The Brothers Down The Street

Chapter 48

Ross's POV:

"What are you doing with Lilli?" Will asked, walking over to me.

"Relax." I said, noticing his threatening tone. "Maddy has a lot on her plate so I'm taking her off her hands for a little while."

"That seems nice and you don't do nice Ross so why don't you tell me what's really going on?"

"See, this is why I don't do nice things." I stated.

"So what's in it for you? Getting in Maddy's good books?"

"What?"

"Don't think I haven't noticed you too getting closer." He snapped. "I see it Ross, the way you look at her; you like her."

"Who wouldn't? She's got a cracking arse." I smirked.

Within seconds his fists were wrapped in my overalls, pulling the collar tight around my neck.

"It was just a joke." I choked.

"It better be." He snapped, pushing me away from him. "Maddy is mine and nothing you can do will ever change that, got it?"

"Aww, are you in love?" I mocked, batting my eyelashes.

"We are actually." He said, digging in his pocket and presenting a ring box. "And we will be, forever.

I was sure my jaw dropped in horror but luckily my quick wit came in handy. "And when do you plan on doing this lovely proposal? You know, so I don't barge in and ruin it again."

"Sometime soon." He replied, stuffing it back in his pocket. "Say a word and you're dead."

"A word." I muttered to myself, pushing the pram back to the garage in a hurry.

I couldn't let Will propose to Maddy. What if she said yes? Then everything we had would be over before it even fully began.

Maddy's POV:

Ross rushed into the garage, almost crashing the pram into one of the cars.

"I thought I told you to be careful." I snapped, unbuckling Lola.

"She smells." Ross said.

"I know I could smell it from down the street." I replied, taking her into my office and beginning to change her.

"Wills going to propose to you." Ross blurted out from the doorway.

"What?" I asked, looking over at him. "When? How do you know this?"

Lilli began to cry but I barely even heard her, I was infatuated and afraid of Ross's words.

"I think there's a baby in need." Ross said, looking over at Lilli before back at me.

I picked up a clean nappy, wrapping it around Lilli's lower half before pulling her tights back up and holding her in my arms.

"When?" I repeated.

"I don't know, soon." He replied. My mind spun at a million miles an hour, I had a good poker face but my wide eyes and blank stares across the room at nothing must of given my thoughts away.

"How do you know?" I asked, putting Lilli into her carry cot.

"I was winding him up, he kind of blurted it out." Ross answered.

"So he's not telling people?"

"I don't think so."

I long silence spread across the room as both of our thoughts consumed us. I couldn't marry Will, I've been sleeping with Ross- his brother.

"Don't marry him." Ross said, passion and desperation in voice. "Please, don't marry him."

"Why not?" I asked.

"We should be together Maddy, not you and Will." He argued.

"Ross, you're impulsive, dangerous and crazy." I stated.

"You say it like it's a bad thing." He laughed.

"If I had met you before all this baby stuff then maybe things would be different but I cant just think for me anymore, I have to think of Lilli, it's too late for us." I said in a quiet tone.

"It's never too late if it's really what you want." He said, stepping forward and taking my hands.

"I can't Ross, we can't rely on you. You do dodgy deals with my dad not to mention all the stuff you did before I even met you."

"I can change, Maddy, please. I'll stop all that."

"I could never ask you to do that." I said.

"You don't have to ask, I'll do it with pleasure if it means we can finally be together."

I sighed, giving in. "No more illegal deals?"

"No more. I can be there for you and Lilli, we can be a family." He said, looking at Lilli. "You can rely on me."

"Okay." I agreed, looking up and meeting his eyes.

"Okay?"

"Okay but you have to promise me."

"I'm done with all that dodgy stuff, I'm a family man now." He scoffed, stepping forward and bringing his lips against mine. "So when are we going to tell Will?"

"No, not we. When I tell Will you won't come into it." I said.

"How's that going to work?" He scoffed.

"I'll leave him, then you and I have to wait as long as possible before we get together. He can't know this is because of you."

"I'm not doing this so we can hide in the dark like we already are." Ross said.

"Then we don't have to do it at all." I retorted. "Call it a commitment test."

"Fine but I'm not waiting any longer than a couple of months."