The Brothers Down The Street

Chapter 13

I plodded down the stairs and into the living room, sitting on the couch to distance myself from Will's room so he couldn't hear us before swiping across the screen and pulling the phone to my ear. "Hello?"

"Hey Maddy, where are you?" She asked. "Ian said you didn't come home."

"I'll be home soon."

"Well pop into the pub, will you? Me and Rachel would really like to talk with you." She said.

"I'm tired, today has been really long."

"I know but it's important we talk."

"Is Dad there?"

"No, I told him to go home. He was frightening my punters with all his yelling." She said.

"He's really mad, huh?" I questioned, resting my head on the doorframe.

Ross thudded down the stairs before going into the kitchen, I watched him through the open door as he pulled some pills out of the cupboard. He inserted one into his mouth, then another and washed it down with a mouthful of water.

"Babes, you still there?" She asked.

"Yeah, I'll stop by tomorrow." I said before pulling the phone away from my ear and hanging up.

I stood up and made my way into the kitchen. "What are they for?" I asked.

"Ask your dad, he's the one who concussed me." Ross said, throwing the now empty packaging in the bin.

"Ross I am so sorry-"

"No worries, I'm hard as nails." He smirked.

"And Will, too. How could I of messed it up so badly?" I sighed.

"Hey," Ross smiled. "No harm done."

"No harm done? Will was almost ripped to shreds and your face-"

"Doesn't even hurt." He interrupted. "And Will looked alright when he was carrying you around upstairs."

I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "Not the best first impression on your parents." I laughed.

"Speaking of parents, was that your dad on the phone?"

"Nooooo." I chuckled. "If that was my dad there would of been a lot more yelling."

"Your Mum then?"

"Yeah." I said. "She means well but she always manages to scare me."

"Well she's not the only one." Ross scoffed, turning on the kettle and pulling out some coffee granules.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"You're hardly easy to talk to Mads." He stated with a laugh.

"How come?"

"Well you're pretty intense." He said.

"I wasn't always." I said, pulling out a chair and sitting on it. "I used to be fun, you just came into my life at a very bad time."

"You're still fun." Ross said.

"Really?"

"Yeah, we've got that whole flirty banter thing going on, that's pretty entertaining."

"Oh you mean the thing where you irritate me so much I want to strangle you?" I questioned. "Yeah, that's not flirty."

"There you go again." He smirked.

I stood up, pulling open the fridge and getting out the milk before placing it on the counter beside him. "Hardly." I scoffed.

"Choking is a very sexual thing Mads." He smirked.

I furrowed my brows at him, rolling my eyes. "Okay Ross, that's just your dirty mind."

Suddenly, Ross slammed a hand on the other side of the counter, trapping me in the corner, his other snaking around my throat clutching me tight enough for me to notice but not so much it was remotely painful.

He smirked down at me and my eyes met his as I looked up at him, for a few seconds we stood still. "You've made your point." I said in a quiet voice, through gritted teeth.

Hearing those words caused his smirk to grow wider as he released me. I felt his eyes burning into the back of me as I walked to the bottom of the stairs before calling, "Will, I'm going to head home!"

"I'll drive you!" He replied before the booming of his weight jogging down the stairs presented him in front of me.

* * *

"Thanks." I said, opening the door.

"Maddy wait." Will said. "I want you to know I appreciate you opening up to me earlier, I know it's hard for you."

I smiled at him. "I trust you Will." I replied. "So don't screw it up."

"Doubt I'd make it though the day if I did." Will chuckled.

I grinned, leaning across and locking lips with him once more before climbing out of the car and shutting the door.

Will drove a little further down the street to his house before getting out.

I walked up my driveway, shoving my key in the key hole and walking inside.

* * *

The next morning I awoke naturally, greeted without the sudden urge to vomit. The only thing telling me I was pregnant was the drowning thoughts in my head that made me want to stay in bed all day. But there was work to be done and it wasn't going to do its self.

So I got up, got ready and walked out the door to the pub which my mum lived just above. Turning to the pub, my feet froze and I found it hard to enter. A suddenly slam of a car door snapped me out of my trance, it was Josh, I quickly found the energy to rush inside if it meant avoiding him.

I walked inside and instantly saw my mum waiting behind the bar for me, her eyes immediately met mine and she flinched her head into the back, hunting for me to follow her.

"Carlton you're up!" Rachel exclaimed to the chef in the back as she followed us into the back room.