More Than Known [Completed]

C H A P T E R F I V E

“What the hell do you think you were doing?”

I turn to face the boy sat next to me, and say, “I don’t know, Chris. What did it look like to you? Because to me it seemed I was trying to make some sort of pact between my mate and I for our baby’s sake. You know,” I touch my bump in an over dramatic way, “The one growing in my stomach right this second.”

“What and it took you close to the whole day to drop of some brownies and say, ‘Hey mate, do you fancy being friends?’”

“I am not getting into this argument with you right now, Chris.” I turn to face him, that ‘don’t mess with me, I’m pregnant’ expression written all over my features. “You’re supposed to be my friend, you’re supposed to support me through these th-“

“And I’ll do that when you start seeing sense. He’s the enemy, El. He’s the bad guy.”

I sigh, taking in Chris’s increasingly angry tone. “And not once have you thought that before you found out about Gabriel. You have something against him, and I want to know why.”

“Ellie,” Chris’s tone is softer, and for that I’m grateful. “I just have a feeling that he’s not good for you.”

“He’s my mate, Chris. He’s got to be good for me in some way.”

He turns to face me, and then looks back out the front screen window. I do the same, and sigh for the second time. We’re already backing into the garage at the pack house. I’m glad, because I’m still so tired, but also unhappy, because it means Chris and I are going to end the day on another argument.

“Look at you, now you’re sticking up for him over your friends.” He pauses and looks at me. “Since when have you believed, or wanted, him to be your mate. Never, so why are you being defensive against everything I say?”

I grab the door of the truck and open it, sighing, “I don’t know Chris. I really don’t know.”

---

“A day in the life of Chris Grayson,”

So it took less than five minutes for us to both make up last night. I left for bed as soon as we finished talking by the car, but I heard him following me. Right before I was going to open my door he pulled me into a hug and didn’t let go for ages. He left after a few swift punches, with the promise to take both Kat and I out today, his treat. So, of course Kat chose the mall.

“Being bullied by his two best friends,”

I send him a glare over my shoulder, not able to turn because of the restricted movement Kat’s arm hooked in mine is causing, “Stop being so over dramatic.”

“I’m carrying your bags,” I can hear him move them in his hands, the weight not bothering him, but the sheer amount. “If you don’t think I’m not telling my dad ab-“

“Your dad loves me, so stop complaining, or I’ll be the one telling him about you. Are you really going to make me carry my own bags?”

It’s only been three months and a week but the bumps growing more each day. I really hate the fact that our pregnancies last the same time as humans, yet we manage to grow way bigger. I mean, I still have around six more weeks, and I can only imagine what I’m going to look like by the end of it.

“No,” His voice comes out in a low grumble, and I can’t help but laugh at him. Kat seems to have the same idea as me as she starts chuckling too. And I know what Chris is about to say before it even comes out his mouth. “But can we please get some food soon.”

“No.” I reply, at the same time as Kat says, “There’s no way you’re hungry. We had food before we left. Two hours ago, Chris.”

“I’m pregnant too,” I hear the humour in his tone, but when I hear what sounds like Chris placing all the bags down, I pause and look back. He’s stood there, hands on hips, our shopping by his feet. But his expression is just hilarious. He’s pouting in the most adorable way.

“Chris,” I make a big deal about looking down at his stomach at the same time as I place a hand on mine. “You really look like you’re pregnant.”

“I’m in the early stages, okay?” He replies really quickly, a pushing edge at the tone. “And this pregnant man doesn’t carry any shopping bags unless he gets food.”

Kat replies with a sarcastic tone, bowing slightly and offering him to walk forward. “And what would you like?”

“I think,” He taps his finger on his chin for a second before picking back up the bags and walking forward. “I choose McDonalds.”

“You always choose McDonalds.”

“I’m not complaining,” I reply, starting to walk forward. Somehow though in the three minutes we’ve been chatting the mall’s become busier, and there are loads more people than normal for a Thursday afternoon, even if it is the summer holidays.

“Ellie, watch out.”

I hear Kat seconds before something hard and tough brushes my arm rather strongly, and then I can feel myself falling, face first. I see Chris’s eyes widen, and Kat reach out a hand like she can magically help. I close my eyes and brace myself for the impact with the cold mall floor, but it doesn’t come, instead warm arms that feel like neither Kat’s nor Chris’, but more like Gabriel Hale’s, wrap around my waist and catch me. As I open back up my eyes, I can see my face only centimetres away from the floor I was going to hit. The arms pull me back up, and I turn to look at who it was that saved me. I’m surprised to see the boy in front of me actually there.

“Hale, what are you doing here?” My tone’s suspicious, and I guess Gabriel can hear that, as he burrows his eyebrows slightly at my question.

“Just hanging out,” He nods over to where a group of guys are standing, some I recognise from the first time I saw Gabriel on that day, and the one that opened the door when I went round yesterday. Drake was his name, I think. “I saw you fall,” He glances over my shoulder, but I already know what he’s staring at when he says, “And then I heard your friend. I saw the dog,” His reference to Chris makes my eyes shine with slight anger, anger I can feel strongly, “Do nothing to help you, and then I was just here.”

I wait a minute, before saying, “Thank you, I suppose.”

I meet his eyes again, and everything seems to stop. I can’t hear the noise of the mall, nor can I see any of the shoppers, it just seems to be me, and Gabriel Hale.

“And we’ll be stealing back our best friend now.” Kat’s voice pulls me out of the haze I was in, and her arm pulls me out of the way of Gabriel’s gaze. I send him an apologetic look over my shoulder, but his backs already turned and he’s already walking away from me. “Did you see that?”

I send her glare, but she carries on talking anyway, “That was the look of a lover.”