Over the week Kiana had been staying with my brother on and off again, which was a clear indication on how things were going in their relationship.
I knew it was going good and that was great news not only for them, but for me.
I loved it because whenever she was at my brothers place I was at Rhys's, which was exactly where I wanted to be.
Playing board games, baking, forcing him to watch movies with me, having the best sex ever and even so much as going out to the beach that i'd learned was privately owned by him.
He said he just owned it because he didn't want anyone making noise on the beach.
I just stared at him, wondering if it was a joke but when he didn't laugh, I knew it wasn't.
Then I was also confused because I often saw families on the beach and he told me that the only people who could go on the beach were the people who lived here on the same road as him, since he knew their kids liked the beach.
And as much as it was rude to not particularly like the adults, I couldn't stop smiling, because he cared about the kids, and somewhere deep down he probably actually liked the kids.
In truth, I knew Rhys only liked kids who were not sticky and dogs that were not small and loud, but he'd never admit it to anyone. Not even me, or maybe me, I'm going to make a mental note to ask him in the future.
But now it was Christmas day and I was so much more than happy to have been told that dinner was informal, meaning no fancy dresses and pricy jewelry, because in all honesty, I needed to be able to eat like a ferret on Christmas and I didn't want to be wearing a tight dress right now.
So I put on long sleeve white shirt and fitted blue and white checkered skirt and straightened my hair that'd grown down to my elbows before I walked downstairs, putting my earrings on ear just to see Kiana in the kitchen, filling a cup with water and I walked over to get my own.
"I didn't even know you were here last night." I said with a small smile and she shrugged, being careful not to smudge her red lipstick as she takes a drink of water, even if a small stain is left behind on the glass when she puts it down to the counter.
She was using a red shirt and jean and we were both using similar small silver hoop earrings which made me grin.
"You gonna tell him tonight?"
I shrug, "Maybe, although it sounds like a shitty present to give him." I clear my throat, putting the cup down to the counter before I speaking, "Merry Christmas I'm shagging your best friend." I say with jazz hands and she chokes on her water, coughing out a laugh as I roll my eyes with a small smile, biting my tongue to bite down my own laughter.
"What're you laughing at?" Jes asks as he suddenly appears behind us in the kitchen too, running his hands through his hair as he walks around the counter to get his cars keys and my eyes widen.
"Just something Spencer told Dylan earlier." Kiana says, saving me of the explanation as she hooks our arms over and puts down her glass of water so we can leave.
I nod along, walking with her to the door and he raises a brow, "What'd she say?"
"I forgot!"
✶ ✶ ✶
As soon as I was in Florence's house Luxe was hugging me, which was very unsurprising since it was our thing now, always hugging.
"Merry Christmas!" She says, both of us moving from side to side with our arms still around one another and I smile, "Merry Christmas to you too." I say, moving back from the hug and walking down the stairs beside her and she looks to Kiana and Jesse close-by behind me.
"Hi Kiana, Merry Christmas."
Ki smiles, "Merry Christmas babe."
She says the same to Ambrose who returns it before we all walk the remaining steps, and I hold her hand in mine, listening to her talk about the last few days she'd spent in Paris and how she'd spoke to her new girlfriend, Shelley, and how she'd be going to London for new years to see her.
They were now dating which I was admittedly over the moon over, simply because I knew she really liked her best friend for some time now. I think its good that she goes to see her for the new year.
When I get downstairs I see Frankie and Bolt pushed on either side of Rhys on the couch as he talks to someone on his phone and I can only assume he's talking to their mom and his siblings are waiting for their turn.
He looks to me at our arrival and I smile, sending him a small wave of my fingers that makes his lips quirk up at the ends.
"Hey you."
I look away from him and to Maxima on my left with a wide grin, "Hey, you came to Miami!" I coo as we hug and she nods, pulling away and taking my hand in hers and I notice that Luxe had walked off with Kiana and Ambrose somewhere.
"Still haven't told Ambrose about Rhys?"
I raise a brow at her, "How'd you know?"
"Well you two were practically attached to the hip in Paris but here you are with me." She teases and I roll my eyes with a grin, "Attached to the hip is much."
"Im literally not joking girl, but also Adair told me so..."
I giggle at that, shaking my head as we walk over to the kitchen, we find glasses and bottles of alcohol over the surface and I take a wine bottle, pouring myself wine before gesturing to her and as soon as she blushes when she shakes her head I smile, because I know exactly whats it means.
I hide my smile behind my glass, looking to the door when it opens just to see Rhys walk in which makes my smile grow.
"My mom wanted to speak to you." He says, walking around the counter to me and I hum, holding my hands out and he hugs me, only moving back to kiss my lips.
"Merry Christmas." I say with a smile and he kisses me once again, "You too Calli."
"Ew, you guys are so cute you make me miss my fiancé, I'm going to go find him now." Max says as she turns around without so much as a look back, but I saw the smile linger on her face as she walks away.
I snort at her before I look back to Rhys, wrapping my arms around the back of his neck.
"Where's your phone?"
He rolls his eyes as he wraps his arms around my waist, rubbing circles over the silver of exposed skin of my back, "Bolt has it."
I nod, feeling my phone vibrate in my skirt pocket and I take it out, looking to see Spencer's name flash over on the screen and I drop both hands away from him.
"I'm gonna go talk to Spence quickly."
He nods, kissing my cheek before I turn back and walk out the kitchen with the phone pressed to my ear, "Hey babe."
"Hey girl, Merry Christmas!"
"You too! How're you?" I ask her, opening the door that leads out to the balcony and closing it behind me, rubbing my hands over my arms because its a little chilly our here and she hums on the other end.
"I've been good, so tired from work though, you know? Anyway what're you doing today?"
"Work sucks, okay well I guess now it does but it'll get better for you in a few months when your degree is done, so don't worry about it, and i'm at Flo's place."
She hums in agreement to the first half, "You're always with your boyfriends family, might as well become apart of it."
I know exactly what she meant and it made me blush crazily. "No."
"Wedding fever." She sings loudly, damn happily, which admittedly makes me almost choke.
There is only gonna be one wedding happening soon and that is Adair and Max's.
"Shut it." I snap playfully, eyes wide and cheeks on fire but I meant it, stuff like marriage and kids makes me overthink the future and right now I just want to bask in the present with Rhys.
"Theres literally no way you two don't get married."
I actually want to wack myself up the head for smiling at the thought of us being married, "Uh huh, whatever, Jes is here too." I say, changing the subject even though its very unrelated.
"Is that a good thing?"
I snort with a shrug even if she can't see it, "Not sure yet, but I really do have to tell him soon."
"ASAP girl." She says in encouragement, "Well I'm spending Christmas with my family, including your uncle."
I knew that already from a call I had with my uncle Tucker earlier in the morning but I wasn't gonna say so since she sounded beyond excited to tell me.
"Fun, with the ugly sweaters too?"
"Its tradition babe, so of course with the ugliest of sweaters." I can't help but laugh, shaking my head at her. "Its a horrible tradition."
"Its a cute one! Oh okay i've got to go help my aunt take the food out, i'll talk to you later, have fun popi!"
"You too Spence." I say before I end the call.
Im just about to turn around and walk back into the house when I hear the door open and close from behind me and I assume its Rhys but when I turn around and Hugo comes to sight, lighting a cigarette between his lips, I just blink.
I look at him suspiciously and he looks to me with his dark eyes that say nothing in return, adjusting the cigarette between his lips before he speaks, "Im not gonna push you off the balcony if thats what you're afraid of."
I don't reply.
I knew he wouldn't kill me but I wouldn't put it past him to try to make me scared or something, "I don't trust you."
He hums, bringing the cigarette out his lips and he blows out the smoke away from my face, "Can I ask why you don't like me?" He asks me with a hint of amusement in his tone and I blink, wondering if he was serious or just messing with my head right now.
I look to him beside me, staring up at him and honestly, I wondered why I felt so weird around him, like there was something wrong whenever he was near me, I just don't know what.
"You're the one who doesn't like me."
"Not true." He says simply, "I just don't talk to you."
"You send me death glares." A lot of them actually.
He shrugs, smoking again, "Maybe you're misinterpreting it."
"Maybe not."
He only shrugs, "You should ask your boyfriend why I don't talk to you, or why Im not allowed to talk to you." He says as he leans back on the balcony bars, side eyeing me and I feel a tremor through my body, an uncomfortable feeling grows in my throat because why was he suddenly adding Rhys into this conversation?
Maybe I'm overthinking it now.
"You should ask him about me and hear what he has to say."
I eye Hugo warily, wondering what he was trying to say. "If you have something to say you should just come out and say it."
He tilts his head to the side, raising both dark brows at me like he's trying to silently ask me if I really want him to just say whatever he has on his mind right now, "You know, people don't hide things from the people they love, right? So did he tell you?"
I raise a brow back, ignoring the first part of his sentence, "Tell me what?"
His lips quirk up at the ends but he doesn't say anything as he takes another drag of that stupid damned cigarette that I want to grab and throw off the balcony side but I don't, instead I fist my hands on my side and listen to what he's saying because as annoyed as I am right now, I'm also too damn curious.
"Tell me what, Hugo?" I push for an answer, growing impatient with his attempt on mind games with me, which were maybe, possibly, kinda... working.
"About your mother and Rhys's father." He says casually, as if thats supposed to mean something to me but I only shrug, "They weren't ever together."
"Didn't mean they didn't fuck."
I cringe at that, wanting to send him a look of disgust at how okay he was with being crass when it came to our parents.
"What does that have to do with anything?"
"It means your perfect fucking boyfriend definitely keeps to his nature, just like his family, he's a fucking liar too."
My eyes widen at how bitter he sounded about whatever the hell he was saying, "Excuse me?"
He leans closer to me and I almost move back but when he speaks, I freeze on spot. "Ask him who's my mother Dylan, and watch him look at you straight in the eye, and lie to your face." He taps my shoulder after that before he walks away and I stand there rooted on spot, only turning back to watch his retreating figure in confusion, going through the other door to the side to get to the dining room and not the kitchen.
What the hell? My mom? Rhys's dad? Rhys?
What the hell was going on right now?
"What's wrong?"
I whip around and my eyes widen before it softens and I smile at Rhys who looks at my face in search of why I was just standing there and staring at nothing since Hugo was no longer in our sights.
"Hey, sorry." I lean in closer to his side, looking back over my shoulder at the door, "Something weird hap-"
Just ask him.
I look back and swallow the dryness in my throat away, "Rhys?"
"Yeah?" He asks me, moving my hair away from my face.
"Who is Hugo's mother?"
He blinks at that, "What?"
"Who is Hugo's mother?" I repeat, biting my cheek nervously.
"Why are you asking me this?" He asks almost offhandedly and turns me around by my hand, I blink at him, "Im asking because im curious."
"All of a sudden?"
I shrug, hating that it was kinda a white lie, but I can't tell him Hugo told me to ask him because he'd probably tell me to just ignore him.
"Do you know who it is?"
"No, I don't." He replies dryly, opening the door for me and I walk in first past him, "Are you hungry?" He asks me as I walk ahead of him and I nod, ignoring Hugo and his words.
How did I know if Rhys was lying to my face? Would he even lie to me? What would he even be lying about? Why would I believe anything Hugo said anyway?
I ignore all the questions in my head.
It was Christmas, I didn't need him ruining the day for me with something as small as who his freaking mother was.
I take Rhys's hand in mine and walk over the distance to where everyone is before I sit beside him, and look to Kiana in front of me, wondering where Ambrose is.
I give her a raise of my brow, silently asking if she's okay and when she nods with a smile I relax.
"Where's Jes?"
"Bathroom." She says and I hum.
"Merry Christmas Blackburn."
He knows she's teasing and so he hums as he looks to her across the table, "Yeah, you too Kiana." He says in a bored tone.
I roll my eyes at the two with a small smile, holding his hand on my lap just for Max to lean closer on the table, as if she's gonna say something and we all look to her.
"So, I wanted to tell you guys something before you see me eat like, a hell of a lot."
I almost giggle cause I know what she's gonna be announcing.
"Another thing?" Lila asks with wide eyes as everyone starts speculating, turning around in their seats, looking to each other and talking about what possibly could be announced now.
Some of them even assumed that Adair would move back to Miami, which he just grimaced at and shook his head which made Rhys snort from beside me.
"You're pregnant!" Florence says as soon as the realization hits her and the room goes quiet.
Max's expression falls immediately when those words are uttered and she rolls her eyes, sitting back in her seat, "You guys suck, I hate being apart of a big family because someone always guesses right." She teases and as soon as she does Adair quite literally chokes on his water.
His eyes wide as soon as everyone starts gasping and congratulating them, "Huh, you're pregnant?"
She grins widely and the poor guy looks absolutely speechless. "W-what, really?"
She nods and everyone erupts in more congratulations, something we always seemed to end up doing and I poke Rhys beside me.
He looks down to me, leaning down to hear what I have to say and I cup his ear with my hands before I whisper.
"See, told you she's pregnant." I whisper in his ear and he rolls his eyes as he leans back with a small smile, he tips my chin back and he almost kisses me when we're interrupted.
"Rhys." Hugo says from over the table and Rhys looks away from me, the smile he had for me falling when he looks at his brother.
"What?"
Hugo leans closer on the table, hands crossed on it and suddenly I feel cold because he almost looks... pleased.
"Since we're all in such a great mood from hearing about Max's pregnancy, why don't you surprise your best friend by telling him you're fucking his sister?"
As soon as the words leave Hugo's mouth my eyes widen and my lips part slightly.
The room falls silent and I look to Kiana in front of me who's jaw had dropped, eyes widening even more as she looks to me and behind me.
I look to Rhys on my right and he looks to me at the same time.
And we realize that Jes is in the bathroom.
That we're in the clear.
But-
"What the fuck?"
Oh fuck.
No.
No. No. No.
NO.
Shit.
He was not supposed to find out like that.
Not like this. Not right now!
I turn back in my seat just to see Jes and immediately I get up, my chair screeching on the floor just as Kiana's does too and we both walk to him.
"Is that true?" Jesse asks me as I walk closer to him, not even bothering to look to Rhys, but I can see the anger, the betrayal in his face.
"Let's go." I say softly, taking his hand in mine and pulling him away to leave and he lets me, he doesn't pull away from my hold on his hand and neither does he pull away from Kiana.
Thankfully no one tries to stop us, because I'm already so damn flustered and so damn angry.
That was so freaking awkward.
I shake my head, and as soon as we're outside Ambrose pushes my hand away, only walking with Kiana to the car and I blink, feeling my lips tremble lightly as I walk behind them.
It was gonna be a long night.