Page 78 of Call You Mine

“Got it, no alcohol.”

“But the twin thing,” she continues, her voice lowering so only I can hear as we walk, Damon following closely behind us. “Makes me wonder if Drake and you are due to have some twins of your own soon.”

I nearly spit out the drink in my mouth the second time she brings up the idea of Damon and me having children. Anyone else probably wouldn’t have heard her, since she tried her best to whisper it, but the growl I hear coming from behind us assures me that Damon heard everything and he’s not thrilled about it.

“I am so full,”Stella sighs, after finishing her last bite of red velvet chocolate cake. This was a party after all, and since there are children—and hungry grown ass men with an incredible sweet tooth—there had to be cake. Delicious cake baked by Scarlett herself, who has somehow taken to cooking and baking this pregnancy.

Trust me, it was a shocker for everyone.

“I can’t believe you made this,” Ruby says in between delicate bites of the deliciously moist and decadent dessert. Of course Ruby’s slice of cake is a tiny sliver with no frosting, since according to her, she’s not regularly indulging in such sinful temptations in order to keep her figure.

Ruby’s always been incredibly fit. Model thin, yet with curves any runway model would be incredibly jealous of. Her long legs, slim waist, and round hips give her the perfect hourglass figure. Especially now that she’s recently gotten her boobs done. I didn't think she needed it, but as she let everyone know, it wasn’t a necessity—it was an indulgence.

Regardless, her already decent sized breasts were now a full size larger, perfectly propped up on her chest under the thin silk camisole she’s wearing. Jade made a comment to me earlier that it was a delayed reaction to finally—once and for all after years of back and forth—breaking up with Jaxon, one of the other guys who grew up with them at the foster home. His lacking presence here today is a clear sign she won custody of their tight-knit family over him.

Scarlett settles into one of the outdoor loungers under the covered patio deck we’re currently on. Sighing, she sets her hands upon her bump, “You’d be surprised Ruby, pregnancymakes you do some crazy shit you’d never imagine yourself capable of.”

Ruby makes this awful expression, a combination of horror and disgust. “And that’s why I never plan on experiencing it.”

I can’t help but laugh at the camaraderie between these women. They're not in any way nice to each other all the time, teasing one another and even throwing insults every so often, but their love is something so incredibly potent you can almost physically feel it.

I want that. The comfort of family, the feeling of someone else having your best interests at heart, no matter what. I feel it all around me and it makes me hopeful, optimistic that I can be a part of it if I really wanted to. As I look around at everyone, I realize it’s exactly what I want, and I will fight like hell for it.

Caeli, Sapphire and Onyx have been running around all afternoon, all the adults taking turns trying to keep them entertained and, frankly, just keep up with their energy. Children are exhausting and both these girls are about to have two each. With the way Kai watches Stella’s every move with such love and adoration in his eyes, if it weren’t for the possibility of another high-risk pregnancy, I’m sure he’d get right to work on making another one with her.

“I don’t think I’ll ever get used to seeing you around here,” Ruby says as she creeps up behind me. Her voice is low, but I don’t think it’s hiding what she’s saying from the rest of the group. That’s not like her. Ruby isn’t the type to cower down if she has something to say. “Especially not on the arm of my brother, who you seem to avoid today?” she asks, a clear insinuation that she still doesn’t buy into our relationship clear in her tone.

I don’t bother turning to look at her, since I know she’s clearly only trying to get a rise out of me. Ruby’s been the least welcoming out of everyone and I don’t blame her. It is herbrother I’m dating and given my past, I wouldn’t be so quick to trust me either.

“Trust me, I’m giving him space for his own good. With Scarlett and Jade talking about babies every five seconds and how adorable one of ours would look, with my white hair and his green eyes, he’s about five seconds from bolting out that door.”

She shifts her position, so she’s now face to face with me, blocking my view of Damon, who is out on one of the beach chairs sitting and chatting with Kai. “So kids are not in your future with my brother? I must say, I always looked forward to having a niece or nephew, since I’m not too keen on having any little buggers of my own.”

I decide to humor her, and play along with this interrogation she’s got going on. The only way to win Ruby over is to show her I’m not at all intimidated by her clear, protective nature. She and Damon are a lot alike, their need to protect one another and those they love and care about. They would clearly do anything for one another, and that stems from them being left to fend for themselves at such a young age. When you have no one else in your corner but your sibling, it’s the two of you for life. Makes me dwell on where Ace and I went wrong, and how long it’s going to take for us to get back there.

Maybe dating his so-called enemy isn’t the best way to start our healing process but, the heart clearly wants what it wants, and all of us here is a testament to that.

“We just started dating Ruby, and although I am taking this relationship seriously, you know your brother better than anyone. He's not quick to trust and open up to someone. I don’t want to do something that’ll eventually push him away or send him running for the hills.”

As I say the words, I get a nasty taste in my mouth at how I’m doing the exact opposite of what I just said to her. Almost everything I’ve told Damon about me is a lie. The reason I’mhere, what’s been going on in my life these last three years. I’m keeping secrets, lying to him, when I know it’s the one thing that will push him away.

Only I’m so far into it now. I don’t know how to get out without ruining everything between us and hurting him.

Ruby takes a step back when she notices my mind has clearly wandered off somewhere dark. Behind her, I watch Damon, whose gaze meets mine for the first time in a while. Kai is still talking, but Damon’s full attention is on me. It’s like he knew I needed to see him. I needed the reminder that all I’m doing was because I can’t live with losing him. Not anymore. I’m too far gone, too deep into this relationship with him. I’m willing to risk it all as long as it means I get to keep him.

Even if it means living with this lie for the rest of our lives.

We’re interrupted when Caeli comes running between us, Saph and Onyx chasing after her. Her little arms wrap around my leg, pulling on me to pick her up.

“Up, uppy,” she says, her sweet little toddler voice melting my heart. I reach down for her and swing her into my arms and she shrieks, laughter bubbling up inside of her.

She’s so freaking adorable. Her hair, not as black as her mother’s but still pretty dark, is slightly curly, pinned up into a small half pony, a few stray curls framing her round little face. Two big round eyes, one bright blue, the other a mix of blue and green—heterochromia, they said it was called—framed by long, curly, dark lashes.

She cups my face between her two little hands, her cheeks so rosy from her non-stop running around the yard. “Elsa,” she says, a bright smile taking over her face showing off the two cutest dimples, one in each cheek, and giving me a glimpse at her full set of teeth. She giggles, “Look like Elsa, pw-incess.” I can’t help but smile as she wiggles in my arms, reaching her out for Scarlett as she walks over to us.

Scarlett smiles at me as she takes her baby girl into her arms, setting her down on one hip, her free hand resting against her growing bump. “Caeli has been begging us to take her back to Disneyland, but I just feel so pregnant all the time now. Elsa was her favorite princess, and it was the first thing she said to us when she saw you. I was thinking maybe after the baby is born we can go as a family, but I cringe every time I see people with newborns at the park. I cannot be one of those moms.”

Scarlett’s comment about Elsa being Caeli’s favorite princess warms my heart and I decide to say the one thing I know I’ll later regret. “Why don’t we take her?” I blurt out, not even thinking twice.

---