The XOXO New Adult Collection: 16 Full Length New Adult Stories

by Brina Courtney

  “You’re so awesome, Katelyn.”

  “Let’s go ride, shall we,” I say, as we exit the car. Of course, the line is long and we’re given a number. We have about a two-hour wait, but it’ll be worth it. “Want to walk around, maybe play some arcade games?”

  Quinn nods and leads the way into the arcade. I hand him some money and let him change it into tokens that he hands back to me to hold. I follow him around, never much into video games myself, and watch while he tries them all out.

  “What do you want for your birthday?” His birthday is coming up soon and his grandma will be coming to town. This will be the first time he’s having a party with kids from school and I want to make it special.

  “I want something that probably costs a lot of money and can’t have.”

  I look at him questioningly. His eyes are downcast and the happy kid that I had minutes ago no longer exists. He shrugs and walks away from me.

  “Quinn, is this about your mother?” I can’t stand the woman, even though I chose to believe her, but if Quinn wants to meet her, I know Harrison will make it happen.

  “Sort of.”

  I take his hand in mine and lead him outside. “Meet me over there.” I point to the table that’s open and head to the snack counter to get us something to eat.

  “Let’s talk while we share some fries. Tell me what’s going on.”

  Quinn sighs and sets his fry down. “I don’t want to meet my mother or anything like that, but I want... I don’t know how to say it, Katelyn.”

  “Just spitting it out seems to work for the girls, want to try that?”

  “I want you to be my mom,” he rambles so fast that I almost miss what he says. He’s not looking at me, and I can’t tell if he’s embarrassed by his request or not. I know I should be stunned, but I’ve considered him my son for a while now.

  “Quinn, can you look at me?”

  He does, raising his baby blues that match his dad’s, to meet my eyes. “I’m sorry.”

  “For what?”

  “I know you already have kids and probably want to have a baby with my dad.”

  “So what if your dad and I had a baby, that means you’d be a big brother again.”

  He shrugs. “They’d call you mom.”

  “Do you want to call me mom?” He’s said it a few times in passing or during sentimental moments, but he’s not consistent.

  “Yes, but I want you to be my mom, like make it real.”

  I furrow my eyebrows when I look at him. “What do you mean ‘make it real’?”

  He sighs. “Noah said that before his dad came back, Nick was going to adopt him and his last name was going to be Ashford. I want you to have my last name and I want you to adopt me. Make us a real family.”

  I sit back as far as I can without falling over. Adoption. It’s something I’ve thought about, but haven’t had the nerve to bring up. Adoption might mean marriage and right now, Harrison is dead set against it, saying we can be a family and take care of each other without a piece of paper saying what we already know, that we’re committed and in love.

  But I want this. I want this boy in my life until I’m no longer here. I want to be there when he graduates and when he is meeting his bride at the end of the aisle. I want to pace the waiting room when his wife is in labor with my grandchild and hold his child in my arms, knowing that I’m a grandma. I want this boy to be my son.

  “I’ll adopt you, Quinn, on one condition.”

  “What’s that?”

  “That from here on out, you call me mom, because when I hear you say that word, it makes my heart soar with so much love. I love you as my own and I think it’s about time we make it legal, don’t you?”

  He smiles so big I can see all his places he’s missing teeth. I stand and pull him into my arms, holding him to my chest. I don’t know if a son was in the cards for Mason and I, but if he’s looking down on me now I hope he’s smiling because I have no doubt that I’m meant to be this boy’s mom.

  Chapter 43

  Harrison

  It’s backwards day, one of my favorite days of the month. It’s a time when I get to be a girly man and hang out with two of my best girls. I’ve been known to let Peyton and Elle do my hair and paint my nails, but that only occurs when Katelyn takes Quinn to the movies and the girls and I chose to snuggle on the couch, watching Disney movies.

  I stand and watch Katelyn while she watches the kids play. Last night, I chose to sleep outside on the trampoline with them. I was hoping Katelyn would change her mind and join us, but she didn’t. As Peyton said, she’s too girly. I sort of like girly, so I’m okay with it.

  To say my life is on path with my dreams would be inaccurate. I never dreamt this. I never thought in a million years that I’d be standing in a house that I own, with the love of my life, surrounded by children that laugh day in and day out. For me, this is perfect.

  I slide open the glass door and step behind Katelyn. I can’t resist touching her. My skin craves the connection we have. My fingers dig into her hips as my body responds to her. Never will a single moment be enough to quench the desire I have for her and each day, it grows exponentially.

  My lips trail kisses from her neck across her shoulder. I love the hot weather we’re having. The hotter it is, the fewer clothes she wears. Right now she’s rocking these tiny shorts that accentuate her tanned legs and a tank top that’s begging me to take it off. She’s a walking sin, and I want to be the one she confesses to later.

  “What are you doing?” I ask as I move my hands to the front of her stomach. I lock her in my arms, holding her against me. She leans her head back and even though she tries to act coy, I know she smells me. I smile, unable to stop myself.

  “Just watching them and trying to convince Elle that she’ll get carried away by a bird if she jumps too high.”

  I laugh at the thought of Elle flying through the sky, screaming her head off. “That would have to be a huge bird.”

  Katelyn shrugs. “It could happen.”

  “He’d drop her after a minute once he realized that she talks too much and would be worried about how her hair looks.”

  Katelyn tightens her arms around mine. “Are you ready to leave?”

  I nod and let her go so I can whistle for the kids. It’s crazy to see them coming running like their asses are on fire. “I am,” I say, kissing her goodbye. The twins each grab my hands and pull me away from their mom. I think they’re jealous.

  Today it’s the park, mall, and ice cream. I need to find Quinn a birthday present. It’s a hard task for a kid who has everything, but that’s where I’m going to rely on the girls. The three of them are thick as thieves and they’ll know what he wants.

  I reluctantly leave Katelyn on the deck and head off with Peyton and Elle. They’re both eager to get their day started. As a rule, my plans are kept secret until we arrive at the destination, and while the mall may not be my favorite place to be, I do love watching their faces when we’re riding the carousel. For some reason, my horse never seems to catch theirs. I think it’s rigged.

  The girls pile into our new acquired “family car” and buckle themselves in. We traded in both our cars for an SUV and a luxury sedan. I don’t mind driving the SUV; it’s fully decked out and completely loaded. These cars have come a long way from the stigma of a “mom mobile”. Peyton and Elle turn on the DVD player and start watching whatever movie they left in here. That’s one thing I had to grow accustomed to, a mess. Katelyn’s not messy by any means, but the girls leave stuff everyone. If I’m not stepping on a Barbie, it’s a barrette or I’m tripping over a ribbon. I love these two as if they’re my own, but damn do they need to pick up their stuff.

  “How long until we are dere?” Elle says. Since we moved in together, her speech has started to falter. I don’t know if it’s because of Quinn and me or if she’s just not focusing. Katelyn and Mason did an amazing job making sure these girls spoke clearly, I hate seeing that she’s having this issue now
.

  “Elle, say ‘there’. Can you please do that for me?”

  “There,” she whispers.

  “Thank you,” I say, watching her in the rearview mirror. She smiles, but doesn’t reply. Frankly, that’s good enough for me. The relationship I have with the twins is good, if not excellent, and they know that I’m not trying to replace their dad. I just want to love and be there for them when they need me. And if that means scaring the living shit out of any guy who tries to date them, I’ll do it, because I think that’s what Mason would want.

  I pull into the mall parking lot and earn a ‘yippee’ as soon as I shut the car off. Months ago, Peyton would’ve crossed her arms and refused to get out of the car. We’ve come a long way and I know Katelyn is thankful. I meet both girls at their respective doors and take their hands in mine.

  As we walk through the mall, the women gawk. The last time we were here, I got hit on. Katelyn says they were flirting because of who I am. I countered that they saw me as a committed man with twin daughters and that’s what they want. She rolled her eyes, but knew I was right. I could’ve had the upper hand with that conversation since one woman sat down and proceeded to ask if I had custody and what my visitation schedule was like.

  “Do you girls want to get lunch first?”

  “Yes! Yes! Yes!” they scream in unison as I pull them toward the Johnny Rockets for some of the best cheeseburgers and milkshakes around. We’re seated right away and in the back, which I prefer.

  Once the girls order, I get down to business. “Okay, I need your help. As you know, Quinn’s birthday is coming and your mom and I don’t know what to get him. So maybe you can help me find him something?”

  Peyton pokes Elle in her side with her elbow and nods toward me.

  “Quinn said not to tell,” Elle whispers.

  “I know, but I think we should. I want it too.” Peyton counters.

  “I don’t know, what if he says no?” Elle asks.

  “What if I say no to what?” I finally cut in on their back and forth.

  The twins turn and look at me. Peyton’s eyes are full of mischief and Elle’s are full of worry. One is about to spill, while the other wants to keep Quinn’s secret, which I can only imagine is going to anger me somehow.

  “We’re not supposed to tell,” Peyton says.

  “It’s not good to keep secrets though. What if he needs my help?”

  “He’s not in trouble,” Elle adds.

  I rest my elbows on the table and lean down slightly so they can look me in the eyes. “What does Quinn want?”

  Peyton sighs and looks at her sister before looking back at me. “He wants our mommy to be his mommy and I want you to be our daddy, but Elle doesn’t think you want that.”

  I sit up quickly, shocked by what Peyton just rambled off and say the first thing that comes to mind. “Mason’s your dad, Peyton.”

  She huffs and shakes her head. “I miss my daddy but you’re like my daddy now, and Quinn wants mommy to have his last name so we can be a really real family like Noah has.”

  To say I’m stunned is an understatement and how I can understand anything she’s saying is a miracle. “How does Quinn expect to make this happen?”

  Peyton shrugs, causing Elle to roll her eyes.

  “Quinn said it’s call badoption and since he doesn’t have a mommy and wants our mommy she can badopt him and he’ll get to call her mommy like us.”

  “And you do the same,” Peyton adds.

  I lean back against the bench and pull my lip into my mouth. The wheels in my head are turning, but I’d have to talk to Katelyn first. I told her from day one I that I didn’t want to replace Mason and I’d never pressure her to do anything, but I’m committed to this family. I’m not going anywhere and I’ll be damned if I’ll let her live with the fear that I’ll leave her one day in the back of her mind.

  “You want me to be your dad?” I ask, barely able to get the words out.

  They both nod. “We want a really real family, like Noah,” Peyton says.

  “That means your last name will be James.”

  “And we’d all match,” Elle adds.

  “I want to match,” says Peyton.

  “Do you want another brother or sister?” Katelyn and I haven’t talked about having our own, but we also haven’t ruled it out.

  “Let’s not go there just yet,” Elle says, rolling her eyes.

  I can’t help but laugh. I see how it is; as long as it’s just the three of them, they’ll be happy. I thought my life was perfect up until now, but knowing that these little girls love me enough to take my name pretty much defines perfection in my eyes.

  Chapter 44

  Katelyn

  When Quinn and I get in, the house is quiet. This only means one thing: Harrison took them to the mall. It only took a few backward days for me to realize how much he wore the girls out. The mall is Harrison’s friend and mine too right now, because I’m tired and just want to curl up in his arms.

  After our heavy lunch conversation, we didn’t discuss adoption the rest of the day. Instead, we raced Go Karts, bungee jumped and sat at the lake watching all the boaters. Quinn asked if we could get a boat and I said it’s something we could probably talk to his dad about.

  Quinn gives me a hug when we get to his door. This hug is different. He lingers longer than usual, holding me tighter. I kiss the top of his head and press my cheek there, squeezing him.

  “Goodnight, mom, thank you for today.”

  I fight the emotions building and give him a soft smile. “I had the best day, Quinn.”

  He smiles before turning into his room. I know that in about an hour Harrison will get up and check on him, find out what he’s reading, or if he needs to talk about anything. Their bond is beyond amazing.

  I turn the handle to our room and am instantly mesmerized by the sight in front of me. Harrison is sitting up on our bed with a book in his hand. His eyes are closed, his features relaxed. He’s shirtless, and the closer I get I can see that the girls had some fun with him tonight. I sneak into the bathroom, change my clothes, and take care of my nightly routine. He startles, but stays asleep when I shut off the bathroom light. I really want to watch him sleep like this, but the urge to be next to him is too great.

  “I know you’re watching me.”

  I laugh as I sit down and slide up next him to him, pressing my leg against his. “I see you have new ink.”

  Harrison shifts, setting his book on the nightstand. He holds his arms out, moving them back and forth showing off the artwork. “I have a new one,” he says.

  “Oh yeah, where?”

  Harrison moves so I can see his side. I gasp when I see Peyton James and Elle James written in their handwriting. “Is that real?”

  He shakes his head as he pulls his hand into mine. “How was your day with Quinn?”

  I look at him questioningly. “How do you know?”

  “The girls; they told me and I figured he asked you by your reaction of seeing their names like that.”

  I nod. “He did. He asked me to adopt him and I want to Harrison. I want to be his mom. I want that title. If you want me to, that is.”

  Harrison cups my face, bringing my mouth to his. The kiss is slow, but filled with desire. He’s going to make love to me tonight, capping off my already perfect day.

  “The girls asked me to badopt them.”

  “What?” I ask, pulling away slightly.

  “Badopt – that’s what they called it. I didn’t have the heart to correct them.”

  “Do you want to?”

  Harrison grabs my hips and pulls me onto his lap so that I’m straddling him. “I called my lawyer today to find out more information and he said we can do this within a week if it’s want we want. We don’t have to be married, unless you want to be. We can be just like Brangelina. We can be our very own Karrison.”

  I lean forward and kiss him quickly. “You’re a dork, but you’re gorgeous and sexy, so I forgive you.�
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  “I see, using me for my looks?” he asks as he shifts, pushing into me. He’s such a dirty little flirt. “Or are you using me for my son?”

  “Definitely your son.”

  “Hmm, that’s what I thought.”

  “I have a proposal, Mr. James.”

  “Okay, let me hear it.”

  “One thing Quinn said to me is that he wants me to have his last name. It was more like him adopting me, but I didn’t tell him that. He knows what he wants and I want it too, but I’m not ready to get married. I’m very happy with our life right now, and I’m not saying marriage ruins that, but you’re right, who needs a piece of paper to show me that we’re in this for life, right?”

  Harrison nods.

  “Right, so my proposal is this: I adopt Quinn, you adopt Peyton and Elle.”

  “Baby that solves the last name thing except for you,” he says with a smile.

  “I want to change my last name to James.”

  “I love you Katelyn, but I can’t let you be the only one to change your name. So my counter-proposal to you is that Quinn and I change our names too, and you and the girls hyphenate your name. I don’t mind being called Harrison Powell-James, and that way we’ll have a really real family with matching names, and they get to keep a piece of Mason with them.”

  “A really real family?”

  He nods. “It’s what Peyton and Elle want, but as I’ve said, I’m not here to replace Mason. I’m here to love you and the girls and make sure that you’re happy and taken care of. I’m not looking to have the girls forget him or ask that he never existed. All the decisions we make regarding the girls, I hope we’re doing with his beliefs in mind. I’d want that for Quinn if I wasn’t around.”

  I wipe a lone tear that falls. “You’re seriously the most amazing man I’ve ever had the privilege of knowing. How I ever doubted your intentions last year, I’ll never understand.”

  “It’s simple,” he says as he adjusts. “You didn’t know what to think when you first met me. I blew you away with my wit and charm.” Harrison raises his eyebrows, suggestively.

  “Yeah I’m not so sure if that was it.”

  “No?” he asks.