FORTY-THREE
Phoenix
"Baby, get down from there!" I exclaim at my girl as I see her on step ladders, putting up black bunting. "Callie!" She looks over her shoulder with furrowed eyebrows.
"Phoenix it's fine. I'm not exactly heavily pregnant, am I?" She rolls her eyes and that fuels my anger and overprotectiveness for her.
"Callie, get down." I grit my teeth and she sighs, taking slow steps down the ladder.
She turns to look at me with pouted lips and then says "Is this what it's going to be like from now on?"
"Yes." Her eyes widen in shock because she was probably expecting me to apologise and say I was overreacting. Well, I'm not.
"Phoenix, please, I'm okay. The ladder wasn't even that high." She points to the small white step ladder and I sigh, running my hands down my face. "Stop stressing yourself."
"I'll worry about you for the rest of my life, whether you're pregnant or not. But I can't say that I'm going to stop with all of this. You'll just have to get used to it." She sighs but nods her head in understanding.
"Fine. You finish the decorating." My eyes widen and I look at her, not having a clue what to do with all these decorations.
"Hey! Callie!" I call out as she begins to walk away. "I don't know how to fucking decorate," I mutter under my breath.
I pick up the bunting with my fingers and look at it like it's the most abnormal thing ever. I don't even have to step on the ladders so I reach up to put the bunting on the wall but watch it suddenly drop to the ground. I look around expecting Callie to come round the corner and help but she's nowhere in sight.
After an hour of me trying to decorate, the guests start to arrive. I anxiously watch Callie greet everyone and then go to console Miller's parents who look distraught — well of course they are, their son has just died. However, all I can think about right now is the fact that Callie has been on her feet for way too long. She needs to rest.
I can't help but admire her though. Her make up free face, her beautiful curly hair, and her long pink summer dress. I gulp at the thought of her swollen belly carrying our baby. She's so beautiful.
The minute she's walking away from Miller's parents I make my way over to her. She spots my tall frame coming towards her and sighs to herself.
"You know I expect this behaviour from Miller. I'm okay, Nix. Stop stressing yourself." Easier said than done.
"Princess. You need to rest, you've been on your feet all fucking day." I try and reason with her as she smiles at guests walking by before turning her attention back onto me.
"I. Am. Fine." She reaches up and grabs hold of my face gently. "I promise when I feel tired I'll sit down." She pouts her lips and I lean down and plant a soft peck on them.
"You've eaten? Drank enough water?" I question, concern laced in my voice. However, she's too busy playing with my tie. "Do your feet hurt? Should I massage them? Do you need a heat pack or something?" Callie has clearly had enough of me bombarding her with questions and reaches up to cover my mouth with the palm of her hand.
"I'm like three weeks pregnant, Phoenix. I'm fine and even if I were six or eight months pregnant I'd still be fine." She reassures me and that sort of puts my racing heart at ease.
"Okay." I nod and wrap my arms around her. I look over her shoulder to see River and Poppy holding hands. The both of them stare at us with wide eyes — obviously just hearing our conversation.
"You're pregnant?" Callie turns her head to her best friend and sister-in-law.
"I am." Callie nods and I watch as they all squeal in excitement — well not River but she smiles and joins them in their group hug.
I nervously watch as they squeeze Callie and it takes so much for me to not pull her out of their arms.
She's okay.
"Why are we all hugging?" I roll my eyes at Everest who joins them in the hug. River looks at her brother in disgust and pushes him away from them. "Fucking rude." He goes to stand by me as we watch the women scurry away to gossip about fuck know what. My eyes don't leave Callie until she is completely out of sight.
Great now I'm on edge again.
"You look extremely on edge." Everest points out and I look at him with a scowl still on my face.
"I am on edge. Our girl is fucking pregnant." I point in the direction that Callie left in. Everest looks at me in amusement before bursting out laughing.
"Okay?" After his fit of laughter, he looks at me like I've gone crazy. "God help you when she starts to show." He walks off, still laughing at me.
"Prick."
•••
"That was really nice, what you did for Mason today," I whisper as Callie lays on my chest. We're lying on a sun lounger on one of the balconies of our apartment. No idea why we have one of these when it's never sunny here.
The sliding doors open and I watch as Miller and Everest make their way out and sit on the chairs on either side of us. We all look up at the surprisingly clear sky which is beginning to set.
"I've been thinking," Miller speaks up, looking at the view of the busy city in front of us. Callie sits up a little, looking at him. "It's about time we retired."
My eyebrows raise at his words.
"Retire? Miller, what are you talking about?" Callie sits up fully — much to my displeasure — and looks at Miller like he's gone crazy.
"We have enough money to live out the rest of our lives, my love. There are too many bad memories here and in Spain. I was thinking we could go and live in Greece, build our family there." Wow.
"Did you know?" I shake my head at Callie's question. "Did you?" She asks Everest who also shakes his head.
"I've just thought about it," Miller admits, his eyes on Callie's stomach.
"That's —"
The sound of gasps and glass smashing from inside our home has all of our heads turning. Miller is the first one up, storming back inside with Everest not far behind him. I wait a little longer with Callie.
"What the fuck?!" Miller shouts and I groan when Callie rushes into the apartment. I don't hesitate to follow after her, ready to scold the woman for being so reckless but come to a holt at who I see at the entrance of our home.
"Hey." Mason gives an awkward wave. A waiter walks by with a tray of champagne flutes and I watch in confusion as Mason plucks one off as he walks by. "This is crazy right?" He chuckles nervously, eyeing his brother who is burning hot with anger.
"You're dead," Callie whispers.
"Is this a sick joke?!" Miller yells.
"How about we talk in private. Lovely decorations, by the way, did a child do it?"
Piece of shit.
A/N
He's aliveeeee💙
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