“Can you get me a pic-a-mix and a bottle of Pepsi?’’ Harlow asks giddily, looking around the place. It’s the first time she’s come to one of our towns carnivals I realise, and I gasp in surprise horror.
“You cannot drink Pepsi. You need to try this amazing slush puppy, it’s to die for. The one year I got brain freeze, and then it started pissing it down with rain,’’ I shrug, and then laugh inside when I realise it’s the first time it hasn’t rained at one of these events. Usually the weather is so bad they have to cancel for another day.
“I’ll have both,’’ she giggles.
My giddy smile drops when Mason squeezes my hands tighter and I look up to him to find his jaw tense and his posture rigid. His eyes are stormy brown, staring at something in the distance. I follow his sight to see who has him shooting death glares and feel my own body growing tight and rigid. It’s my turn to squeeze his hand and step closer to him.
My parents are standing not far from where we’re all standing, throwing me a disgusted look, well my mother is anyway, my dad doesn’t know where to look.
Oh no! Please not here!
“Fuck,’’ I mumble when they start over here, my dad looking like he wants to run, but instead follows like the good dog he is.
“What are you doing here?’’ my mother hisses grabbing my arm so tight I wince.
“Let her go, now,’’ Mason growls shoving my mother’s hand from off my arm.
“Don’t talk to me you filthy scumbag,’’ she hisses at him and I look around mortified. Maverick’s jaw is hard, Malik looks bored, Harlow looks shocked, and Max looks like he’s two seconds away from pissing himself laughing. “I’ll ask again young lady, what are you doing here?’’
“I’m staying here. Evan let me sleep at his house until I am finished with court and I can go back to Nan’s.’’
“Thank God for that. Now go back to Evan’s. I don’t need people knowing what a hussy I have for a daughter,’’ she snaps and Mason growls from beside me, his hand loosening, but only to go around my shoulder.
“Your daughter isn’t going anywhere and she isn’t going to be going back to her Nan’s. She will be living with me.’’
“Well, no wonder you’re pregnant if you sleep with riff raff like that,’’ she sneers, looking Mason up and down with disgust.
“Are you going to let her talk to your daughter like that?’’ Mason snaps at my dad. I’m in complete shock and I can feel tears spring to my eyes.
“Come on Vivian, let’s go meet Robert and Darla,’’ my dad answers, his expression grim.
Max laughs shaking his head and my mother turns her scowl over to him, looking at him with the same expression she did with Mason.
“Something funny?’’ she snarls.
“Yeah you. You have a brilliant daughter right in front of you. She got good grades; she’s polite as fuck to everyone and hardly ever swears. She lost her virginity to my brother and got up the duff. Worse things could have happened ya know. She could have come back with an STD or on drugs. If you’re going to stand there looking disgusted, go direct it in a mirror. That’s where the disgust should be aimed.’’
“How dare you!’’ she gasps horrified. “Charles, dear, are you going to let him talk to me like that?’’
“Boy, watch your mouth around the lady. Come on Vivian, I can see Darla and Robert over there.’’
My mother’s head whips up so fast to look around her. She gives me one more disgruntled look before walking off with my father again in tow. I’m still frozen and kind of shocked.
“Your parents seem really… nice,’’ Harlow says once they’re out of earshot. The comment breaks the awkward silence and I burst into a fit of laughter, looking at her as if to say ‘no shit.’
“Your mom’s a bitch. Now can you go get me food, you guys owe me for eating without me. Oh grab some mayo and chips if they have any,’’ Max says before walking off.
“Are you okay?’’ Mason asks, the same time Maverick walks over to us.
“Don’t let her get to you. She might come around…,’’
I snort, “Or not.’’
“Or not,’’ he chuckles.
“Let’s go get some food,’’ Mason mumbles, his posture still tense and rigid, his eyes focused back to where my parent’s just left.
“Yeah,’’ I whisper, feeling my eyes water. I pray like hell he doesn’t notice them or that they fall. I never imagined bumping into my parents when I found out about coming back. To be honest they never crossed my mind. Nan said she called up my father a few times, but it was always my mom to answer the phone. She said if she could get him on his own he may be able to speak for himself.
Seeing them here is a complete surprise and another reminder of why I can’t stay around here. It hurts too much to know my own parents kicked me out when I needed them the most. I just wanted my dad to cuddle me and my mom to tell me everything was going to be okay. Unlucky for me, my parents have never been those kind of parents. They were always too busy with their image they had to uphold than to worry about their daughter.
I was the mistake. I was the one they didn’t want, so all my life I had to watch my brother get everything and anything while I suffered through my mother’s continuous criticism where she belittled me every chance she got.
Chapter Four
After grabbing some food Mason and I head over to where the group said they’d be. Mason carried both the trays while I carried the bag of drinks and a tub of pink candyfloss.
“Good, I’d started to think I’d have to go make the food myself for a second,’’ Max mumbles unhappily.
“Wouldn’t want you to do something that productive now would we,’’ Maverick sarcastically replies making us all chuckle.
“Not when you’re buying it from robbing idiots. Hot dog, seriously, four ninety nine with small fries and a can. I can get a tin of hotdogs that have eight in a tin, a pack of eight hotdog buns and a bottle of ketchup with a large bottle of pop for less than that.’’
“But then you’d have to cook it yourself,’’ Malik replies looking amused at his younger brother.
“Which is exactly why I’m okay with Mason buying it for me,’’ he chuckles earning a glare from Mason.
“Well I’ll be hungry in an hour so I hope you got some money on you Max because the next round is on you,’’ I smile gently, rubbing my rounded stomach.
“Trust me, I don’t think there’s enough food here to fill that,’’ he says pointing at my stomach.
“Cheeky fucker,’’ I giggle rubbing my stomach affectionately.
Feeling eyes on me as I look to the floor where they’ve laid blankets down on the grass, I look up. Mason is staring at me with a soft expression and a soft smile on his face. His eyes are focused on my stomach and the look in his eyes has me pausing my hand movements on my stomach. He…. he looks happy. I know it’s so premature to say such a thing, I mean, the novelty of having a baby could wear off within a few days, but something about the look he giving my rounded stomach, tells me every emotion he’s feeling. He’s happy about the baby. Not that I’ve had time to talk to him about it.
“You going to sit down or what? You’re making the place look untidy,’’ Max pipes up again amused. He obviously saw the little stare down I was giving Mason which has me blushing.
“Yeah… Um… I’ll just,’’ I trail off, looking around the park for a bench or something, but they’re packed with families.
“What’s wrong?’’ Mason asks standing back up next to me.
“If I do manage to get down there, I don’t think I’ll be able to get back up,’’ I tell him slightly embarrassed.
He chuckles, “Come here.’’ He holds his hands out to me and I take them and use his strength to sit down on the blanket. Once I’m sitting on the blanket, I can already tell it’s going to be a nightmare when I need to get up every two minutes for the loo.
“Ladies and gentlemen, today we have a local tribute band up first cal
led Mini Mix….,’’ a man booms over the microphone. I look over to the stage just as five girls around fifteen come out on stage, going straight into Little Mix’s song ‘Wings’. I flipping love that band. I spent thirty quid the night of the X-Factor finals for them to win. My favourite has to be ‘Little Me,’ it is so soulful, so truthful, and so beautiful.
“I love this song,’’ I cry out, hearing amused chuckles around me.
“You love all songs,’’ Max fires back.
“Hey, ‘Living on a prayer’ is the tune, my man,’’ I tut scowling at him. He’s also had it out for me when it comes to the music I listen to. The one time I was singing, ‘I Need a Hero’ by Bonnie Tyler and Max literally laughed in my face over my choice in music.
“You said the same thing about Miley Cyrus’s song ‘Wrecking ball’ until you watched the video for it and said it put you off the song,’’ Mason pipes in.
I turn to him, shocked that he remembered that which is really sweet. I’m about to say something sassy back now I’m starting to feel comfortable around them, but just then, the girls on stage go straight into the next song ‘Move’ and I squeal loudly, clapping my hands and wiggling my hips.
A sharp kick to my stomach has me groaning and bending forward.
Shit that one hurt little man.
“Are you okay? What’s wrong? Is it the baby? Are you okay?’’ Mason rushes out next to me just as another kick lands in my stomach.
Seems like someone’s awake.
Wanting to give him a reassuring smile I turn towards him, trying to sit up straighter, but I’m taken back when I find everyone looking at me with concerned expressions and Mason looking pale as a ghost.
Still short of breath from the kicking I’m enduring, I grab Mason’s hand, trying my hardest to ignore the spark that zaps through me when I touch him. I place his hand low on my stomach just in time for the baby to give me another powerful kick.
Mason’s head snaps up, looking at me bewildered and in complete awe. I give him a smile knowing exactly how it feels to feel it for the first time.
“Does it hurt?’’ he whispers, his eyes drifting away from where his hand is resting on my stomach to my face. When his eyes reach mine they’re brimmed with tears and it takes everything in me to stop myself from crawling into his lap.
“No,’’ I whisper back, too lost in the moment. Too lost, that when I hear Maverick’s voice sounding rather close to me, I jump.
“Can I feel?’’ he asks hesitantly.
Maverick is the largest out of the brothers, he’s also the oldest, so him asking to do such a thing as to feel my baby kick is making me want to cry. He hardly talks and when I first met him I thought it was rude, but once I came to know them all better I realised he just carries a lot of responsibility on his shoulders and a whole world of pain.
I nod my head ‘yes’ and grab his hand. I know Mason heard the conversation, I felt his body tense when Maverick asked to touch, but he hasn’t moved his hand from my stomach.
“Mason, Maverick wants to feel,’’ I whisper, melting at his behaviour. Tough, rugged, man whore Mason is whipped by an unborn baby and it melts my heart to see him like this.
“Not for long,’’ he says gently, but gives his brother a warning glare before reluctantly removing his hand.
Placing Maverick’s hand on my bump, I smile at encouragingly. He gasps when the baby kicks my stomach hard, making me wince for a second.
“Definitely a boy. Feels like he’s playing football in there,’’ Maverick gushes, looking like the proud uncle.
“I wouldn’t know, you’re hogging the belly,’’ Mason grumbles making me chuckle.
“I need to feel this,’’ Harlow says crawling over the blankets to us. Mason grunts beside me not sounding very impressed, but I just roll my eyes at him and nod my head at Harlow.
Her reaction is the same as Maverick’s, except her eyes water as she tells me how incredible it feels.
“Malik, you need to feel this,’’ she gushes, but he shakes his head ‘no’ looking horrified. “Don’t be a baby,’’ she snaps teasingly, and grabs a hold of his hand.
“Holy fucking hell. It didn’t seem real until this moment. There really is a baby inside there.’’ Malik’s face is priceless. He has the same expression as Maverick, but looks more in awe than anything.
“What, did you think I’d just gotten fat or something?’’ I ask pretending to be hurt.
“Shut up idiot,’’ Mason snaps at his younger brother.
The only person who hasn’t felt him move is Max and he’s been quieter than usual, so I take a look over at him to find his eyes firmly fixed on my belly. Or my chest, it could be either.
“Want to feel?’’ I ask him.
“I don’t think Mason would appreciate me touching his girlfriend up in public,’’ he winks. The word girlfriend has me tensing, before I remind myself not to get worked up over it. Mason growls and curses at him under his breath.
“Come here you pleb-head,’’ I tell him, reaching out for his hand.
When he moves forward, he places his hand over the same place the others did, and nothing happens.
“I don’t feel anything,’’ he says sounding disappointed.
“Hold on.’’ I poke my stomach waking the baby back up when all of a sudden he turns, and Max flies backwards, his face pale as he stares at my stomach with a horrified expression.
“She’s giving birth to an alien. I knew it would be half alien anyway coming from my brother and all, but holy shit that felt really weird. Did that hurt? Was that a kick? I saw your stomach move doing the Mexican wave,’’ Max rambles, his voice high pitched.
“No that was definitely not a kick, he moved position.’’
“Doesn’t that hurt?’’ Mason asks and I shake my head ‘no’. The only time it really hurts is when I’m startled by a kick or get a kick to the bladder, the rest just feels foreign to me.
“That was amazing,’’ Harlow announces. “Hey, I need to get some new photos, say cheese,’’ she says looking towards me, Mason and Maverick. Both lads pull in close to me, obviously used to Harlow’s photo fetish. Before I have the chance to smile or say cheese she snaps the photo taking me off guard.
Great! I’m going to look like one of the hillbillies off ‘The Hills Have Eyes’ while Mason and Maverick are going to look like something out of ‘Magic Mike’. It’s unfair.
We spend the rest of the afternoon watching different acts up on the stage. There have been some really good acts, then some horrible ones, but even those were still entertaining.
The best part of the day has been spending time with everyone. Over the past two and a half months I’ve missed them like crazy and never imagined that we’d have this easy friendship again because of my betrayal. But they’ve all welcomed me back and not once has there been any tension or a time when I’ve felt uncomfortable being with them.
It’s coming to the end of the show and we’re all heading back soon, as the place seems to be getting more crowded now everyone is getting off work. The heat is already getting to me even though Mason moved us into some shade. The shade only lasted twenty minutes before it had moved on. After the fourth time of moving I gave up and said I was okay. I’m really hot, and probably look like a sweaty whale right now. Not that I’ve ever met a sweaty whale, but if I did, it would look like I do right now.
Fanning myself with the leaflet some pizza guy left with us, I lean against the tree Maverick stacked with the spare blanket. They’ve all been like this, sweet and attentive. It’s actually been nice and nothing to how I pictured they would react to me when I came back.
“Are you hungry again?’’ Max moans when he sees me rub my belly.
Seriously, I ate four times since we’ve gotten here. Two of those times were just to get Max to spend his money after his comment about Mason buying him expensive food. I almost laugh at his shocked face.
“Believe it or not Max, no I’m not,’’ I laugh.
> “Thank the Lord. I’m down to my last tenner,’’ he groans.
“Oh, so you got enough to get me some more candyfloss before we go?’’ I half joke, really wanting to eat another tub.
Max opens his mouth, but it’s not his voice I hear. “Don’t you think you had enough food?’’ A sweet, bitter voice giggles.
A group of girls I remember from school are all standing around us, ogling the Carter brothers.
“Nah, I could totally go to KFC and I’d still probably enjoy a Subway after,’’ I reply sweetly.
“Okayyy,’’ she replies rolling her eyes before her beady little eyes land on Mason and her smile spreads into a seductive grin. “Hi Mason.’’
Her seductive voice grates through me and my hand clenches into a fist ready to strike Mason if he says hello back to her in front of me. My heart couldn’t take another rejection by him or my pride. When he grunts his acknowledgement I give her a triumphant smirk. She returns my smirk with a glare and I feel like doing a happy dance, especially when Mason moves closer towards me.
“A few of us are going to Heaven tonight, you should come. We can go back to mine after…,’’ she says suggestively and I want to gag right now. He just completely ignored her and moved closer towards me like he was staking his claim. Well it was either that or he wanted to show her he was taken.
“Sorry, he’s going to be busy with me,’’ I tell her sweetly, throwing in a wink to piss her off.
The girl stomps her foot and her friends take her queue and send me glares of their own. I just smile sweetly then nearly choke when I hear Harlow mutter under her breath.
“Somebody give her a brain.’’
Malik chuckles loudly, not caring about expressing his amusement. When the girls glower down at him he shoves his head into the crook of Harlow’s neck, howling with laughter.
“Girl’s, as boring as it’s been seeing you, you’re blocking the last bit of the light,’’ Max says, shooing them away with his hand, nearly making me choke.
“Call me if you change your mind. My number is…’’
Mason Page 4