Slowly We Trust (Fall and Rise #3)(77)
Author: Chelsea M. Cameron

“I’m really sorry I overreacted, but I thought Aud was cheating on me, because she always had this secret and she told me the part about you sleeping together, but not the part about the baby, and so my imagination got the better of me, but that’s not your fault. So I just wanted to, ah, clear that up.” I hadn’t rambled too bad, but his face was blank for a second.

“Yeah, it’s clear. We’re cool.” He slapped me on the shoulder and I almost dropped my plate.

“Sorry,” he said.

“It’s cool.”

I wanted to dislike Eddie, to justify my initial reaction to him, but I couldn’t. Audrey was right, he wasn’t a bad guy.

He was funny as hell, and he really felt bad about being a douche in his younger years. He also cared a lot about Aud and Emily, which I couldn’t hate him for either. I probably would have been suspicious of him if he hadn’t cared about her. How could you not care about Audrey? It was impossible. Sure, I was partial, but it was also true.

The talk moved back around to the fact that our group of friends was all a bunch of couples and Trish asked Eddie if he had a girl.

“Or a guy. We celebrate all kinds of love here,” Simon said, glaring at Trish, who rolled her eyes. Eddie’s face went red.

“Yeah, I guess you could say that I was ‘playing the field’ for a while there.” He even used air quotes.

“So what you’re saying is you were one of those ass**les who date a bunch of girls at once and didn’t really care about any of them,” Katie said. She had a little bit of a sore spot when it came to guys doing that to girls, and for good reason. But her ex, Zack, was in a class by himself. There was a very special place in hell for guys like that, and I had no doubt Satan was keeping it nice and warm.

Eddie looked down and his face went red again. I’d never seen a guy blush so much.

“But that was before I knew about Emily, and then I realized that all those girls were people, and what if some guy did that to her? I’d f**king kill him. So, I stopped. Now I don’t even know what to do because it’s like I don’t know how to date like a normal guy.”

“Wow,” Lottie said. “That’s kind of f**ked up. You can definitely hang out with us.” She grinned at him and put her fist out. He gave her a reluctant fist bump. “You can only hang out with this group if you’re a little f**ked up. You should also be a little of a nerd. It doesn’t matter what about,” she explained.

“Great. That’s, um, awesome.” Audrey just shook her head at Lottie.

“What? I’m just giving him the truth. I mean, look at us. We’re a bunch of weirdoes that managed to find each other. Well, with the exception of me and Will, and Stryker and Trish. Cuz, you know, we’re related and all. Anywho, welcome, Eddie. You may join our family of weird. If you want. You don’t have to. But I thought I’d give you an open invitation. Totally up to you.” Eddie gaped a little at Lottie.

“She does that. So does Will. It takes a little getting used to,” Zan said. Eddie nodded.

“Who wants pudding?” Audrey said, getting up and going to the kitchen.

“So this was great,” Eddie said when it was just him, me, Aud, Lottie and Zan left. “I really appreciate you letting me come over.”

“You’re welcome to continue to come over. We eat either here, or upstairs every night around six. I know it’s a drive, but we can wait for you if you want.” Lottie said as Zan cleaned up the kitchen.

“Yeah, about that. I’m, um, transferring to DU,” Eddie said.

“You are?” Audrey said. I tensed up a little. He said he wasn’t into her, but this seemed awfully coincidental.

“Yeah, I’ve been thinking about it for a while. I went to PSC because it was cheap at the time, but my grades are good enough that if I transfer, I’ll get a few scholarships, and they have a better computer science program here anyway.”

“Computer science! You’re definitely a nerd then,” Lottie said with glee.

“Yeah. Just keep that on the down-low,” Eddie said, leaning close. Lottie laughed and I could tell he liked her too. Well, he was just winning everyone over, wasn’t he? No, I wasn’t jealous.

“So, anyway, if everything goes right with my transfer paperwork, I’ll be moving up here. I’ve got a buddy that has a spare room. It’s actually just up the road, so I could probably walk if I wanted to when the weather gets warmer.”

“That’s great,” Audrey said, but her voice didn’t sound as happy as it should. Or maybe it did to everyone else except me. I knew more about her tone of voice and what it said about how she was feeling than probably I did about my own.

“Aud? You gonna be ready to go soon? I have to get back so I can work on those notecards.” It was like we’d somehow switched personalities because she’d always been the studious one, and now the roles were reversed.

“Yeah, sure. I also have a bunch of stuff I need to get caught up on.”

“And I should probably go as well. Thanks for the dinner and it was nice to meet everyone. I’ll let you know when I’m back up in this neck of the woods,” Eddie said, getting his coat and putting it on. I got mine and Audrey’s and we all walked out together.

“That was fun. I like your friends. A lot better than mine, actually. They don’t really get it. One even said that I should get a paternity test.” He shuddered and I almost wished the guy was standing in front of us so I could beat the shit out of him.

“They don’t get it, you know? They don’t understand.” Audrey nodded and I found myself nodding as well.

“But you all. You get it.” He swung his keys around in his hand. “I don’t know, it’s different. I’m glad I came.” Audrey gave him a hug and told him to text her when he got home so she knew he was okay. We got in my truck and she sighed.

“I don’t know how I feel about him moving up here. That’s weird, right? I mean, just the timing,” she said. I turned up the heat as far as it would go and she pressed her fingers into the vents.

“Yeah, it’s a little suspect. You don’t think he’s making a play for you, do you?” God, I hoped not. Because I would want to kill him. Even if he was her daughter’s biological father. I wouldn’t have to, though, because she’d never go for him. Right?

“No. No. Definitely not. I just think his life has changed and it’s easier to be around people he has something in common with.”