Rose petals

Chapter 14

The three of them are laughing. Aiden fell of his chair two minutes and thirty seconds ago, rolling on the floor laughing his lungs dry. Ben burst into a fit of coughs not too long ago from laughing so hard. Austin has tears pouring down his cheeks and his face has gone tomato red because of how much he was laughing. And Elijah, Elijah hasn't said a word or made a single sound.

"S...say that again, I...I h...haven't laughed t...that hard in a w...while." Aiden laughed as he pulled himself up off the floor and sat back down in his chair.

"I'm being serious Aiden." I sighed as I leaned against the headboard of my bed and ran a hand over my face. Tears sitting on the edge of my eyes ready to pour down my face.

They're going to hate it. They're going to hate themselves. They're going to hate the situation. They're going to hate the world. Because I know I do.

"Don't fuck with me, Mason." He glared as Ben and Austin calmed down and looked at me in shock. "I swear to god I will come down to London and beat your ass." He yelled. His breathing picked up, he looked seconds away from tears.

"Mason." Ben whispered. In all eight years of knowing Ben Carter, I've never heard this man sound as vulnerable as he does right now. "Mason, I want you to think very carefully about what you say next because my old heart won't be able
to take it. My little girl dying was enough to break my heart but if you say to me right now that she's alive and has been for the four years we thought she wasn't, then my healing heart will break again. I can't take that, Mason." Ben said as he held his head in his hands, wiping a lone tear that ran down his cheek.

"I'm sorry, Ben." I said shakily. "I wish I was lying but I really fucking don't at the same time." The second those words left my mouth I watched their four faces pale. All colour drained from their faces.

"Mason, are you sure?" Austin sniffled, his bloodshot eyes staring back at me. "B...because she...if she...and if..." He stumbled as he rapidly wiped his eyes just for a fresh set of tears to reappear.

"I'll be there in ten hours." Aiden said before hanging up.

"So will I." Elijah said after a long moment of silence.

"Me too." Ben and Austin added before the three of them hung up.

The three words I started off with was enough for them to hear. I didn't expect them to sit there and let me tell them what exactly happened and what I've found out. I know it and they know it.

Tapping on Athena's contact, I stared at my face and patiently waited for her to pick up the FaceTime call.

"Hey honey!" She grinned as her happy face popped up on the screen. A curly mess of hair covering half of her face and I automatically forgot about the stressful, half conversation I just had.

"Hi Athena, how are you? I hope a certain little girl isn't giving you any trouble." I grinned as I watched Elle turn her face within seconds, her rosy red cheeks looking as red as ever and her ocean blue eyes sparkling right at me.

"I'm not daddy I promise." She giggled as she held her pinky out to the phone.

"I'm okay honey, how are you? You're coming home tonight?" She asked as Elle instantly perked back up.

"I'm not, I have to stay for longer. Will it be okay if you and mum keep the kids a little longer? I can come back if you can't or bring them here with me." I gulped, already feeling the guilt crawl up inside me.

I don't want to leave them for longer, I've missed them so much these three days and I don't know how much longer I can go. They have their fun for a couple days but it's only a matter of time for them to just want me to back. The first and last time I went on a work trip for longer than four days was last year, they screamed the house down and I was afraid their heads would genuinely pop. I was on the next flight back within minutes.