Emrhys and I were back to normal for around six months now.
Six really good months and of course our birthdays had past over that time too, just a weeks difference and I was so damn excited for his, as if mine wasn't a week after.
We didn't do much though, just binged watched movies because of me and he didn't work on both days, because of me.
And of course, I baked us cakes, which he of course barely ate from, except for the cheesecake I baked a day later since that was the only sweet think he actually liked.
Apart from me. Of course.
After a month of getting back together I decided therapy was a good route to help me process my childhood fully, plus work through my parents deaths, and Rhys supported my decision.
I went to therapy once a week, every Thursday for two months, and lowered to only when I needed it after those two months were up since i'd made significant progress over the time.
And every single Thursday Rhys got me flowers and a cupcake filled with Nutella after my sessions, not once did he miss it, which if possible made me fall even more in love with him.
After it happened- three times in a row, I noticed the pattern and I asked him, why, and he said, because I'm proud of you.
It was a simple sentence but it made me smile.
And I was honestly proud of me too.
I was happy that therapy was helping us, not just me, because I could easily talk about my childhood with him without wanting to tear anymore and I also learnt to always speak up when I had a problem with something.
And so it was better, because I felt better.
The rest of the time we lived together was the same as before, our routine back to how it was when we moved in together the very first time.
Every morning one of us was kissed awake by the other and every night I was taken up to our bed by him when I fell asleep watching tv on the couch downstairs.
Every morning was our breakfast that I still enjoyed making and of course, he still got the coffee that was unreachable to me, this was after he had practically thrown out the step stool so he could help me all the time.
And I kid you not, I'm really damn serious. I legitimately think he threw it away because I couldn't find it anywhere anymore.
Jokes on him, i'll just get a new one, a bright hot pink one too so it stands out and matches nothing else in the house.
Almost everyday lunch was in his office and I stayed in there for longer than expected just to annoy him, which he actually didn't mind and I think he kind of encouraged it, he even got me a bunch of culinary magazines too.
If that wasn't enticing I don't know what is.
And everyday was amazing.
Till now.
Because I just had a freaking pregnancy scare a few minutes ago.
My first ever pregnancy scare in my entire life.
So of course I was a little anxious right now because I was on my way to his office.
Why exactly was I on my way to the office?
Because I needed to know where Rhys and I were when it came to this because I didn't want to feel nervous and scared if I was ever actually pregnant.
So I wanted to know his stance on children.
Right now.
As in midday.
That was what we did. Anytime. No need for secrets.
He told me if I ever wanted to know something I just had to ask, to air it out no matter the time or place, even if I woke him up at 3am or barged into an important meeting.
Which I of course wouldn't do, but I got the gist of it.
I wanted to know If he actually even wanted kids one day, I needed to know a little more into the future for us, just to have an idea.
So I open the door, walking into Rhys's office holding a box with a cheesecake slice in it and a big smile with hidden news behind it till I see- a man.
Who is not Emrhys.
I blink as a man, an older man, leans on Rhys's desk, typing away, glasses perched on his nose and he looks up at my arrival since the door makes a sound, closing behind me but not clicking.
My eyes widen when I realize who it is.
Shit.
Its his dad.
He eyes me and I smile almost warily back before, clearing my throat, door not fully closed, tension rising into something that I can only place as... awkwardness?
"H-hi, hi sorry, we haven't met before, im Calliope, Ambrose's sister." I ramble through my sentence as I walk closer inside, but he never once smiles and I almost squirm under his intense scrutiny.
"Calliope? As in Dylan?"
I nod a small nod, but my neck feels so stiff that I stop at just one nod, "Everyone calls me that, yes."
Except my boyfriend, of course.
Where is that man anyway?
I look around the office as if i'd just walked in and missed the 6 foot 3 mans presence but nope, he was most definitely not anywhere in here.
Before I can speak up once again to ask Jack if he has seen Rhys, he speaks up instead, "You look like her." He says absentmindedly and I look to him, watching as he eyes me leisurely, like he is shocked of what he is seeing in front of him and needs a moment to process it,
I just stare at him.
I look like who?
"Your mother." He clarifies, seeing as I was greatly confused by the suddenness of his comment, "You look like your mother, when she was young."
Oh.
I try not to cringe because that fact almost makes my skin crawl.
You look like a woman who is now dead.
I think it sounded better if I just thought of her as my mom and not my, dead, mother.
I stare at him, trying not to frown at the fact that he couldn't be with my mother because she didn't even love him, but his son got me, and i'm so damn in love with him.
Oh the irony.
I smile but I don't answer because for some reason it pissed me off a little that I resembled the face of a cheater, the one thing I loathed more than anything else.
I tried to forgive her beyond the grave for having another kid.
Hugo.
And not making it a point for any of us to know, and the biggest mistake she'd made was assuming he was one of the four Blackburn boys... which he was not.
But ever since our brother sister relationship began to grow a little more over the past six months I didn't care as much, I guess months ago i'd just been more angry at the loss of a bond with my brother than anything.
We were closer, but not like Jes and I, even if almost two weeks ago he'd fell asleep in my car, clearly drunk, and then his best friend, Jordan Kave Arison, came to get him, and truthfully, my jaw had dropped.
Jordan was Hugo's teammate slash best friend for six years. Teammate meaning he was famous, except that he was famous in the sense that his mother was Philomena Manami Arison.
The famous actress.
He was a pretty boy, beautiful amber eyes, a few freckles over his pale skin and light blonde hair covered by a Formula 1 beanie, few strands of his hair messily sticking out beneath it.
But him himself? He was actually really quiet but not like Rhys is, Jordan was shy. I came to that conclusion when his cheeks slowly grew red when I said I recognized him.
No cocky remarks whatsoever, just pure undeniable bashfulness which had taken me aback, because he was a literal celebrity, plus a nepotism baby, so he was famous his whole life, but I guess he was the way he was just because.
He'd just nodded at my words, smiled at me before he yanked my brother out the back and they'd left without much more words.
But just because I forgave Hugo, doesn't mean i'd fully let go of my mothers actions.
Maybe one day, but I was definitely more than halfway there and Rhys knew it too, he did help me through it, whenever I looked at pictures I felt like he deliberately asked me about my mother and I long ago to help me remember she wasn't heinous or anything.
But the way Jack speaks of her makes me think he felt something for my mother, something more than just that short lived admiration.
My mother clearly didn't like him from what she'd said.
But apparently she liked him before I was born, liking him just enough to have sex with him.
I clear my throat and the thoughts away. "Was Rhys already in here before or are you waiting for him?" I ask politely, still holding a small smile on my face and he shakes his head.
"Not here, i've been waiting, I wanted to actually ask why you're here? With..." He eyes the box that i'm carrying, looking very unamused as a crease forms on his forehead, "A cake."
I blush from embarrassment, wondering if I could make this anymore uncomfortable somehow, "He- um, he likes cheesecake." I mumble, realizing thats not enough of an explanation for why exactly I am the one here with said cheesecake.
"I introduced myself as Je- Ambrose's sister but im also Rhys's girlfriend." I say as I scratch the back of my head, not knowing if Rhys had told him yet or not, and I couldn't even freaking tell because his eyes don't widen, and his face gives no indication that he had an idea or not, he just stares at me like I'm nothing interesting to look at.
It is kinda weird that we haven't met even if Rhys and I have been dating for over a year, apart from the three month break between.
"Ambrose was okay with that?"
So he didn't know huh?
I nod slowly, wishing Rhys could just appear to end this conversation that started to make me more anxious than when i'd came in here to talk about pregnancy and freaking babies.
"He came to terms with it last year."
He nods slowly, "Im surprised Emrhys even dates anyone." He says it like his skeptical, eyeing me like im a liar, or a fake and I honestly just want to turn around and wait upstairs with my brother instead.
Maybe I should.
"Im sorry that we haven't met." I tell him, shifting away from the previous subject because what do I even say to something like that?
He shrugs, "Thats how he is."
I raise a brow, what does that even mean?
"Private?"
"Uncommunicative." He deadpans and I almost grimaced at the use of such a word. Uncommunicative sounds so bitter, like someone who just said, go to hell, but to everyone.
"He's just a little more reserved than others." I try to reason, hoping he understands and doesn't take offense because I know how Rhys really is.
He does communicate and he's actually absolutely lovely to me.
He just doesn't see the need to be that way to everyone, and I don't think he likes much people enough to talk to them either, thats just how he is as a person, and its okay.
Jack scoffs and I blink, kind of confused at his reaction but not knowing what to say. It seems like this man will be rendering me speechless in the worst ways far too often.
"More so misanthropic."
What the hell?
"You're making him sound awful." I say softly and he shrugs, "Then thats what he is."
Awful?
He just called Rhys awful like it was nothing.
Yeah, Jesse was right, this man really did fucking suck.
"He's not awful." I say, suddenly pissed as the evident disgust I have for this man becomes clearer in my tone and he eyes me like he can see it.
"You know, you're his father, so if he is so bloody damn awful in your opinion, then its fair to say it has something to do with you." I bite without meaning to and as soon as the words are out my mouth, dancing around us like a taunting message my eyes widen, my lips parting when his jaw ticks.
Holy shit.
I just told my boyfriends father that he's a fucking shitty dad!
Well not in those words but-
"I don't appreciate you talking to me that way."
I almost yelp or jump or something.
Maybe I should turn around and go home instead of just down to my brother.
"I am sorry if I offended you, but I don't appreciate you badmouthing Rhys, even if you're his father, you have no right." I say, my tone not as bitter but my point definitely gets across.
Theres a heavy silence wafting around in the room before the door behind me opens and I turn my head to see the exact man we'd spoke of.
Rhys blinks, looking between his father and then to me.
And I notice his eyes soften when he looks at me again, almost like he's saying sorry for not being here.
I bite my lip when he kisses my cheek, completely ignoring his father's blatant stare at us and I stare back, my eyes probably saying, see, I am his freaking girlfriend.
"You didn't mention dating Ambrose's sister." Is the first words that leaves his fathers mouth.
"I didn't think it was any of your concern." He says, his hand going around my waist and pulling me closer to him and I pull my bottom lip into my mouth, swallowing hard.
"Does Elizabeth know?"
He nods, "They're very close."
And its the truth, I speak to Beth almost twice a week lately, just wanting to catch up and honestly she makes me want to move to Paris too, just to be closer to her and their dog.
"She's a lot like Maxima." Jack says, speaking to Rhys as if im not in the room. "What? A decent human being?" Rhys asks him, almost annoyed by the conversation and I bite down on my lip harder.
There was so much tension in the room, that you could cut it with a freaking knife and serve it on a damn platter for dinner.
"Delusional, imagining you as something you're not, like Maxima does with your brother."
Oh, wow.
My heart breaks a little and I move closer to Rhys.
Delusional.
"Like what?" He asks coolly, like he's daring his father to say something worse.
"You're not a fucking boyfriend Emrhys, nor are you a husband, or a father, my company is your only priority."
He basically just said, get fucked, to me.
Rhys shrugs lightly like he has heard it all before, "Do you need something?" He asks way too nonchalant over this, which is a clear indication, that he is pissed.
I almost fucking shiver.
I know Rhys like the back of my hand.
When he's cold he is ice. He's not one to ever shout, or ever get loud, but when he is pissed you know that theres definitely a shift.
Rhys didn't even so much as acknowledge Hugo's existence at all now even after six months, he didn't care about him anymore, it was like he didn't exist, but did he shout or yell at Hugo ever?
Nope. Never.
He just blocked him out of his life, like he ceased go exist, which for some reason, I thought was way worse than getting yelled at, especially since Hugo and I have gotten a little closer.
His father points to the desk behind him, "Papers, sign off." He orders before walking closer to us and to the door, his father gives me a once over before looking to Rhys before he exits.
But as soon as he does that, Rhys moves away from me, opening the door and closing it behind and I know that was bad.
Fuck.
I rush to the door, pressing my ear against it because I knew if I opened it and popped my head out he'd probably not say whatever he was gonna say.
"Board of directors can vote out an owner of a company if we get 75% of the votes." Rhys says tonelessly, as if he's talking about paint thats drying, not his fathers multi million dollar company and I blink.
Huh?
Why would he want his father out if he wasn't going along with Nickolas's idea?
"Nicko, Adair and Ambrose looked into it, but I didn't care to actually do it-"
What changed?
"Then you called my girlfriend fucking delusional."
My lips part and I almost feel flutters grow in my stomach just because he was defending me, right now.
I never had anyone defend me before, I was always the defender, always felt like the problem.
But Rhys? He never made me feel like the problem.
"I never did give a fuck about what you said to me which is why I never cared to take ownership of a company that should've been mine either, but her?" I hear him scoff, "Calling her delusional was really fucking stupid."
My breath hitches, my lips parting a little at the next sentence. "If I see you anywhere near her, i'll get a restraining order put in place, which is actually very lenient of me, so maybe she is making me nicer."
My eyes were wide by the end of it all.
That was lenient?
This man.
"Meetings next week, as long as the board of directors agree it will work, plus you're not doing any exact jobs which makes this a hell of a lot easier."
"The board won't agree." His father says, but I can hear how pissed he is in his tone too, unlike Rhys's deceivingly cool tone, his was angry and almost anxious sounding.
I mean, how would you feel if your son told you he was taking your entire company?
"They all prefer the arrogant bastard over a pretentious dick."
I couldn't help but smile a little.
Arrogant bastard.
I bite my lip to stop smiling.
Theres muffled words behind the door till it opens and I almost fall back to the floor, clutching the cake box to my chest and Rhys runs a hand through his hair, definitely exasperated with that entire conversation and my lips almost tremble when I look at him.
"You defended me."
He looks to me, and his hard gaze soften when he sees my face, as if he didn't expect that to make me so emotional but he knows that I'm very sensitive, "Of course I defended you."
I feel the tears before I put the cake down to the floor in the box and walk over it, pulling him into a hug as he pulls me closer to him too, "You're the best." I muffle and he pulls me closer, kissing the top of my head, "I know you did the same for me."
Of course I did.
I loved this man more than anything and if that meant defending him, even to his father, I would do it.
As awkward as it was.
"Eh not at much as you, I kinda just told him he's a shitty father."
He chuckled against my shoulder before he tilted my head back, kissing my mouth softly, "Thats my fucking girl."
I grin widely and he kisses my grin.
"So you're actually gonna be working with my new best friend Nicko, huh?"
He rolls his eyes at that, knowing Nicko and I weren't anywhere close to being best friends, but we were actually what we'd call acquaintances since i'd see him around sometimes.
But Nicko knew his boundaries when it came to me... some days. Rhys always just told him to fuck off when he started flirting with me which Nicko would roll his eyes at but of course he'd stop, he was actually closer to Rhys now, but both of them were too damn high on their horses to admit it.
"Yeah."
I hum with a smile, "You probably already threatened him too."
"Yeah."
I blink at that, "Wait what?"
He kisses my cheek again before he walks around me and I roll my eyes.
Of fucking course.
"Oh and I have to tell you something, heres cake."
He looks to the cake when I pick it up and walk over to the desk, "You really have a short attention span Calli."
I glare and he smirks as I push him back and walk a little, walking around his desk, putting it down on there and sighing as I sit back on his chair, stretching my arms with a soft yawn.
This chair was so damn comfortable. I could just fall asleep here. Which I will do after we talk.
"We need to talk."
He hums with a nod, "About?"
"Us."
He blinks, "Is this bad? But why are you smiling if its bad?"
My smile softens, "I took a pregnancy test."
His eyes widen a little, and he seems to straighten up where his standing, like that little word was enough to knock sense into him and it almost makes me snort that it was enough to get a reaction out of him.
"Why did you take a pregnancy test?"
"I was late."
He nods slowly, blinks, and he looks like he wants to grimace but he refrains from doing so as he cracks his knuckles.
Uh huh, yep.
Knuckle cracking.
I stand up and walk over to him. pulling him over to the couch pressing my hands down to his shoulders to sit him down, wanting to be the one standing when we spoke about this.
"Do you not want kids Emrhys?" I ask him softly, almost teasingly as he looks up to me a little but he knows it is not a tease.
He's quiet for a moment and I cross my arms over my chest, waiting for him to talk and he immediately looks eye level to my stomach, "So, kids?"
"Are you pregnant?" He asks as he slowly brings his eyes up to my own.
"Not telling, I want your honest answer, if I say yes you'll feel too bad to tell me the truth and if I say no well... well yeah you get it, I just want to know."
He sighs but he seems to understand what I meant, "I didn't want kids, yet."
I nod, "Why?"
"Im not ready to..." He doesn't finish the sentence.
"Be someones dad?" I finish with a cock of my brow and this time he winced like the words were painful to even think of with a single nod soon following, clearing his throat as if that would erase the sentence from his head.
"Its a lot of responsibility, its another fucking human you know? I don't want my kids to hate me, and I don't want to hurt anyone."
Like his father. Who really did a number on him from the looks of it.
"Just because you didn't like your dad doesn't mean our baby won't love you idiot." I say softly as I lean forward and wrap my arms around his neck, his hands coming around my waist as he lays his head on my stomach.
I think he stiffens when he realizes his leaning his head... on my stomach.
And he doesn't know that theres no baby in there yet.
"I feel like i'll mess it up." He says softly, circling his fingers over my back, "Im not even affectionate."
"You are, to me." I joke but he nods because it is true, "Kids need love and affection or else they just becomes assholes Calli."
"Like you."
"Watch it." He mumbles and I giggle, threading my fingers through his hair. "Then you have time to work on that because im actually not pregnant, its just that I need a new IUD and i've been stressing a lot beforehand, could've been why I was late."
He sighs in relief and I almost roll my eyes, playing with his hair till he speaks, sounding almost wary to hear my answer, "Did you want a kid now?" He asks, the genuine concern still in his tone.
Its my turn to bite my lip, "At first I didn't know, but I was disappointed when it was negative so..."
He stiffens, "Calli-"
"No wait but its okay, I'm only twenty two so I have time and I don't mind waiting a little longer." I tell him with a smile, "Plus I like having the house to ourselves."
He hums as he tugs my shirt up a little and kisses my hip bone near my birth mark, "And the freedom to have sex anywhere, and everywhere."
I tug at his ear at his murmured words and he smirks against my skin, kissing me again till he speaks up, dropping my shirt back to place, "Fuck, I almost forgot I have something to show you."
"What is it?" I ask as he stands up, towering me and I tilt my head extremely back before he pulls me closer at my jaw and kisses my lips once, moving me to the side by my waist when he walks away from me and over to the door.
I stare at him, very confused on what was going on.
"Hey!"
"I'll be quick, also can you go to Ambrose? He's annoying the fuck out of me to see you, I think everyone thinks you're pregnant for some reason."
I snort, "At least I'll have someone else to be disappointed with me!" I yell jokingly as he opens the door and he rolls his eyes saying a quick, "I love you." Before he lets the the door close behind him and I'm left shaking my head with a small smile.