The baby shower gets underway. And my mother has the guests play a nominal amount of ridiculous games. The very first game began once the guests arrived. Each guest was handed a plastic cup filled with frozen water and a tiny plastic baby encased inside. The first to have their “water break” wins a prize.
However, the first group game we play is smell the dirty baby diaper. Mia and Melissa melted three different chocolate bars and smeared them over a diaper. Each guest has to sniff each diaper and try to decipher which candy bars they are.
Mia holds out a card as she stands in front of our respective guests. “And the winner is…Carly Foster!”
Chloe grunts, “That was predictable.” She smears a greasy smile to her friend. “You are a world-class ass sniffer.”
“It takes one to know one,” I quip.
Next up, my mother tries to convince Gage, Logan, and Wes to kneel before us while we feed them a bottle full of milk. The first lucky daddy to suck it all down wins the prize. But Laken, Chloe, and I vetoed that idea much to our counterpart’s relief. The men are back to playing basketball, as they should be. An estrogen-dominant event such as this should have as few male witnesses as possible.
The next round of humiliation Lizbeth Landon suggests is called guess the mother’s weight. It’s another no-go from the three of us. The last game of the day is called cry like a baby. And after listening to each guest do her best impression of an infant in duress, neither Laken nor I are sure we want an infant of our own anymore. Chloe never did, so I don’t count her in on that equation. And coincidentally enough, my mother declares everyone a winner of that game as Mia and Melissa pass out the goodie bags we put together this morning.
The three of us get to the task of opening gifts. Each pile is about the same size, and we each open a gift at the very same time in an effort to spare our poor guests the thought of growing old with us. And once we’re loaded to the hilt in designer diaper bags—thank you, Brielle, and baby caskets, complete with a stand and sans a lid—also Brielle, the crowd takes a breather.
But it’s not any of those big boxes filled with strollers and car seats, or even the new technology-based toys that have my heart aching to hold my baby—technically, Laken, Chloe, and I have all of these things already, but I suppose our friends wanted to shower us with love, hence the name of this special day. But it’s the tiny pink outfits I’ve amassed this afternoon that make me hungry to hold my sweet little girl. Both Laken and Chloe were gifted a handful of outfits in mint green, gray, white, and yellow, but Brielle got the word out to every human on the planet that Logan and I are about to welcome a baby girl and I couldn’t be happier.
How I miss my sweet angel. My mother—Candace—gave Logan and me a preview of our baby girl not long ago. We got to hold her and bond with her, and then being the monster my mother can be, she yanked her right out from under us.
But it was all for the good of the future. If my mother is anything, she’s a big picture kind of a girl. And now our baby princess is on her way.
I’ll never forget her eyes, how they held every color, the brightest blue, the lightest blue, the deepest amber. Her infectious laugh and smile. I cannot wait for Barron and Nathan to bond with her and shower her with as much love as Logan and I already are.
Logan is no doubt her most ardent fan. He reads to her, whispers secrets to her, and lets her know how beautiful and special she is. He’s even mentioned the fact he’s envious of all the time I get to spend with her before the birth.
There’s no question we are both counting down the days to hold our sweet angel. Fall couldn’t arrive soon enough. Bring on the pumpkin spiced everything.
The best part is, she’ll be here for our wedding. Logan and I will become husband and wife with our children looking on—or sleeping on, but nevertheless, she will be included in every single wedding photo. Perhaps not the ideal scenario, but Logan and I gave up on ideal less than a month after we met.
Emily ushers us over to the cake unveiling. She’s a baker at heart and baking the cake for the event was something she insisted upon. There’s been a big tent around the cake table ever since we’ve arrived and yes, the men folk have willingly migrated over at the promise of empty calories.
Em takes the tent from one end and my mother does the same from the other end.
“There’s a cake for each of you,” Em grunts. “The one on the far left is Laken’s, the one in the middle is Skyla’s, and the one on the right is Chloe’s.” She looks right at me. “You might say I had a little supernatural inspiration when it came to deciding who got what.”
My muscles tense at the thought of Emily hinting at our future—our vaginal future through flour and sugar.
The veil is lifted and the crowd breaks out into laughs and cheers.
Laken’s cake is a sculpture of a woman lying on her back, hiked on her elbows as she looks to a clear bulbous belly with a baby waving up at her. Adorable and yet quirky. And, oddly, Emily nailed Laken right down to her wild caramel hair.
My cake. I’m not even sure how to process this. It’s basically a peach bottom with dark sprinkles around a faux vaginal opening and a doll face smiling at us from inside. The word surprise! is written over my thigh. So adorably gross.
Chloe’s cake looks more like an Easter egg with a baby doll sticking out from the middle of it. There’s a creepy air about it, and a part of me wants to free the poor thing.
“Okay”—Bree rubs her hands together—“I think I got this. Laken, your baby is really in tune to you. So, I’m betting it’s going to be super smart.”
That’s not shocking. Wes is an evil genius. I take a closer look at the baby floating in Laken’s faux clear tummy in search of a tail, but there is none. Lucky for Laken.
Brielle holds up a finger. “Skyla, don’t count on your due date. If I were you, I’d be prepared to have the sweet pea any day now.”
Mom screams with delight. “Today, today!” she cheers the premature birth on.
Logan wraps his arms around me from behind. “Let’s not do that today,” he whispers. “And is it wrong of me not wanting to share your sweet ass with everyone at the party?”
I can’t help but laugh at that one and Gage shoots us a look.
Bree leans in closer to Chloe’s cake. “Huh. You know. If I didn’t know better, I’d say this was a fake baby.” She pats Chloe’s stomach. “You sure you have a baby in there?”
Chloe swats Bree away as if she were an annoying bee, and the crowd laughs as Mia and Melissa dole out the sweet treats.
“Thank you, Em,” I say, indulging in a bite of my delicious Bavarian crème filled cake. “This is my favorite. And that was very nice of you not to reveal the genders of the other two babies.”
“I’m a firm believer in waiting until you take a look at the junk in the trunk before blabbing it off to the world. And no worries. You and Logan will have more kids.”
She takes off and Logan lets out a howl. “Bring on the babies.” He lands an enthusiastic kiss to my lips just as Chloe and Gage come upon us.
“Sorry to break up the party,” Chloe coos, because she is obviously so not sorry. The only thing she’s sorry about is the fact Gage doesn’t seem to offer her a spontaneous show of affection.
His arm snakes around her waist as if he heard me.
Chloe holds a pale box out my way. It’s slender, about six inches long, and I know the jeweler it’s from just by the shade of Tiffany blue on the front.
“Gage and I thought it would be nice to give you a gift as well, Skyla. And don’t worry. We don’t expect a gift in return. The gift of your friendship is more than enough.”
She hands me the box, and it feels slippery in my hands like a snake doused in oil.
Both Logan and Gage tense up. Ten bucks says Gage had very little to do with this, but then again, this is the new Gage we’re talking about. It was most likely all his idea.
I pluck the top open and expose a long gold chain with a matching locket i
n the shape of a heart. The heart itself has impressions of flowers etched into its surface.
“Wow,” I say as I shoot a quick glance to Logan. “This is very beautiful.”
“Go ahead and open the heart, Skyla,” Chloe says softly.
My own heart thumps as I work to split the pendant open. I’m betting it’s the boys on either side, or the boys on one side and Tobie on the other. That might make sense in Chloe’s eyes. And mine. I do love Tobie as if she were my own.
The heart gives and I peel it back to reveal a startling sight.
“Figures,” I say as I blink a manufactured smile at the two of them. “Logan and I on one side, and you and Gage on the other. And look, Gage, you’re kissing her belly. Isn’t that just wonderful.” I pin Gage with a look that says this is all your damn fault. Because it is.
Logan takes it from me and inspects it. “Okay, so we get it. Chloe, you and Gage are the real deal.” He hands it back to her. “Skyla has the Eye of Refuge around her neck. That real estate is taken.” His chest pumps as he looks to his nephew. “I’ll pretend you didn’t know about the little treats Chloe seeded in it.”
“Oh, he did.” Chloe nods frenetically. “He helped me cut the pictures to size and put them in.”
Gage takes the necklace from Chloe and gives it back to me.
“There’s a picture of the boys under ours.” His dimples dig in. “You won’t offend us if you take out our picture.”
“Well, thank you,” I say, still unsure of how to take this prank gone wrong. But knowing Chloe, this was no prank. This was meant to eviscerate and hurt, and perhaps make me deliver my baby early in a fit of anger. “And I have no gift for the two of you. Unfortunately, I don’t even have my friendship to give.” I look to Chloe. “Have you decided who’s going to raise your baby? Emma perhaps? You don’t do miniature humans, remember?”
“Oh, I don’t.” She’s quick to cradle that bulging beast of a stomach of hers. “But I’m dipping a toe into the murky waters of motherhood with this one. I’m going to breastfeed, stay up all night, and change every candy bar-riddled diaper this precious angel throws my way. I cannot wait to hold a tangible piece of our love.” She glances to Gage with swoony eyes, and I want to gag at how far gone she is—I would say in her own delusions, but this is proving to be serious. “I always knew we were destined for this moment. And now we have it, the house, the baby, best of all, each other.” Her neck snaps my way. “And before you interject with the house is mine and so is the husband bullshit, just appreciate for a moment what this has given you. You have Logan back. You have a home of your own. You have a baby brewing in your belly that is a token of how much Logan and you love one another. Everything worked out the way it was meant to. Just the way your mother assured us it would that day in Tenebrous. We’re Celestra sisters, Skyla. It doesn’t matter if we agree on everything. It doesn’t matter how you feel about me. I’m hoping one day in the future you’ll grow up enough to realize that we can indeed have a friendship. That the cards have finally fallen where they were destined to be all along. You can clench your fist at fate, but shaking with rage only hurts you in the end. Sometimes it’s best to go along with what life has given you, to appreciate the good things it’s still giving you.”
“Chloe!” Lexy barks from near the bounce house the kids have been enjoying this entire time. “Tobie shit her pants. Get over here.”
“And there you go,” I say. “You’re still getting some things, too.”
Chloe takes off and I don’t stick around to hear what Gage has to opine about, so I make myself scarce by heading over to the sexiest Sector in all the land—Marshall.
“What did you think of the party?”
His chest thumps with the idea of a laugh. “There wasn’t a tantrum, prediction, or a single fatality. I’m sure your guests feel cheated. Don’t worry, Ms. Messenger. Together, you and I will throw far more menacing soirees that will undoubtedly be recorded in the annals of history.”
“It sounds like you feel cheated. There are a few stragglers left. What can I do to rectify this?”
“I’ve got a cache of spirit swords. We can always pass them around and test out Darwin’s theory.”
A smile crimps on my lips. “Survival of the fittest? I was thinking more pin the tail on the donkey. Chloe can be the ass.”
“She’s easier to destroy than that.”
“You’re right. I should start with a bucket of water and work my way up. Now there’s a party game I can really get into. You always make me better. You’re the best.”
“That’s why they sent me.”
I watch as Logan and Gage start helping my mother and sisters clear the debris, piling presents together to help schlep them to where they belong.
“Everything is changing, Marshall. It seems as if that’s all that is ever consistent. Change.”
“Things are about to change for the better, Ms. Messenger. The fall is almost upon us, and that’s when we strike. Ezrina has made great strides and, with the aid of your body, she should be able to complete the process.”
“Yes.” I cradle my stomach. “My body. I’m hoping every last genetic ounce of what Logan and I have created will put us over the hump.” I squint up at Marshall as a sly smile comes from my lips. “When I was carrying the boys, every last ounce of me was powerful. And with this baby my powers seem the same. Why is that?”
Marshall lands a tender hand over my stomach and a soft smile comes to his face as if he were able to see right inside of me.
“You have never experienced power like this before, Skyla. But this time it is contained. Completely immersed in your child. You and Logan are simpatico. Your blood and powers yield to one another. With Jock Strap, I’m afraid the power wasn’t able to harness itself properly, misfiring right through your body, offering you strange powers of your own for a time.”
“And what will our child do to me?” I bite down over my lip to keep from winking. A part of me feels as if I’m egging Marshall on.
A dark laugh strums in his chest. “Ours will be a shining light, so bright, so unstoppable the world will warm under its brilliant sun.”
“Logan mentioned he wanted to farm me out—you know, just long enough for us to procreate.” It’s true. Our pillow talk took a turn for the carnal a few weeks back and Marshall was brought into the mix.
“He may farm you out my way as much as he desires, so much as you desire it as well, but that doesn’t mean I’m offering him my allotment of time with you.”
“You realize you have me now in every way but that.” I tip my head as if waiting for him to make a concession.
He leans in and presses a tender kiss to my lips that sends an electrical jolt sizzling from my head to my toes.
“I’d best assist the gentlemen with the cleanup. Something tells me they can use a good delegator to move along the process.”
“Delegator.” I giggle to myself as I head inside and spot Laken chugging down a bottle of water in the kitchen.
Chloe passes me as I head over and pulls me back by the wrist.
“Skyla”—her voice is demonically low, probably just showing her true colors now that there’s not anyone else around—“I’m going to hang Em by her vegan tits for feeding me that rubbish. My heartburn is about to kill me.”
“Em didn’t make anything for the shower but the cakes. Ezrina catered all the food. And I ate the same things as you did and I feel fine. How do you feel, Laken?”
“Exhausted. I was hoping Coop or Wes would offer to hobble Charlie and me across the street.”
Emma and Kresley come in from outside. So far, I’ve done a stellar job of avoiding them both, but apparently that good time has ended. Emma is holding baby Eli in her arms and he is every bit a twin to the boys.
Kresley has dyed her hair raven’s wing black. Her new face—post her Laken phase—is still supermodel beautiful. She’s lost all her baby weight and is back to wearing her preppy gear as if it were her religion, and I ha
ve no doubt it is.
“Good party.” She nods to Laken. “I had a good time with your sisters—both Jens.”
A long time ago, when the Counts kidnapped Laken, they Frankensteined her family and sewed in members who weren’t even blood-related. Their twisted ways know no bounds.
“I’m glad.” Laken watches Kresley with great apprehension. “Thank you for coming. I’m very happy that our relationship has finally turned a corner.” She brushes a finger over baby Eli’s face. “I know Charlie loves her brother.”
Giselle and Ellis come inside. Ellis is holding Charlie and they offer to help Laken across the street.
Giselle looks to her mother. “Did you see all the pretty presents? And the toys? Ellis is going to give me a baby so I can have all the presents and toys.”
Emma twitches. She still can’t seem to accept Ellis in Giselle’s life. “No toys. It’s schoolbooks for you, young lady. You’re making quite the strides at Host.”
“Yes,” I say. “And now that Mia and Melissa will be there this fall, you can show them around and teach them the ropes.”
“Oh, they’re going to have so much fun. There are so many boys and they’re all exceptionally nice. Ellis told me that Mia and Melissa are boy crazy.”
Chloe scoffs. “Just like their big sister. Skyla’s been showing them the ropes, too. I’m sure soon they’ll be knocked up in keeping with tradition and Lizbeth will figure out a way to shove her boobs in everybody’s mouth.” She whines as she grabs her back.
That’s what she gets.
Laken takes off with Giselle and Ellis as Emma tips her chin my way.
“We don’t see much of you anymore, Skyla.”
“And you’re welcome.” Because really? What else did she want me to say?
“Don’t be silly. You’ll always be a part of the family. Gage may have traded one wife for the other, but Logan is like my son, too.”
“Traded?” Chloe scoffs at her new mother-in-law. “We’re not playing cards, Emma. And who the hell cares if Skyla spends the rest of her days avoiding you? If you would have treated her like a person, and not a commodity, she might even like you.”
All Hail the King (Celestra Forever After Book 6) Page 43