Chapter Nine: Welcome to my Heartache
"cause every night I lie in bed, the
brightest colors fill my head, a million
dreams are keeping me awake"
~ hugh jackman
┉
M O N I C A
"Hey, sleepyhead," a familiar voice said, followed by some laughter.
I chose to ignore the comment, allowing the darkness to swallow me once more, too comfortable in my spot. But just as I was about to allow myself to be taken away to a dream, I felt a foot gently press down on my waist.
A groan left passed my parted lips as I moved automatically to shove the leg away from my body. The person chuckled under their breath, but it was a few seconds later when I felt a hand on my hip.
Forcing my eyes open slowly, so my vision wouldn't get too blurry, I waited until everything sharpened. Only to meet Xavier's dark brown eyes. "What are you doing here?" I grumbled, shoving my head further into the couch.
Memories from yesterday returned as I recalled dancing with Liam majority of the night, followed by Karen and Sophie. By the end of the night, he dropped us all off as Sophie's apartment before driving away himself.
When I opened my eyes again, I noticed that the girls weren't around. Xavier was on his knees in front of me, his hand still on my hip. "Where's Soph?" I mumbled, rubbing my head as I sat up, letting the blanket fall down to my hips while he dropped his hand off my body. I was wearing a baggy band tee-shirt that I brought from home, but I was still in my underwear, so I made sure the blanket was covering my lower half before meeting his eyes again.
He smiled forcefully, looking guilty in a way, before he sat on the coffee table behind him. "She let me in just as she and Karen were leaving," he explained softly. "She wanted coffee, but she didn't want to wake you up, so they went to go pick it up themselves."
"Then why would you wake me up at..." I paused, looking at the clock above the television on the other side of the living room. My eyes widened when I noticed where the hour hand was. "At nine? Do you have a death wish?"
When my glare narrowed on him, he closed his eyes as he took a calming breath. "Listen, I know you're gonna get pissed off—"
"Gonna? No, I feel fantastic!" I clenched out while my hands fisted the blanket around me. "I went to sleep at five, Xavier, so thank you so much for allowing me the choice of having four hours of sleep," I spat out sarcastically.
He grimaces, rubbing the back of his neck before standing up. "So you're leaving? How brave of you," I glared.
Instead of saying anything, he dropped his hand on the door handle. But before he unlocked the door, he shot me a pleading look. "I'm sorry, Mon," was all he said before he twisted the handle.
I was just about to retort, but it died in my throat when I saw what was standing on the other side of the door.
Not what, but rather, who.
Chris was standing there, arms crossed with a glare directed right at me. His golden brown straight hair was pushed back to the side as it usually was. He wore the same orange and yellow vest he wears while working as a construction worker, along with dark jeans.
He looked the same as always, but the look he gave me replaced the usual mischievous glint he had in his eyes. "Monica," he drawled out, stepping further into Sophie's apartment.
Keeping the blanket around my hips, I straightened my back before crossing my arms stubbornly. "Christopher," I forced a tight smile before staring at Xavier.
He must have read something in my expression because he clenched his jaw. "Listen, I'm tired of you couch surfing, okay? Enough is enough, Mon."
I laughed at that—a real, bloody laugh. "Enough is enough?" I scoffed, holding the blanket around my hips as I stood up, but when I felt the shirt dropping enough that it covered my ass, I let the blanket go. "I'm sorry, I forgot to ask your opinion, Xavier. I completely and utterly forgot when anything in my life became your business."
His eyes narrowed dangerously, but I didn't care. "If you think you are close enough with me to make decisions for me, you're wrong," I told him honestly. Maybe I was a bitch, but I didn't care.
I was tired of continuously being walked over and hurt. If that made me the bad guy, then I guess I was a bad guy.
"Monica," he said, his tone warning me to stop.
I faked a smile and pointed to the door. "Leave. You are so appreciated, but you'd be more appreciated if you got out of my sight," I said, emphasizing the last four words.
He looked ready to argue, but when my eyes stayed on him, unblinking, he cussed loudly before storming out of Sophie's apartment. He closed the door behind him, leaving me alone with my brother.
Slowly, I turned to face him. When our eyes met, his chest expanded as he sucked in a breath, watching me with the same stubbornness I had. "Wow, have you aged? You should probably leave and get some sleep," I arched a brow, watching his eyes narrow further.
"I'm good right here, Mon," he stated, making me shrug without a care in the world.
Not bothering to stick around, I fixed the blanket, bringing it to the arm rest before bending down to pick up shorts I packed a few days ago. Once they were on, I walked to the kitchen, only to hear him following behind me.
"Monica," he said again, sounding as if he was losing his patience.
"Christopher," I said as well, opening a cupboard to keep myself busy.
I heard him snarl something under his breath, which made me smirk with success before turning around to meet his gaze head on. I kept my expression void of emotion as I did so. "Is there a reason why you're here, brother? I've got a busy day."
"Really?" He snorted.
My brows shot up as I nodded. "Yeah, I've schedule not caring from now until three, working until eleven, then sleeping till it's the afternoon. This'll repeat for a while."
"For fuck's sake," he groaned, gripping the counter in front of him.
I presented him with the fakest smile I could. "Alright, so if you can leave..."
Not waiting for his reply, I walked around him and made my way to the bathroom, only to get stopped halfway when his large hand wrapped around my upper arm. He flung me back so I was in front of him, meeting his glare head on. "I'm not leaving until you learn to grow up."
I grinned widely before tapping his shoulder. "Enjoy waiting a lifetime," was all I said before ripping his hold off me. But instead of walking away, I laughed humorlessly. "And again, it's funny you say that."
"Don't," he clenched out. Inside, I was surprised by how sober and serious he was, but my shock wore off instantly when I remembered it was because of mom.
"Why not, Chrissy? You drink until your heart's content all throughout the day. Sleep with girls like you need it to breathe. Party whenever you can and take no responsibility for yourself or your actions." Keeping the plastered smile on my lips, I tapped his shoulder. "It's alright, I've given up hope. You should, too."
When I turned to leave, he called out, "She's our mom! You have to talk to her eventually."
"I don't have to do anything," I laughed, spinning on my heel to meet his eyes again. There were a few feet between us now. "If I could, I'd leave, honestly."
It was his turn to laugh, but it sounded empty. "Now you're being a hypocrite," he spat out, make me take a startled step back. "Everyone always leaves you, and now you want to leave everyone."
"People don't leave me, Christopher, they fucking betray me!" I shouted, pointing a finger at him. "Don't talk like you're all knowing, you asshole."
I scoffed, shaking my head slowly. "And the fact that you can stand there, defending mom and telling me to be mature... you know what she did, Chris!" My voice cracked, making me snap my mouth shut. I hoped he didn't hear it, but when his eyes locked to mine, looking torn, I knew he did.
He took a cautious step toward, bringing his hand out so it was between us. "She's trying to be sober," he whispered, smiling warily.
"I don't believe you," I whispered, chuckling lightly. "Nor do I believe her."
Not waiting for his reply, I slapped his hand away before pointing to the front door. "You know the way out," I mumbled, not waiting for his reply before finally stepping into the bathroom, closing the door behind me.
It took a few moments before I heard the front door close, but what surprised me was the shaky breath that moved passed my parted lips when it happened.
The strong need to leave this environment was strong, so I took the quickest shower before wrapping the towel around me. I walked to the space next to the couch, where all my bags were, before bending down to grab some clothes.
It was a few minutes later when I was fully dressed in light wash mom shorts and a light brown, short sleeve cropped tee-shirt. Once my feet slid into my white flip flops, I stepped out of Sophie's apartment with just my phone.
I found myself walking around town aimlessly, watching as people walked and chatted with one another.
When I saw the familiar florist shop, I changed direction and walked across the street before opening the door. I welcomed the chill provided by the air conditioning, but when I met Anastasia's dark eyes from across the counter, I ignored how the temperature felt against my skin.
"Monica!" The older woman greeted me with a wide grin as she pushed back her straight, shoulder length, cornflower blonde hair. "I haven't seen you in so long!" She told me, smiling sadly as she walked around the counter.
Soon, she was standing in front of me in, allowing me to see her dressed in a plain black tee-shirt and black pants that ended just before her knee. "Are you here to see the tulips?" She asked, turning her body so she was facing the walk-in cooler. "I've recently grown the new batch."
My heart fluttered at the sound of that. I moved my body, focusing where Anastasia's eyes were locked on. "Come in," she whispered, touching my forearm lightly before walking around me. She opened the door and stepped back so I could enter first.
I didn't think twice before stepping inside the cool room, walking straight to the tulips—which were almost fully blooming. "They are beautiful, Ana," I said admirably as I lifted a single blood red tulip.
"Thank you," she proudly said, making me crack a smile.
We were wrapped in silence for a few moments, but when I felt her shift next to me, I stared at her with confusion. "Everything alright?" I asked when I say her nervously licking her lower lip.
She nodded slowly before swallowing hard. "I just had a question, but I hope... I hope I won't be intervening."
"What is it?" I asked hesitantly, straightening my back before completely angling my body in her direction.
She waited another second before smiling anxiously. "You and my son. Liam," she began, and my body instantly reacted by heating up, despite me standing in a cold room. My heart sped up slightly as I swallowed. "I've heard from friends that they have seen you around, with him."
I was worried where she was getting with this, but before I could ask anything, she continued. "Liam has been broken for so long," she whispered sadly, looking at her feet. "He's kept to himself for so long and I was just wondering... is he happy?"
When I heard her voice choke up, I placed the tulip back in its bucket before watching her softly. "I don't know," I answered honestly.
"It's nice to hear that he's talking to someone he isn't obligated to talk to," she whispered, looking up to meet my gaze again. I saw unshed tears in her eyes, and I couldn't help but drop my hand on her shoulder.
"Mama!" A muffled, feminine voice called out inside the shop.
Anastasia tensed under my hand before we both looked over her shoulder. The teenager saw us the same moment we saw her and stepped into the cooler before closing the door behind her. "Mama, can I go to Karl's party tonight?" She asked, professionally pouting her lips. "Everyone's going, even Angela!"
Before Anastasia could answer, her daughter looked over to me, brows furrowed. "Hi," she said, tilting her head to the side. "I'm Katrina," she greeted.
I was stunned to see how her daughter looked just like her. With naturally straight, cornflower blonde hair ending passed her breasts and dark brown eyes. Her facial features were delicate like her mother's, and her ears were pierced with three different studs. She wore black jean shorts and a tank top, as well, showing off her petite frame.
"Monica," I smiled tightly before looking to Anastasia. "I should get going," I told her, making her look at me once with a sad smile before nodding.
"Thank you for visiting, Monica," she whispered while I walked around her.
I waved at Katrina before opening the door leading to the shop, closing it behind me a moment later. But while I was walking back to the sidewalk, I couldn't help but think about what Liam's mom stated.
He's been hurt—I knew that with ease, since our first encounters were greeted with silence from his part. But again, curiosity grew inside me, and I couldn't help but wonder why.
┉
Sophie and I entered her apartment hours later, sighing with exhaustion after our shift. She typically went to her psychic store at midnight, but changed her clothes first before doing so.
Knowing her schedule brought my body to halt in its place. Recalling why I'd always been a lone body, I stared down the hall and took a deep breath.
While she was in her bedroom, I looked at my belongings with a grunt before bending down. I shoved as much clothes as I could inside my luggage before stuffing the rest in the gym bag.
By the time I lifted the luggage so it was standing upright, Sophie walked out, eyes wide when she saw what I was doing. "What's going on?" She asked as I brought the strap of my gym bag through my arms so it was resting on my shoulder.
"Nothing," I sighed, moving past her so I could walk toward the front door. Before I could take a step forward, however, her small hand reached forward and pulled the bag down.
It fell onto the floor with a thud a second later, causing me to slowly turn around. "Sophie," I drawled out, watching as she bent down to reach for my bag. "What are you doing?"
"Where are you going?" She asked, eyeing my bag. "Did something happen?"
I shook my head with a tight smile on my lips. "No, it's just that I've overstayed my welcome," I explained, making her forest green eyes widen.
"What are you talking about?" She asked with surprise before narrowing them a second later. "What did Xavier tell you?"
"Nothing," I sighed, reaching for the bag, but she quickly snatched it further away, hiding it behind her back.
Too curious for her own good, she tsked. "What happened?" She rephrased, determined to get the truth out.
Knowing that she wasn't going to accept my vague answer, I forced a tight smile. "Xavier didn't say anything—at least, anything to get me out of your place," I lied, remembering how the nosy dick stated I shouldn't couch surf.
Her eyes continued to stay narrowed on me before she shook her head once. "You may lie easily, but your aura can't fool me," she explained, looking around my physique before meeting my eyes head on. "Listen, your sign with Chris' isn't that compatible. It makes no sense to stay with the idiot. He'll drive you insane."
"He's been doing it for this long, I doubt it matters now," I told her, rolling my eyes. "It's not gonna be forever. July is almost over and hopefully by the fall I'll be gone."
Sophie's expression cracked but before I could read it any further, she dropped her head so she was staring at her feet. "Thanks for letting me stay here the last week or so," I whispered, taking a deep breath. "I appreciate it."
"You're always welcome, Mon," she confessed, meeting my eyes again before smiling sadly. "You may think you're alone but you're family to me. Your dad would want us to be one," she confessed, making my heart crack.
But I couldn't say anything about that. "I'll see you at work tomorrow," I told her, removing the emotion off my expression before reaching for my gym bag. Sophie reluctantly gave it to me, and I didn't waste another moment before walking closer to the exit.
Giving her one final wave, I opened the door, stepping out of her apartment. But before I could close the door, Sophie moved forward, holding it open while smirking in my direction. "Remember, he's a Pisces. If you wanna get to him, play with his emotions."
I chuckled and shook my head before giving her a thumbs up. "Thanks for the advice, I'll make sure to crush his hopes and dreams."
She sent me one last smile before closing the door. It took a while before I made it downstairs. I stepped into the elevator and while slowly making my descent to the lobby, I brought my gym bag on top of my luggage before wrapping the strap around the handle.
By the time I got to the bottom floor, I waved goodbye to Edgar, who was nearly half-asleep behind the front desk.
It was around five minutes of me walking through town when I heard shouting from behind me. I was stunned in my place for a solid five seconds before I moved myself and my things to the side, in between two one story buildings. I pressed my back against the brick wall, holding my breath as I hear more males yelling with fury.
Their steps moved closer to where I was, giving me a chance to hear what they were arguing about. "I told Ricardo to sell fifty grams," one of them hissed. "I'm gonna put a bullet between his eyes."
There was a moment of silence. "That's not up to you," his companion replied, a hint of fear in his voice. "It's boss'—"
"I don't give a fuck!" The first voice roared, making me automatically inhale as I dug myself further into the darkness the alley provided. "The kid'll fucking agree with me," he gritted a few seconds later.
"What about Davison and Lopez? They're still booked," someone mumbled. I almost didn't hear him, but since they were getting closer, it wasn't as difficult to catch.
A harsh laugh was the man's reply. "The second they're out, they're both dead," he hissed. "Boss will agree with that—the fucking idiots got caught."
Realization hit me that they were talking about drugs, which brought a wave of anxiety to hit me straight in my chest. I thought back to all those years ago, when the dealer who was known by a lot of young people got arrested. After he was gone, the police raided everything since it'd been unorganized and a mess.
Was there another leader?
The longer I thought of it, the quicker I remembered how Ronen mentioned to Xavier about some guy name Rutherford and how some people had been caught with cocaine. Davison and Lopez must have been them.
A car down the street roared its engine, getting the guys on the street to cuss. A few seconds passed when the car stopped somewhere close to where I was hiding. "Get the fuck in, motherfuckers!" A familiar voice yelled, making me startled. It was hidden behind a harsh and raspy tone, but nonetheless, it sounded recognizable.
Before I could peek around the corner to see who it was, the guys cheered and opened the car doors, by the sound of it. Not a moment later passed before the car sped down the rest of the street, startling me.
I waited a beat before walking out of the alley. The walk back home consisted of me overthinking what I learned, and by the time I finished the second scenario in my head, I found myself standing in front of the bungalow.
Taking a deep breath, I reached forward and opened the door, surprised that it was unlocked.
Well, not really. Chris likely forgot that there was a possibility that someone could come in.
The moment I stepped inside, I was greeted with the lights being on the living room next to me. Chris sat on the couch, watching television while sipping what looked to be his third beer. Since there wasn't a coffee table in front of him, he laid each beer on the floor next to his feet.
He turned to me, his blue eyes wide with surprise. Just as his mouth turned to a grin, I heard footsteps walking down the hall, where the bedrooms were.
Just as I inched my head up, I met mom's eyes, seeing her stare at me with the same level of shock. "Monica," she breathed out, clenching the robe around her. "I..."
Not bothering to wait for whatever she'd say, I met Chris' gaze once more, staring at him with a blank face. "I'm planning on leaving this damn state before the winter," I told him slowly, making him frown right away. "Let's just keep up appearances and pretend all is fucking fantastic and great, and I'll be out of your hair in a few months."
Not waiting for his reply, I kicked off my shoes and walked toward the hall, where mom was still standing in front of. I instantly moved to step around her, but she quickly blocked my way again, wearing a frown. "Maybe we can... we can get some breakfast?" She offered, meeting my eyes.
Her eyes flickered with excitement, and I couldn't help but notice her hope. But here I was, excited to break the news. "Just because I'm back doesn't mean all is all peachy, Fiona," I told her, eyeing the living room long enough so she'd remember what happened.
When I saw her stiffening in the corner of my eye, I almost smiled with satisfaction. "Alright, goodnight people," I said loudly, using both my index and middle finger to give them a peace sign before walking around mom.
"I'm still your mother," I heard her whisper brokenly under her breath.
"Don't, Fiona," I called out lightly over my shoulder before stepping into my bedroom. For a moment, I really considered to rent somewhere, but seeing that Chris and I paid for the mortgage while mom was both snorting coke and in jail, I decided not to.
Just as I was dropping my belongings by the foot of my bed, I felt my phone ring with a notification in my pocket.
Pulling it out, I read the message and instantly smiled a real smile for the first time in hours. Hey, Bangs, I read from Liam.
Hey, Triple... how'd you get my number? I asked, recalling that I never gave it to him.
His answer was immediate. Got it from Ronen, who got it from his partner.
My heart fluttered slightly at the thought that he asked around for my number. Ah, I see. What a very stalkerish tactic. Should I be worried? I texted while biting my lip. How do you know Ronen anyways?
Buddies since high school. And you should be worried, Bangs, I got all types of stalkerish equipment, just for you.
Well, I feel special :)
You should be, he replied, but just as I was typing up a response, he sent another text. Anything worth being happy about today?
Nothing, I wanted to reply. But after thinking about what I could possibility be happy about today, I realized there wasn't one. Nothing, I finally texted.
Well, that won't do, he replied, and it wasn't even a moment later before he began to tell a story about something he'd done today, resulting in him accidentally stapling his finger. It wasn't long before he asked if that made my day—aka, him struggling to have a proper state of mind.
When I teasingly told him that it did, he continued further, mentioning more events that occurred. We ended up talking back and forth about our fuck ups, and I couldn't help but feel better by the end of the night, with his help.
┉
I woke up the next morning and suddenly wished I didn't, as awful as that sounded.
Chris wasn't home, likely at work drinking a beer during the boiling Monday afternoon. I stayed in my room as long as I could, silently suffering because I couldn't drink some iced coffee before stepping out the window. I got to work on time, but despite Sophie's best efforts to get me talking, I didn't have it in me to do so.
Normally, I could fake playing nice, but today wasn't one of those days. I woke up tired of life and that was that.
When the clock reached ten-forty at night, I was startled when the front door opened, revealing Aliana. "Hey, girls!" She grinned, eyeing everyone wearing the piss coloured uniform. "How's y'all day been so far?"
There were several responses, but I kept my mouth shut. I finished off wiping one of my booths before stepping behind the counter to gather my things.
It was a few moments later when I stepped into the employees lounge silently, changing into some sweatpants and a tee-shirt, since it was less humid with it being close to eleven at night. But when I stepped out of the diner, I found myself moving to the picnic table close to the entrance.
The strong urge of staying put racked my brain, so I stayed still. After a minute, I dropped my things on the bench before lifting my body so I could lie on the table.
When I looked to the sky, my heart ached when I saw a few stars, despite the light coming from Mel's diner preventing me from seeing more.
"Mon," I heard a soft voice whisper close to where I was. But instead of moving, I kept my eyes to the sky. My ears caught movement by my side until I felt the table shift slightly.
When I snapped my eyes to the side, I saw Sophie staring at me sadly while she sat on the bench next to me. "What's going on with you? You leaving randomly yesterday and now you're just... you're not here."
Keeping my eyes steady on her, I slowly poked my cheek. "Feels like I'm here to me," I grumbled under my breath before looking to the sky, keeping my arms next to me.
I heard her shift beside me. "Physically but not mentally," she mumbled, and after a beat, her hand touched mine. "Mon, you can pretend nothing bothers you, that you're better than your emotions, but I know different."
She paused, probably to give me a chance to say something, but when I didn't, she sighed. "Virgo's are just as emotional as well... Cancer's. Aka, me," she chuckled nervously. "But you hide it more than anyone. You doing that will only make you blow a fuse soon."
"Please... just talk to me," she begged, making me suck in a breath. "We can watch a movie at my place if you want. I know you like superhero movies..."
Managing to find my voice, I cleared my throat. "No," I told her blankly. Although I wasn't looking at her, I knew she was hurt. In that moment, I wondered if she knew why I liked superhero movies.
I heard another pair of feet walking in our direction, making me stiffen. "What's going on?" A familiar deep voice grumbled, causing Sophie to move on the bench next to me while I felt goosebumps run down my arms.
When I heard her standing up, walking on top of the gravel, I sighed with relief. I tried to stay as still as I could, thinking that could help me hear whatever she was whispering to him.
After a few seconds, I realized that my plan was unsuccessful, only managing to catch a word or two every now and then. I still didn't look to my side, however. My eyes were solely focused on the small number of stars I could spot, but when I felt the table shift from under me a few moments later, I stiffened again.
"Hey, Bangs," Liam mumbled next to me. We sat in silence for a moment before he cleared his throat. "Guessing things aren't great today?"
"How'd you figure that, Trip?" I mumbled. "I'm actually jumping with joy inside. I feel the strong desire to slurp a whole milkshake to my face. That's how—"
My sarcastic rant was cut short when I felt his warm hand clasp against my own. My head moved on its own accord as it tilted to the side, meeting his strikingly blue, ocean eyes. "Bangs," he muttered before looking at the table. "Scooch over."
For a moment, I was confused by his request until I realized that he wanted to lie next to me. So, I moved to the end of the table, watching as he lifted himself up not a moment later.
"Now I see the appeal of lying here," he teased, and I watched his expression as he looked to the sky. "It'd be better if it was pitch black."
"I know," I whispered, hesitantly looking away from his sharp, but beautiful features. When I looked back to the stars, I tried to focus on any constellation I could find.
"You see that one, Monnie? That's the Ursa Minor. It's beautiful, isn't it?" I heard dad's voice in the back of my mind. I stayed strong, hoping not to choke on a sob as I remembered him.
"I used to watch the stars with my dad," I whispered brokenly after a few silent minutes. My walls cracked as I kept my eyes on the sky, hesitant to meet Liam's gaze. "It was our thing. He'd take me into the backyard and we'd lie on the grass, finding constellations."
Liam didn't say anything, so I took a deep breath and continued. "He wanted to be an astronomer," I confessed, but I hated how my voice wavered. "He finished his undergrad, but when he was in school, he got mom pregnant with Chris. He finished his graduate degree, but never ended up getting his PhD."
A tear slipped down my cheek, but I didn't hold back. "He wanted to finally get it when I was old enough," I told him, keeping my tone strong. "He had a job, but he wasn't really happy. We... we talked about it when I was twelve. I told him I would be okay, that he should get his PhD."
I couldn't continue, my mind filled with memories of the last few months with him. Suddenly, fingers caressed the palm of my hand next to me before my fingers laced with his.
My eyes instantly dropped to the spot between us, seeing his large hard firmly locked on mine. When I brought my head higher, I noticed his full attention on me. "What happened?" He mumbled, using his thumb to draw circles on my hand.
"He died," I stated, looking back to the sky. I felt his grip on my hand tighten, and I knew he was probably going to ask something else soon. So, I spoke up before he could. "I have a question."
He was silent for a moment. "Shoot, Bangs."
If I wasn't so invested in my thoughts, I would have smiled. "On Friday, when we went to the club, you said you also felt broken," I reminded him, but instead of responding verbally, his body did it for him by stiffening. "I went to your mom's shop yesterday also, and she... she mentioned..."
I paused when I looked back to him, noticing his attention locked on the sky while his grip on my hand tightened almost painfully. "I also met your sister," I admitted with a small smile, deciding not to force answers from him now, despite being curious.
When he lowered his head to meet my eyes, I knew he was thankful for that. "Ah, the little mistake," he smiled too, before chuckling under his breath. "She hates when I call her that, but it's amusing. My parents weren't planning to have her—they were in their mid-thirties when mom got pregnant and it was a risk. Kat came out healthy but for nine months, my parents were on alert."
"I wish I had a younger sibling," I admitted with a grin. "It'd be nice to tease someone instead of always being the one getting teased. Chris was a little shit growing up, despite having a four year age difference."
He frowned when he heard my confession, his expression instantly sobering up.
His heated eyes were on mine, but after my chest reacting weirdly, I looked up and spotted another constellation.
"I was married," I heard him admit next to me, making my muscles tighten as I looked back to him. This time, his eyes were on the sky as he breathed out his next sentence. "I had a wife, and... she died."
┉
sometimes I call my younger
brother the little mistake :)
(not anymore though cause my
mom glares at me and my
brother complains that he was
a miracle)
anyway! happy Tuesday lovelies!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter
and are ready to take on February.
I'm ready to be bombarded with
midterms and papers (no)
I hope you lovelies have
an amazing day, love you x