Tangled Hearts.

~Chapter 42~

~Colby~

~April 21st~

I woke up to sunlight smacking me straight in the face and the unmistakable weight of Raelyn half-flopped on top of me like a sleepy human blanket. Her hair was everywhere—like someone had shoved a fox into a blender—and her lips were parted slightly as she breathed, totally passed out.

I blinked. Damn. I was lucky.

"Morning, Rae," I mumbled, voice gravelly with sleep.

Her eyes fluttered open like a confused Disney character. She blinked a few times at me, then smiled slow and sleepy. "Hey, baby... you always wake up this pretty?"

I snorted. "Only when I'm being smothered by a sexy swamp witch."

She gasped, all mock offense. "Swamp witch?!"

"You were growling in your sleep, Rae. I thought you were about to hex me."

"Lies!" she slapped my chest. "I do
not growl. That's your thing!"

"Okay, fine—snore. Like a dying lawn mower. Or maybe a gremlin with asthma."

She groaned, faceplanted into my shoulder. "Why are you like this."

"Trauma. And you. Mostly you."

She peeked up at me with a grin. "Still love me though."

"Unfortunately," I sighed dramatically, kissing her forehead. "Somehow."

She rolled her eyes and stretched like a cat, limbs everywhere. "Come on, we should get up. The crew's probably already awake and plotting to feed me."

Spoiler alert: they were.

As soon as we opened the bedroom door, the smell of French toast slammed into us like a warm, buttery truck.

Raelyn gasped like she'd just seen Jesus in the kitchen. "Oh my God. That smells like a religious experience."

Sam popped into view like a sitcom character who'd been waiting for his cue. "Look who decided to join the land of the living."

"Don't talk to me before I've had caffeine or Jesus," I grunted.

Sam ignored me as usual. "The girls said you've been craving French toast like a maniac."

Raelyn's eyes lit up like she was six years old and someone just handed her a pony. "You guys made me French toast?!"

Before anyone could answer, Blake launched himself down the stairs like a missile made of chaos. "COLBY!"

I caught him before he could take me out at the knees, hoisting him up. "Hey, dude! Ready to destroy some breakfast?"

He nodded like his life depended on it.

In the kitchen, Tara was flipping the last piece of toast onto a plate like she was competing on MasterChef. "Morning, gorgeous," she said to Rae. "Hope your unborn child is as hungry as you are."

"Starving," Raelyn said as I dropped Blake onto a stool beside her.

Kat slid Blake a plate of tiny toast cubes and a sippy cup. "Here you go, kiddo. Start your engines."

"Thanks, Kitty!" Blake chirped, already double-fisting syrup.

Raelyn and I got a shared plate—yes, we're that couple—and two glasses of OJ. She glanced around at everyone, her expression soft and sappy. "You guys are insane. I love you."

Tara waved a hand like she was brushing off praise. "Girl, please. You're growing a whole baby. The least we can do is feed your cravings before the demon within starts demanding blood."