Sound Proof (Save Me #5) (23 page)

I can’t believe that we’re celebrating Willow and Izzy’s graduation a bit early, and Izzy’s eighteenth birthday today. I also can’t believe how far we’ve all come. I grab Willow’s cake off the counter, following behind Abby with Izzy’s and start singing “Happy Birthday” as we walk back to the dining room.

AJ’s eyes meet mine and he grabs Gabe’s hand, making him wave at me. I can’t help but smile at my chubby-faced monster and one of the best damn fathers I have ever seen. If you had told me four years ago when I walked in on Max and Samantha on my desk that I would be here, deeper in love with a man I never would have expected to be with, I probably would have laughed.

I’m glad everything has worked out the way it has, minus the whole deal with Max and Willow. I wish that had never happened to begin with and if you gave me a free pass, even as a lawyer, I’d kill the son-of-a-bitch.

I set the cake down in front of Willow, the candles lighting up her face, and drape my arms over her shoulders. She reaches out, pulling Sage into our awkward hug with one arm and AJ and Gabe in with the other. She lets go of Sage, grabs Liam’s arm and pulls him in with us. I laugh when Liam reaches out and links his fingers with AJ’s.

“Oh, honey,” AJ says, chuckling as he talks to Liam. “I’m so happy we’re one big happy family.”

His voice makes us all laugh but Willow is the first one to push us apart.

“Seriously, you guys. I was trying to have a sweet moment and here you are, bringing your bromance into it and ruining the moment.”

I kiss her temple and slide onto AJ’s free lap, after taking Gabe from him. As soon as he’s in my arm, Willow pulls him away, settling him into her lap in front of the cake.

“Do you want to help me blow out my candles, buddy?” She smooths down his hair, which already has pink frosting in it, and blows raspberries on his cheek. I swear watching her with him brings tears to my eyes.

Across the table, Izzy is doing almost the same thing with Tuesday and Evan’s daughter, Riley, in one arm and Vanessa and Jason’s daughter, Emily, in the other. I cover my mouth, hiding my laughter when Riley grabs a fist full of frosting and smears it across Izzy’s face.

“Oh come on, man,” Izzy laughs, shuffling the kids back to Tuesday and Vanessa. “I’m going to go wash this off my face.”

“No!” Zander yells, holding his hands up in the air. “You have to blow your candles out first. You have to make your wish.”

“You’re awfully worried about me making my wish, buddy,” she says as she wipes the frosting off her face the best she can.

Zander steps up and sets his gift on the table before wrapping his arms around her neck. I can barely hear him as mumbles into her neck. “I just want your wish to come true.”

“Aw, man. Didn’t you know? I have my wish. It’s you and Sophia.”

Sophia flips her hair out of her face, raising her eyebrow at Izzy. “What are you sucking up for?”

I laugh and AJ pushes my hair out of the way to whispers into my ear, “If I blow out the damn candles, do I get a wish too?”

I squirm on his lap when his fingers dig into my sides, tickling me. Gripping his hands, I pull them away from my sides and turn around in his lap, resting my forehead against his.

“Not if you don’t behave.”

“MOM!” Willow shouts. “I’m right next to you guys. I can
hear
you. Believe me when I tell you that it’s worse than watching you sign it.”

I reach over and pinch her cheek. “I can do that as well if you would like.”

Both Willow and Sage look at me in horror. “No, please don’t,” they both cry.

“All right, both of you blow the damn candles out. I want cake.” Evan leans over, swiping his finger through the frosting on Izzy’s cake. She bats his hand away, giving him a dirty look.

We all start singing again and when we finally finish, the girls blow out their candles. I admit, I tear up a little bit but I know I’m not alone when I look over at Liam and he’s trying to hide the fact that he’s wiping his eyes as well.

As we’re cutting the cake and passing it out, Willow and Izzy have their heads together, whispering to each other.

“Hey, you two,” I holler out, pointing at the frosting covered knife at them. “I don’t know what you two are in cahoots about, but I know better than to think we’re going to like it.”

Both their heads snap up and they laugh. I sit back down and cross my arms over my chest, staring them both down when Abby slides into the seat next to me, mimicking my position.

“Speak,” Jameson booms from behind us.

A slight smile plays on both girls’ lips and I know we’re done for.

“So, we’ve been thinking…” Willow starts but trails off so Izzy picks up her slack as usual.

“Yes, we’ve been thinking.” She leans forward, resting her arms on the table as she goes into business mode. I watch Abby out of the corner of my eye and try not to laugh. “Since we’re both eighteen this week and we graduate soon, that makes us adults. Correct?”

“Oh no, where are you going with this?” Liam asks.

“So technically I became an owner of the label today because I turned eighteen and I will start full-time after graduation, right?” She peeks at Abby like she isn’t so sure. I’ve seen the paperwork and know she became forty-nine percent owner of Ironsound on her birthday.

“Mmmhmm. If that’s what you want. I would still like you to go to school for something but you’re an adult so I don’t have a say,” Abby mutters.

“OK, so we’ve been thinking that we want to get a place together. I’ll be working full-time, Willow will be going to school. We think it will be good.”

My eyes widen. How the hell had I not thought about Willow moving out? I know we had been talking about college and jobs and I know she applied to do something with the label but I never let moving out get into my mind.

“Um…” I turn to look at Abby and by the look on her face, she’s thinking the same thing. Luckily, the guys must have been talking behind us because AJ steps forward and speaks up.

“How about this,” he starts. “None of us will fight you on moving out, mainly because we can’t, but also because you’ll be sticking together. But, the only way any of us are going to not fight you on moving out, because let’s face it, you’re still little girls to us, is if you wait to move until
after
graduation.”

Willow looks at Izzy and shrugs. “I’m good with that. They’ll hold the place until then since we’ve already paid for it.”

“Are you freaking kidding me, kid?” I laugh. “You guys have already found a place
and
put money down on it?”

Willow smiles brightly at me. “I love you.”

“Yeah, sure you do. Not even eighteen and plotting to get away from me. What happened to the little girl who told me she was never leaving because she loved me so much?”

She stands up, walks over to me and kisses my cheek. “That little girl grew up and got tired of watching her mom make out with her step-father on the kitchen counter we eat breakfast on. That’s gross.”

AJ snorts and turns around when Sage looks at me, her eyes bugging out of her head. “I’m never eating in that kitchen again.”

“Why?” Damian asks. “I don’t get it. My mom sits on the counter all the time. Even though my dad tells me all the time that tables are made for glasses not asses. But it’s cool. If I was tall enough, I would. And what does make out mean?”

Jason snickers behind us as Vanessa grabs Damian, framing his face with her hands. “Nothing you will ever do. Do you understand me?”

Before any of us have a chance to say anything, Zander butts in. “It’s how babies are made.”

Damian reaches up, grabbing Vanessa the same way she is him and speaks through his fishy lips. “I’m gonna be the make out
king
when I’m older. I’m gonna give you millions of grandbabies for you to take care of.”

“Oh no, Mister, you make ‘em you take ‘em.”

“You hear that, girls?” I yell over my shoulder. “We’re having sex ed class over here. Please come participate because I don’t want grandbabies yet, thank you very much.”

“Yeah,” AJ agrees. “At least wait until Gabe starts school before dropping another kid off on the doorstep.”

I shake my head at him slowly. “Do
not
give them any ideas!”

I laugh at the petrified look on Payton’s face and shift Gabe to my other hip so I can lean down to kiss her but she turns at the last minute so I only catch her cheek.

“Denied!” Sage laughs, throwing her hands into the air.

“I wouldn’t want to make a baby in front of the kids.”

I quickly hand Gabe off to Willow again. “Hold your brother, please.”

Grabbing Payton’s hand, I pull her until she’s standing and hoist her so she’s draped over my shoulder. She kicks and sputters, her hands slapping against my ass as she tells me to put her down.

Vanessa laughs when we pass her. “Don’t bother, Payton. Believe me, if he’s anything like Jason, telling him to put you down is just going to make it worse.”

Once we’re in the other room I let her slide down the front of my body, keeping my arms wrapped around her when her feet hit the ground.

“You denied me my kiss. That was cold. So cold.”

She laughs and pulls my head down until she can reach my lips. “Well,” she whispers. “I could kiss you here.” She presses her lips lightly against mine before dropping down to my neck. “Or here.” She stands on her toes so she can press her lips against my ear. “Or you can quit whining like a baby and I’ll kiss you below the belt line later.”

I growl, spinning us so Payton is pinned between my body and the wall. Reaching up, I drag my thumb gently across her cheek.

“I think I can get on board with that idea but I still want to kiss you right now.” So I do, I don’t wait for her to answer me. I press my lips against hers, coaxing hers apart and sweep my tongue inside her mouth. I love the way she tastes, the way she seems to know exactly how I need her without having to say anything to her.

“Jesus, you two,” Willow groans when she and Izzy walk through the doorway. “Get a freaking room.”

Payton laughs into the crook of my neck. “How about you just go back to the other room. I was having fun.”

“It’s our party. Can we please, for once,
just
once, not have any gross parental PDA? That would be great. Thanks.”

“Girls,” Abby calls out, officially cutting off my moment with Payton, “Where are you going? We were going to do gifts in a minute.”

I lean my shoulder against the wall next to Payton, dragging my finger up and down her bare arm.

“Um, I was just figuring that since it’s my birthday,” Izzy fidgets with the hem of her shirt, not lifting her eyes from Abby’s shoes. “I thought it would be all right to get my video and watch it now.”

There’s something sweet and completely heartbreaking about the fact that Alex made all these videos for the major parts of Izzy’s life and the not so major ones as well. I couldn’t handle knowing I wouldn’t see my kid grow up, graduate, get married or have kids and grow old.

“I guess that’s all right,” Abby says.

“Willow, I don’t mind you going out to get the video with her, but let her watch it in private.”

Willow nods at Payton, telling her that she would be back in the kitchen in a few minutes. We watch them walk out the door and I see Abby wipe her eyes. I push away from Payton and step toward Abby, wrapping my arms around her.

“It’s never going to get easier is it?” she sniffles into my shirt. “I’m never going to be OK with Alex being gone and it seems like every year, the only thing she looks forward to is this. She doesn’t care about growing up on her birthday, just getting another video.”

Payton runs her fingers across my back as she passes me to leave Abby and I alone for a minute. I brush the hair back from Abby’s face and kiss her forehead. “She misses him, babe. She misses him like she’s missing a piece of her heart. Just like you do. She’s just trying to get in as much of him as she can.”

We hear the girls laughing, running back up the porch stairs so Abby quickly pulls herself together and wipes the tears away from her eyes. I push her into the kitchen so Izzy doesn’t see her crying and tell Willow I’ll be right in.

“Is she all right?” Izzy whispers, hugging me.

I kiss the top of her head. “She will be. She loves you. So do I. We all just want to make sure you are all right.”

“Is it weird to want to keep watching these videos?”

“No, your dad made them for you. He wanted to be with you every step of the way even though he couldn’t be. He loved you so much, babe, and he just wanted you to know that for your entire life. It’s not weird that you want to see him, or have him with you for these things. I would do the exact same thing. In fact, I watch the videos he made for me every once in a while.”

I kiss her head one more time before turning back to the kitchen.

“Hey, AJ,” Izzy calls out. I turn around and smile at her. “I love you.”

“I love you, too. See you when you get done.”

Making my way back to the kitchen, I smile at Sage who has all the little kids on the floor as she reads to them. They’ve formed a circle around Gabe so he can’t get out past them. I drop down into the seat next to Payton and drape my arm over her shoulder.

“So the girls were
talking
again,” Payton laughs, using her fingers to put quotation marks around the word talking.

“Oh no.”

“Before you go any further,” Tuesday cuts in. “I’m going to give you the same rule I give all the talent. I need you to remember this before you move out. No bar fights, no pregnancy scares, no jail time.”

I don’t think she’s going to have to worry about those for a while. Willow has adapted well since everything with Max but I’m still not sure she’s ready for anything like that. Willow repeats the words back to Tuesday anyway and then goes on to tell us what she and Izzy had been talking about.

“So, Izzy thinks I’m really good with the drums, thanks to AJ.”

“Quit sucking up and get on with it,” I laugh.

“OK, so she wants to bring me on as a studio drummer. I promise I’ll still go to school and everything when it starts and-”