You & Me: The Complete Series (3 Book Boxset)

by Lisa Shelby

  Neither of us speaks.

  All I can think is that I don’t want to leave her again tonight.

  I don’t want her living here in her place without me.

  I want her with me.

  I want her in my bed at night.

  Or hers, I don’t really care.

  I just don’t want another night without her.

  But, I know that I’m the one that said we would go slow, and I’m going to leave it in her hands. If she isn’t asking me to stay, then I need to rip off the Band-Aid and say goodnight.

  “Well, I guess I should get out of your hair and call it a night.”

  Our foreheads are still touching when she lifts her hands to my hold my face.

  “Liam…”

  The moment she speaks, we’re interrupted when both of our phones go off. Finding it odd that they both went off within a second of the other, I quickly grab my phone out of my back pocket, and she picks hers up off the counter.

  Jonathan: It’s time! They’re early! We’re headed to the hospital! See you there!

  “It’s time!” We both shout in unison.

  “I’ll drive!” I say, feeling scattered and looking for my keys I eventually find in my front pocket. Cami grabs her purse and locks up the house before she follows me out her front door.

  We jump in the Rover, and Cami stops in the middle of putting on her seat belt. “Liam…they’re four weeks early.”

  I lean over, and this time I take her face in my hand and place a gentle kiss to her lips and try to sound as strong as possible when I look into her teary eyes. “It’s twins, baby. We knew when Emily went on bedrest that they would probably be early. They are going to be just fine. Only good thoughts, baby. Only good thoughts.”

  My insides are shaking as I put the car in drive and head to the hospital.

  If I feel like this, I can’t even begin to imagine what my best friend must be feeling.

  We’ve been in the waiting room, sitting in uncomfortable chairs and pacing the floor for the last three hours.

  We’re all here. Mick and Alex. Devon and Gabby. Riley, Ireland, and Mick and Emily’s mom, Cheryl.

  I called my mom as soon as Cami and I were on the road to the hospital, and she started making her flight plans immediately after we hung up. I texted her again after Jonathan came out to tell us they were going to have to take Emily in for a C-section. He was white as a ghost, and I don’t think I have ever seen him so scared.

  At the moment, Cami has her head on my shoulder and her hand in mine. To say that during our hours sitting here I haven’t thought back to the moment before our phones went off when Cami had just said my name and was about to say something would be a lie.

  Was she going to ask me to stay?

  Was she finally going to say the three words I have been dying to hear come out of that perfect little mouth of hers? The three words she didn’t repeat back to me at dinner last Saturday.

  I am about to finally ask Cami what she was going to say when the door swings open and a shell-shocked Jonathan walks into the waiting room. When he sees us all there, he puts his hands on his knees, pulls the surgical cap off of his head, and bends over like the energy it takes to stay up right is too much for him to withstand any longer. We’re all on our feet, and when he finally stands up, there are tears in his eyes.

  The room falls silent, and out of the corner of my eye, I see Mickey take his mom into his arms. They seem to be thinking the same thing I am.

  Something is wrong.

  He looks at me, and I close the gap between us and put my hand on his shoulder. “Brother, you okay? Emily okay?”

  He looks around the room and sees the fear in all of our eyes. “Oh, my God, you guys, I am so sorry. Everything is fine.” The tears keep falling, and he puts his hand up to his mouth to try and stop the sobs from escaping. “Emily was amazing. She was so strong. So calm. I was a mess, and she had to calm me down while they were doing the surgery.”

  Ireland runs across the room and inserts herself in between us and throws herself around his middle. I step aside so he can have his moment with his little girl, and behind me I hear Cami say, “That’s my girl,” in reference to Emily being so strong.

  This makes Jonathan smile, and with Ireland’s arms wrapped around his waist, he takes a deep, cleansing breath, and then my brother looks me in the eyes. “They’re perfect, Liam. They’re fucking perfect.”

  You can hear the collective breath that was being held release around the room. I step to the side of him and put my arm around my best friend. My best friend who is now the father of three. Damn, life is crazy. One minute we’re kids running through the neighborhood up to no good, and today we’re standing in the hospital while he announces the birth of his twins.

  “Dude, I’m glad they’re perfect, but do I have nephews or two more nieces?” Mick asks impatiently.

  A smile beams across his face when Jonathan looks at his brother-in-law and asks, “How would you feel about one of each?”

  The room erupts in elation; hugs are given out, and there are a hundred questions bouncing through the room.

  Ireland beams up at him and says, “I have a brother and a sister?”

  “You sure do, and they cannot wait to meet you, princess.”

  She runs over to Mick and says, “I told you! You owe me twenty dollars, Uncle Mickey!”

  “Are you ever going to tell us their names? I mean, I really cannot believe you two didn’t tell any of us before they were born,” Cami scolds him.

  Not sure what he’s about to say, I worry when he takes a deep breath, and the tears start to fall once again. He looks at me and smiles when he says, “We named her Caroline, after my mother…” I nod in his direction because there is nothing else to say. His attention then turns to Devon, and I know Devon knows what he’s going to say before he says it as a lone tear falls from his eyes. “…We named him Matthew.”

  Devon doesn’t hesitate. He walks up to Jonathan and pulls him into a hug, and they share a moment only they can. A moment to honor their lost friend. The man whom Jonathan lost in battle mere months before losing his mother. Naming their children after both of these amazing individuals who meant so much to Jonathan is a touching tribute to two loved ones lost.

  After Devon and Jonathan break apart, Alex asks, “When can we see them?”

  “They’re in the NICU right now getting checked out, but everything seems fine. They just want to keep them in there tonight, and we’ll take it from there. Matthew was five pounds two ounces and Caroline was four pounds nine ounces, so they’re small but not too small. They’re healthy, a little jaundice, but healthy. We’re hoping that they can join Emily in the room after they’re given the thumbs up. If you want, you should be able to go look at them through the window for now,” he says as he motions over his shoulder with a tilt of his head toward the doors to the maternity ward.

  None of us hesitate. The women pick up their purses, and we all follow the proud papa through the doors and down the hall. Cami takes my hand and links her fingers with mine, and Ireland skips along with Jonathan to see her baby brother and sister for the first time. We’re all excited, and I couldn’t be happier to have Cami with me to experience the moment. She’s family. My family. And I want her by my side for all of the big moments life may bring.

  When we reach the window to the NICU nursery, the nurses see Jonathan and all of us in tow, and they wave Jonathan and Ireland in. They deck Ireland out in a gown, cap, gloves, and mask to match the ones Jonathan already has on. They push Matthew up to the glass in his little incubater on wheels, and when he grabs Irelands finger, her face lights up with pure joy. She couldn’t be a prouder big sister.

  He’s bright pink, and when the nurse removes his blue baby beanie, I smile at the shock of dark hair. Just like his daddy. Jonathan carefully takes his baby girl out of her incubator, steps up beside Ireland, and Caroline looks tiny in his arms. He removes her pink baby beanie, and there is small tuft of blon
d hair on the top of her head.

  I catch Jonathan’s eye through the glass, and I give him a simple nod of my head that says, I agree, they’re perfect. And they are. The instant love I feel for these two tiny people takes me by surprise. I stare at their perfect noses and their tiny little fingers, and I know I would do anything for both of them without a second thought. But when Caroline tips her head back and yawns, I’m a goner and nobody has to tell me that this little girl is going to have her Uncle Liam wrapped around her little finger.

  Cami, who is standing in front of me, didn’t miss the yawn either. “Oh my gosh, Liam. Did you see that yawn?” She practically squeals. When she turns to look at me over her shoulder, our eyes meet and hers soften when it becomes clear to her I did indeed see the yawn, and I’m actually having a hard time containing my emotions. “Oh, baby,” she coos and lifts up on her toes as I tip my head down to meet her so she can give me a sweet kiss. “Big, bad Liam Fanua is a big old softy.”

  “Shhh…” I joke.

  “No worries, your secret is safe with me.” She turns back around and takes my arms and wraps them around her as she presses her back to my front. I kiss the top of her head and silently thank God for this moment.

  Chapter 21

  Cami

  I pop my head into Ireland’s room to check on her, and she is out cold. I carefully pull her blanket over her and click off the lamp next to her bed. I sneak out and latch the door closed behind me.

  I know the last twenty-four hours has been scary for her with her baby sister being admitted back into the NICU. When the doctors determined that Caroline had Respiratory Distress Syndrome or RDS and was having trouble breathing just two days after coming home from the hospital, it gave us all a scare. We’ve worked out a schedule, and we’re all taking shifts to stay at the house with Matthew and Ireland, and tonight Liam and I are on duty. It takes a village, and the village these babies and Ireland have couldn’t love them more. We love them as if they were our own.

  When I think back to the day after the babies were born and the village meeting we had in the cramped hospital room that Emily was recovering in, it puts a smile on my face.

  “Hey, sis, what’s going on? You not getting enough attention having twins, you need to call a town hall meeting too?” Mick says as he leans in and gives his sister and the little boy in her arms a kiss on the cheek before handing her the cake pop that he snuck in for her.

  “No, big brother, I don’t want to steal any more of your usual attention. We just wanted to talk to all of you together, that’s all. Thanks for the contraband, though,” she says in reference to the treat she places on the table next to her.

  Mick takes his place at his wife’s side, and Devon and Gabby and Liam and I all squeeze in closer to Em’s bed where Jonathan stands with his pink bundle of joy in his arms. Emily looks at Jonathan as if to ask if he wants to do the talking, but he shakes his head and gives her the all clear to do the talking for the two of them.

  “Thank you all for coming to the hospital again. We know you all have been here a lot the last couple of days, and I hope you know how much it means to both of us. We wanted you all here together because we’ve made a decision about Matty and Carrie’s godparents. We thought it would be better to have you all together when we told you that there was no way that we could choose. We love the six of you equally, and we want all of you to be their godparents. We know that it’s a big ask, and there will be no hard feelings if any of you say no.”

  Of course, nobody refuses, and we all hug and share our joy with each other. It’s an honor, and with the six of us as godparents, these two babies are never going to wonder if they have someone to turn to if they are ever in need.

  I’m chatting with the girls when I glance over to see Liam sitting in the corner of the room in the rocker with both babies in his arms. My heart melts, and I can’t take my eyes off of him.

  It’s beautiful.

  He feels me looking at him, and when he lifts his gaze to meet my eyes that he knew would be waiting for him, he shrugs when a tear falls. He lifts Matty up to his face and uses his baby blue blanket to dry his tears and from across the room says, “Shhh…” I can’t stop the giggle that escapes me, and he just smiles and goes back to staring at the two new bundles of life he is already completely committed to.

  Now, it’s a week later, and we’re here babysitting Ireland and Matty while their mommy and daddy are at the hospital with their sister. I’m picking up the house, and when I take the bottles into the kitchen to wash them, I see a bottle of champagne on the counter—a gift to the new parents—and it hits me that I still haven’t seen Liam drink. In the past, a sick child would have him drinking away the stress of it all. All I have seen since the day these babies were born is his dedication and selflessness to his friends and their family.

  His family.

  I would say he’s changed, but he hasn’t. He’s always been this amazing, the only difference is that he isn’t using alcohol to cope with the problems that life throws at him. I’m proud of him. The thing is, he really is the best man I know. He’s giving me all the time I need, and he’s waiting for me to take us back to the place we used to be.

  The place I want to be.

  I’ve been holding back, and I don’t know why? I love this man with all of my heart, and I still haven’t told him. He made it clear how he felt two weeks ago at dinner, and I still haven’t told him that I feel the same. What is wrong with me?

  And as if I needed one more reason to stop the insanity and tell him exactly how much I love him, his voice comes through the baby monitor on the table and stops me in my tracks.

  “Hey, big guy, you know your baby sister is gonna be just fine, right? I don’t want you to worry too much, but I do want you to know that it’s your job, as her big brother, to watch over her and protect her.” I hear what I think is a kiss and then the rustle of blankets as Liam tucks him into his crib. “She’s gonna be tough and independent—just like most of the woman in your life—but she still needs you, little buddy. She’ll always need you. Even if she tells you she doesn’t, you ignore that and be there for her anyway. And if you ever need anything, I’ll always be here for you too. Just call and I’ll always be there. I promise you that.”

  Listening to him talk to Matty, the images of the last week flash through my brain. He’s been a natural with the babies all while still giving Ireland plenty of attention. He’s been there every step of the way since the moment the twins arrived. He doesn’t leave all the work to the women of the group. He changes diapers and washes bottles. He’s dedicated and loyal, and it all seems to come so easy to him. The love he has for all three of Jonathan’s children leaves me awestruck. This man was born to be a father.

  Liam appears from the hallway. “Well, I worked my baby magic, and he’s out like…”

  Before he can finish his sentence, I throw myself at him and crash my lips and my body into his. He is caught off guard at first but instantly goes with the flow and lifts me so that my legs go around his waist. I feel frantic as I kiss him with everything I have and drag my nails over his head and down his back.

  He carries me into the kitchen and grabs the baby monitor. Then as I continue to assault his neck with bites, licks, and kisses, he takes us into the spare room I am staying in, shuts the door quietly, and pulls back so he can look at me.

  “Hey, little lady.” I can see the lust in his eyes, but there is some curious confusion on his face as well.

  The gentle sound of his voice, the smell of his skin, the heat of his body…all of it is what I’ve been missing.

  I’ve missed this.

  I’ve missed him.

  I’m still wrapped around him, and our lips are mere inches from each other as my chest heaves from the adrenaline I feel soaring through me. I can’t stop the tears from falling when I finally tell him how I feel.

  “No more going slow. No more wasted time. I love you, Liam. You are the man of my dreams, the man I want
to have a family with, and I don’t know why I was acting like I wanted to take things slow. I don’t know how I thought it would be possible. I love that you were thoughtful enough to let me take the lead and that you were willing to go as slow as I needed to go but, Liam…sweetheart, I’m ready. Please make love to me.”

  Liam

  She loves me?

  Man of her Dreams?

  Family?

  There is no hiding the fact that my hand is shaking when I bring it to her face and hold it there. “You love me?”

  “Of course I do. You’re the love of my life, Liam.”

  I don’t know what changed from the time I went into the nursery to put my godson to sleep, and the moment I walked out of the same nursery, but whatever it is, I am not questioning it. I feel like in her one admission of love, all of the pieces of my life are connecting and clicking together. I can feel the earth shift on its axis, and my heart and mind are at ease.

  Silently, I lay her back on the bed and kiss her in a way her mouth will never be able to forget the taste of my love. The sound of the moan she slips into my mouth when my tongue finds hers is one teenage boys dream about, but it’s not a dream. That moan and this woman are my reality. I love her and apparently, she loves me.

  I take my time putting all the love and emotion her declaration of love means to me into our kiss.

  I can sense her disappointment when my lips disconnect from hers, but when she feels my lips on her neck, she arches to give me even more access as I find my way to her earlobe.

  Not asking because I don’t believe her, but because it feels so damn good to hear her say it, I ask, “So, I’m the love of your life?”

  I nuzzle into her neck and take in the smell of her hair—the smell that turns me on like no other. Then I take my time and slowly and gently lick and bite at her sweet as honey skin.

  With her neck still arched in ecstasy and my hand finding its way down her sternum and to one of her breasts, she says on a breath, “Yes, the love of my life.”