The One You Call | horan au

eighteen

Phoebe's P.O.V.

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"Will you put your phone down for just two seconds and pay attention to your family?" My father nags in that voice that always sounds a bit too cheery to be intimidating.

I nod and pick up the pace of my thumbs, finishing up a quick "I miss you" text to Ashton.

"Look at her little thumbs go," Portia says.

"Phoebe," Dad says again.

"Okay." I exhale, hitting send.

I got tired of Penelope giving me grief for not spending enough time with the family. Ashton is having a busy weekend of his own trying to climb the corporate ladder so it seemed like the perfect opportunity to spend a few days at my parent's house.

"It's like you're here," Penelope says. "But you're not actually here."

"I'm sorry." I give her a look and pick up my fork to continue on my eggs.

When my phone goes off again, they all groan as I reach to pick it up again.

I love how we all seem to pick up exactly where we left off when the five of us get together. Penelope gets on my ass like the second mother I never asked for and Dad's always telling me to put down my phone like I'm still a teenager.

Ashton says he misses me too. I would have guessed as much but it still feels nice to read it.

"Is it work?" my mom asks.

"No," I answer.

"Your father and I have been talking. We both think you're working far too much."

"It's not work," I repeat.

"It's probably Ashton," Portia says.

"The boyfriend," my mom clarifies when Dad needs to be reminded of who that is. "Why didn't you bring him with you, Phoebe?"

"He's busy," I tell her. "And this is a family thing. Penelope would have had a fit. She already lays into me for not coming down enough."

"We would have made an exception, seeing as he may become part of the family someday. That reminds me," Mom says. "Do you remember your old friend Jacob? His mother owned that bridal shop. They just opened another store in Gaffney. Maybe we could go have a look the next time you're in town."

I blink at her. "I'm not getting married anytime soon, Mom. No need to go looking for dresses."

She just barely rolls her eyes. "You're the only girl I know that's never shown any interest in her own wedding."

I shrug. I hate being treated like the black sheep and like I'm so different from my sisters. Of course I'm excited about getting married one day. But usually you wait until you're engaged to start looking at wedding dresses.

"We're just gonna look," she insists.

I sigh, but tell her I'll think about it.

"If you don't find one you like you could always wear mine," she goes on.

Portia had to use Mom's gown when she couldn't get hers hemmed in time. I remember being so happy about that dramatic turn of events. I really didn't like the dress Portia picked, but no one could say anything to her because she was so in love with it.

"I don't think it'll fit me," I say. I'm a bit bigger than my mom and Portia.

"It shouldn't be a problem," my mom says.

"Huh? It's a wedding dress. You can't just wet it and stretch it."

"I'm sure Portia and her big ass stretched it out enough for you," says Penelope.