They all bypass me and make themselves at home in the living room—a case of beer on the coffee table.
“Come in, why don’t you,” I say, closing the door and grabbing a bottle off the table. “What's this, some kind of intervention?” I ask, twisting the cap and taking a swig of the cold beer.
“Yep,” they all reply in unison.
“Of course it is.” I hide my smile, genuinely touched they give a shit because when all is said and done, we’re still family.
Sitting on the arm of the sofa, I raise an eyebrow as Henry sits forward and grabs a bottle each for him and the others.
I watch them expectantly and wait to see who will go first.
“Listen, we get it,” Olly says. “We all have daddy issues. But none of us are products of our sperm donors. We’re nothing like them.”
Wiping the condensation from the neck of my bottle, I nod in agreement. I know exactly what not to be. It's why I’ve been so torn up over Violet getting hurt.
“You can’t keep hiding away like some hermit,” Henry says, elbows on his knees.
I flip him off, but he just smirks and takes a swig of his beer.
“My unceremonious womb-mate is trying to say that we’re worried about you.”
Moving to the empty chair, I slump down and cross my ankle over my knee.
“I just needed a minute,” I reply honestly.
“We understand, man, so what now?” Olly asks, rolling his bottle between his palms.
I chew on my thumbnail. “I’m working on it.”
Henry scoffs, and I flip him off as I face Olly.
“I am. I just spoke to your hot sister, if you must know.”
Ethan raises an eyebrow at the mention of his better half, and I can’t help but smirk.
“Mine,” he says.
I roll my eyes. “Obviously, but only because she saw you first.”
Ethan tosses the bottle cap at me, and I catch it in my free hand. “Lucky for you, I’m only interested in one woman,” I retort.
“Someone is feeling a bit more like himself,” Olly says. “So, what did you talk to Lottie about? Please enlighten me.”
I smile for the first time in ages as I tell them what I have planned.
ChapterForty-Nine
VIOLET
Today is my first matinee and to say I am nervous is an understatement. My mum and dad are coming along with Char and Ethan. Which is great, but Nathan is the one person I want here more than anything.
Char told me he knows it's today but said no more on that front. Apparently, he’s been keeping a low profile after everything that happened.
“Why don’t you just call him?” Wayne asks, as I stare at my reflection.
Shaking my head, I look at his reflection over my shoulder.
“No, it’s too late now.” We go on stage in fifteen minutes.
