Chapter 36

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"So, then he just projectile vomited across the duvet," Liam said, lifting a glass of champagne to his lips with a somber nod.

Louis groaned beside him, raised the hand that was holding a pint of beer and lifted his pointer finger Liam's way. "Been there. These little ones—you don't expect it, but there's a lot of force behind those gag reflexes."

"My niece threw up in my hair once," Mads offered, relaxed now in her beautiful dress, a nearly empty glass of champagne in her hands.

Niall cackled a little bit, and raised his beer to his lips. "That's disgustin'."

"That's nothing," Liam noted. "I've had shit up to my elbows, mate. It's rarely pretty this parenting thing."

"One time," Mads said, "I wasn't there, but my brother Will said that his younger daughter, Gracie smeared her shit all over the bathroom wall when they started potty training her."

"Freddie did that once, yeah!" Louis said, pointing at Mads now.

"He said it was all over her, too," Mads said with a wince.

Liam and Louis only nodded solemnly while Niall pretended to gag. He, Mads, and I were listening politely, but none of us could really understand. They certainly weren't making parenthood sound like any good, but despite that—I wanted it. Because I knew that all the terrible stuff really didn't even put a damper on the good. They'd told me as much over the years. And because I wanted it—the good and the bad—with the woman standing beside me.

"Alright, well enough of that before I toss my dinner," Niall said, still chuckling as he glanced around at our glasses. "I'm ready for another. Anyone else?"

He looked at each of us. Louis and Liam both said yes, I raised my still half-full drink, and Mads glanced down at her empty one.

Niall raised his brows at her and reached for her glass.

"Oh, no, I'm—" Mads raised a hand as Niall took the glass from her. "I'm good, thanks."

I looked at her, knowing full well why she didn't want to keep drinking. And as much as I respected her for it, I wished she would go a little easier on herself at the same time.

"You sure?" Niall asked, brows still raised.

All eyes were on her now. She smiled at Niall. "Yeah. Thank you, though."

We were at the Grammy's after party at the Hotel Bel-Air, and we'd already been here for just about an hour. The show had been loads of fun, for Mads and for me. But for me, it was mostly fun because I was watching her take it all in. And I remembered what it had felt like the first time I was at an event like the Grammy's. The sense of shock and awe that lingered all the while, as everyone you'd only seen on telly your whole life was just... there. Right in front of you. And performing, no less.

She seemed to have a great time. And she'd said as much on our way over here. Even sparing a moment in the backseat of our car to whisper into my ear, "You know... that shirt you're wearing is see through." She blew out a breath against my ear, her hand toying with the buttons of said shirt. "When you were up on stage, the lights shone right through it. And you were talking all slowly and deliberately with that deep voice of yours... I barely even noticed Adele when you handed her the award."

My breath caught in my throat and came out as a choked chuckle when her fingers dipped beneath the fabric, and I licked my lips as her other hand landed on my thigh, her thumb brushing back and forth, back and forth against the fabric.

"I knew I should've just taken you in the bathroom," I'd said, my voice low and tight.

Mads had giggled then, letting her forehead touch my shoulder. Little did she know how serious I was. How many times I'd thought about it over the course of the show—just leading her away, towards the handicapped bathroom I'd spotted backstage. Getting her inside and lifting that pretty dress of hers up, up, up before taking her, slamming into her until...

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