The bad boy lives next door

Sequel

Athena

Okay... maybe Ryder should've taken that statement from high school back. It must've jinxed us! I look over to Ares, mine and Ryder's 3-year-old son, who was jumping off from random high places in the house. "Ares, that's enough!" I yell and Ares looks at me mischievously, like he wanted to do it again. He looked between me, and the ground, like it was the most tempting thing to ever exist. But then shook his head and put his hands up. "Mommy carry me down safely," He asks cutely.

I could never resist that cute face he had, it was the spitting image of Ryder only with my slightly lighter brown hair. I smiled and walked over to him and carried him down to the floor. "Is he jumping off things again?" Ryder asks, poking his head out of the kitchen with his pink flowery apron I had gotten him a couple of years ago.

We had been together ten years now, living together 8 years, and married 7. We hadn't waited that long to get married, he proposed when we moved in and I couldn't do anything but say yes and got married a year later. 3 years later I fell pregnant with this little monster who was currently clinging to my leg as I walked. "Nope, he's doing quite the opposite and is very close to the floor".

Ryder kisses my forehead and then my lips as I walk over to him. "Dad wants a cuddle," Ryder says sadly to Ares who jumped off from my leg and went straight into his arms. Ryder threw him up into the air. Thank god for our high ceiling otherwise, Ares would've definitely had a broken head more than just a couple of times. "And a kiss for the baby," Ryder says as he leans down to my tummy, kissing it and then leaning Ares so he could do the same. "I want it to come out already!!" Ares sulks. "Just two more months" I pinch his cheek and take him back off Ryder so he could continue making food.

At the moment I was the designated 'couch-layer' as we like to call it. Ryder was like this also when I was pregnant with Ares, he didn't let me lift a finger as soon as I only had 3 months left and immediately did everything for me. Although, he was always in charge of the cooking, especially during big dinners like the one we were having today since I wasn't the best of cooks and he most certainly was.

After an hour or so we heard the first knocks on the door. "Zane! Lilah!" I smile at the couple in front of me. I gave them both a nice warm hug, "Uncle Zane! Aunty Lilah!" Ares rushes over to he both of them and gives them an extremely tight hug. To explain, Zane had been single until he got a job in this museum where he met Lilah or the love of his life as he likes to call her, 5 years ago. "How's the pregnancy?" Lilah asks me as Zane goes off to talk to Ryder with Ares in his arms. "Honestly, It's much better than Ares, on the first day of our meeting I accidentally made us fall into a pile of mud because the sudden sickness made me lose my balance. I'm still so sorry about that" I laugh and so does she. "Every time you bring it up I tell you not to apologise! It definitely lightened the mood and actually made it a lot easier to talk to everyone after that. But I'm glad it's better. I remember your cravings last time too... I'm not sure even a dog would eat some of the combinations you made..." She says with a scared expression. "I definitely don't have as bad of cravings but I also have to say that they still not the best.." I admit.

The five of us relaxed in the front room waiting for the rest of the group to join us, Ryder was just waiting on the meat to cook and then all the food would be ready. Another knock interrupts our conversations and Ryder insists to be the one to open it, "Uncle Michael! Aunty Ella!" Ares yells happily and harasses them with extreme cuddles. As you can see Michael and Ella did get together, but not during high school. They became best friends for quite a few years, Ella slowly joining our group at the same time until 4 years ago they finally started dating. To be honest, I knew it was bound to happen, although guys and girls can be only friends, the way they would look at one another was no joke.

"Hey, guys!" I get up and give them both a hug. "It's been quite a long time! You guys missed our last dinner last month!" I put on a fake frown at them both, which made them laugh "But how was the Caribbean" I ask them both. "Oh it was amazing, we definitely need to go there as a massive group next time. I'll show you some pictures later" Ella answers me. "I would personally it worth missing the dinner" Michael says making both me and Ella give him a slap. "That slap was to protect my feelings but i can't say I blame you, I would miss one of these for a holiday to the carribean too" I laugh.

To explain, we had a dinner with the whole group every month. There was obviously times we met up outside of that, or times one of us couldn't made it but this time everyone was going to be here. All we were waiting on was Mason, Olivia and the-

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK,

The continuous knocking immediately signalled who was at the door, I rushed to open it and saw both Mason and Olivia, as well as their triplet daughters who were only a month younger then Ares. "Aunty Athena!" They screech simultaneously and jump at me, making me giggle. "I missed you girls" I ruffle their hair and look behind me to see Ares looking at them with a death glare. "ARES!" They scream and start chasing him as he instantly run away. Let's just say three people or one? Who wins? Sadly three, so Ares has been made their little puppet. But I knew he thought of them like sisters and didn't actually dislike them because once they caught him he was giggling and hugging them all back.

"Oh I missed you!" I say and hug Olivia. "I missed you more" She says and gives me the biggest hug. Yes. We were still best friends to this day, no doubt about it. Our bond was always unmatched from the second we spoke to one another. "I think we are four wheeling" Ryder says to Mason behind me. "Not anymore" Mason says as he gives Ryder a hug. At first Ryder pushes him off of him, but until he realises that mason the koala isn't letting go he gives in and gives him a little hug back.

"How have the triplets been?" I ask her and she shakes her head. "Don't even talk about those evil spawn" Mason quickly says. "Shes lucky" he points to Olivia, "she probably gets only 20% of their evil acts, I've been captured and tortured by them too many times to count." He starts to hold onto the wall like he was going to collapse. Same old dramatic Mason as you can see.

"Ares has been a bit of a trouble maker himself. I think we were cursed by Ryder dropping Ares number 1 off of a roller coaster because he doesn't stop jumping off of high places" I shake my head. "The worst thing is that most the time he doesn't even get hurt so when he does he just assumes it was bad luck" Ryder sighs next to me. "Either he got it off the girls or they got it from him because those girls have been doing the same" Olivia says back in disbelief. "Well I feel worse for you, we've only got to handle one, you've gotta handle three that are all the same age" I let out a giggle at their situation which made them shake their head. "It is a cruel world" Mason says, "but I do love my girls, despite their demonic habits" he continues.

I smile, and I agreed. I absolutely adored Ares, that boy meant the world to me and there is nothing I wouldn't do to protect him and make him feel the happiest he can be.Ryder gives me a kiss on the cheek and lets me know the food is ready so he'll be serving it now.

I smiled at everyone on the table. So happy that we have the opportunity to spend time like this even in our adult days.