“Watch Drew for a sec.” Trey stands up and I sit next to the little guy.

“Are you expecting someone?”

“No, this will just be step one in exterminate the asshole out of Rob mission.” He walks backward and a bellow of laughter escapes his throat.

He answers and I hear her voice. My whole body fidgets in the chair, praying like hell the big man isn’t with her. That I’m not about to have a spotlight on my ass to be interrogated. It’s been a long time coming, but to be face to face with her after all this time makes my insides shake with insecurity. She’s the closest person that’s seen my demons, but she’s still in the dark about what haunts me.

She and Trey carrying on the whole time until she steps in the archway of the kitchen. When she spots me, she stops in her tracks. Her blonde hair now brown, the baby seat hanging over her arms and diaper bag swung over her shoulder. She and Trey resemble a damn suburban minivan clan side by side. Not even acknowledging me, she swivels back to Trey. “What—”

“Hey, Jessa.” I interrupt. Her head whips in my direction and Trey weaves between her and the wall, grabbing the car seat from her hands.

“Rob.”

“Oh good, we all remember each other’s names.” Trey moves over to the couch, fiddling with the car seat. “She’s asleep so try not to wake her.” Walking back over to the table, he picks up Drew. “Time for this one’s nap, so be nice you two. I’ll be right back.” He exits the room, escaping down the hall, but shouts back, “Don’t forget innocent ears outside.”

Jessa stands there, her feet shuffling back and forth. The situation couldn’t be more awkward, and I’m not even sure what to do in this moment. “Where’s hubby?” She narrows her eyes to mine, placing the diaper bag next to the car seat in the living room.

“Work.”

“And you, I heard you were at that gallery?” The only reason I know is because Chrissy took over her spot for a while when she first arrived in Western. Otherwise, I know next to nothing about Jessa’s life.

“I’m part-time now.”

“Never pinned you as the settled down, husband, baby and house in the suburbs kind of girl.” She spins around on her heels.

“Of course you didn’t. I was just a girl you fucked.” She tilts her head and I’m correct—the anger still lies there.

“If you’d let me finish.” Her eyes stare at me waiting. “It looks good on you. Somehow fitting.” A small smile forms until she forces it back.

“Thank you,” she murmurs.

Brady’s words from yesterday morning remind me how I need to make amends here somehow. At least for him and Sadie to have a drama-free wedding. “Will you sit down?” I ask and she eyes me for a moment before walking over. Standing behind the chair, her hands clench the wooden rung. “Please.”

At a painfully slow pace she grabs the chair out and sits down, facing the baby. “Brady asked me to stand up,” I inform her, and she nods still staring at her baby. God, she’s like a different person now.

“I heard.” Her voice is soft and annoyed.

“So, we need to figure out how we’ll be around each other without fighting.” I stare at the side of her face, remembering how beautiful I thought she was the first time I saw her. How much I wanted to dissipate that pain and be with her. I hoped one night would fulfill the need, but something about her dug into me and wouldn’t let up. She was the first girl to pique enough interest to date more than once.

“You could apologize.” Her bluntness, yes, that’s what grabbed a hold of me.

“I’m sorry,” I instantly declare, because her sitting across the table, reminds me of our good times. “I should have ended it before I left on tour. Shit, I probably shouldn’t have even gone on tour.”

This grabs her attention and she twists in the chair, facing me. “Keep going.” Her lips curl a little bit at the ends and I finally sense my way in to her.

“I treated you like shit, and I’m sorry.” She nods, and those eyes that saw too much that one night have a flicker of understanding in them. She saw the hurt and the true me when I awoke from the nightmare in a cold sweat. I came close to telling her, but rolled her over and fucked her instead, probably a little too rough. That’s when I knew I would only hurt her and I needed to do something drastic to make sure she went to Grant instead of staying with me.

“Thank you.” She clasps her hands on the table.

“And?” I add because I’m not denying I did something shitty, but she wasn’t exactly truthful with me.

“What?” She plays innocent, raising her shoulders and shooting those puppy eyes my way. “I should have told you things between Grant and me . . .”

“Were heating up?” I add and she smiles.

“I never cheated on you, Rob. I swear.” If Jessa is one thing, it’s honest. She’s always been truthful with me.

“I know.” I believe her and maybe if I wouldn’t have given her good reason to be with someone else, Grant wouldn’t have taken the opportunity. “So, you think your guy will be okay with me in the wedding party?”

“Well,” she taps her finger to her lips. “I do have some manipulation tactics I can use on him.” She laughs and even though I am an asshole, there’s something about seeing her happy that rotates the contentment back my way.

“I’d rather not hear about them.” I cover my ears like a toddler. Just then, Matty runs into the room, and climbs into my lap. I’m just as surprised as Jessa’s wide eyes. The kid sees me as his protector and it kind of feels good.

“Yours?”

I crinkle my brows. “No, our roommate, Paige’s brother.” I glance down at Matty. “Matty, this is Jessa. Jessa, this is Matty.”

“Nice to meet you, Matty. You like Tara and Chloe? They’re fun, right?” She already possesses that motherly voice that can calm kids.

“Yeah, they’re a lot of fun.” He looks back to me. “I’m hungry.”

“We just ate breakfast.”

Jessa stands up, going to the cabinet. She pulls out a granola bar and then looks down at me. “Any allergies?”

“No, I don’t have any allergies.” She smacks the back of my head.

“Not you, Matty.” I shrug. I’m thinking Paige would have told me, right? She’s way too responsible not to.

“Matty, do you know if there are any foods you can and can’t have?” Matty squints up to me and his eyes light up.

“No. Not like Brendan at school. He can’t have peanut butter.”

“But you can?” she asks, and since when is it twenty-questions before you give a kid something to eat?

“Yep.”

“Good, here’s a granola bar.” She places it in front of him and he opens it by himself, gobbling it down.

“Thanks.” She smiles. “Like I said, this mother role suits you.”

She rubs her belly. “I hope so, because number two is on the way.”

“Seriously?” Just the thought of two kids back-to-back nauseates me. “You need to tell him to get the—” She cocks her head at me, smiling. “Give you some space.” I change my wording. Damn, two kids already.

“Nah, I don’t.” She smiles and stares over at her baby. Joyfulness pours out of her and it makes me happy that I’m the asshole I am. It confirms that good can come from me being a prick.

“THANK YOU SO much, Kailey.” We walk over to her car and she unlocks it for me. It’s a sporty two door and for some reason I’m surprised by it.

“Nice car,” I comment and she waves me off.

“It’s Trey’s. Since he was home today, he gets the minivan. But usually the soccer mobile is mine.”

We both climb in and the leather is so soft and nice. She runs her hands over the steering wheel. “I do have to say, it’s nice to actually feel my age while driving this car.” She inserts the key into the ignition and starts the car.

“So, where are you parked?” She glances at me as we pull out of the parking lot. She found a premium spot before class and I caught up to her outside the building.