Fifty Shades Of Love [On Hold]

Chapter Fourteen

I watch TV silently until I glance at my phone, noticing that it's nearly ten.

"Phoenix, we gotta go" I tell him, getting up.

Phoenix groans but follows me up. We go down to our room and get changed. We both grab jeans and regular t-shirts with sneakers. Once we're ready, we leave the room and head for the door.

"Where the hell are you going?" Dad asks arrogantly.

"Christian!" Mom says, appalled with his attitude.

"I'm going out to see my friends" I say bluntly, grabbing my keys from the bowl.

"Where exactly is that?" Dad snaps.

"Good luck with that" Ted says, stealing the seat he just realised we had vacated. "We tried to get her to talk to us yesterday and she didn't."

"I'm her father" Dad says, glaring at him.

"Christian, stop" Mom says angrily.

"I'm her brother" Ted snaps at him.

"And I'm out of here" I mutter, escaping the apartment.

Phoenix and I go downstairs and grab the car, making our way to Katie's place. Phoenix shifts uncomfortably as we pull up outside.

"You sure you wanna come?" I ask him.

Phoenix nods. "I'm sure" he says, turning his head and smiling at me, though I can still see his nerves in his eyes.

"Okay" I say reluctantly, getting out of the car. 

He gets out too and we go up to the door. I knock and Andrew answers again.

"You're back!" he squeals in excitement, launching himself into a hug.

I laugh at his excitement, seeing what Katie was talking about.

"I'm back" I smile, picking him up and balancing him on my hip. "Careful with the baby" I scold him playfully.

"Sorry Aunty Phee-Phee" Andrew says, smiling at me.

"That's okay honey" I say, going into the house.

"Hey Phoebe" Katie calls.

"Hey Katie" I call back, following the sound of her voice into the lounge room.

Andrew struggles in my arms and I let him down, following the happy toddler. He plops down on the ground beside a little girl in front of the TV.

"Hello Phoebe" a nice-looking woman says, coming over to me.

"Susie" I say warmly, recognising her voice.

I give her a hug and Kaitlyn looks up at us.

"Who's that, Mommy?" she asks.

"Your Aunty Phoebe and the new baby" Susie says, letting me go. "Come say hi to them."

Kaitlyn gets up and comes over to me, giving me a hug and kissing my stomach like Andrew did yesterday.

"Hello Aunty Phoebe" she says, her little voice sounding like bells tinkling softly. "Hello little baby."

I hug the little girl back until she lets me go and returns to the TV and her little brother.

"Guys, that's enough TV for today" Katie says to them, coming over and turning it off. "Let's go out into the garden."

Both kids nod enthusiastically and head for the backdoor in the kitchen.

"Hello. You must be the potential father-figure Phoebe mentioned" Katie says, smiling warmly at Phoenix.

Phoenix nods and smiles, his smile a little off because of his nerves. "Hi" he says quietly. "Katie or Susie?"