nod for the conversation and breakthrough we just had. But again, I’ll take it.