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Chapter Fifteen
Ace
Moving day. I can’t believe that Rebel managed to persuade Raven to move so easily. I expected more of a fight. He must've been putting in extra time, seeing her a lot more than I expected. It has to be the only explanation as to why she would agree to move. Not that I'm complaining, I wanted her out of that dump just as much as Rebel; I just wish that I'd had the confidence to go back and see her without the others, like Rebel did.
I've showed up today to help her move. It's sad really that her and Phoenix’s belongings all fit in the back of Rebel’s car. I knew the furniture wasn't worth taking, so I didn't expect to need a moving van, but I thought we’d need several trips in the car.
I sit in the back seat of the car and watch her closely up front. She’s stressed, anxious, preoccupied. It's not until we pull up outside the house that the enormity of what she's agreed to dawns on her face.
She turns in the front seat to gawk at Rebel.
“This is too much, we should go back …”
“It's too late for that, Princess,” Rebel replies with a smirk. “You're evicted, remember?”
She doesn’t respond to that, just goes back to staring out of the window at the extravagant mansion that is about to become home. I told Rebel when he bought it for his cousin that it was too much, but the boy’s got even more money and less sense since his band had that one hit out in Europe somewhere.
“Shall we?” I ask, nodding towards the front door.
“I thought these were all apartments?” Raven turns to ask Reb, who shrugs.
“If you throw enough money at anything, you can get what you want.” His tone is careless, and he fails to notice the way Raven flinches. I wonder what that’s about?
I don’t say a word, instead choosing to get out of the car and grab a box from the boot. Raven slowly follows me, staring in awe at the massive house in front of us. As we walk up to the bright blue door, she looks dwarfed by it. Rebel follows with Phoenix comfortably in his arms.
“Mummy!” Phoenix cries in wonder. “Is this a castle? Am I a princess?”
I can’t help but smile, while Rebel laughs outright.
“No, you’re a princess in training, Phoenix. Your mum is the original princess,” Rebel tells her, causing Raven to scowl at him, even though her cheeks flush at his compliment, or the memories or something.
“I knew it,” Phoenix whispers in awe, eyes wide, staring at her mum. I chuckle.
“Go. Heavy,” I complain, shaking the box to show what I mean.
Raven hesitates a moment longer and then opens the door to reveal a wide, airy, light hallway with a wooden floor. It’s welcoming and stylish, without being over the top.
“This is completely over the top,” Raven complains. “Who needs four floors in a house?”
“Five. There’s a basement,” Rebel points out.
“Not helping,” she grumbles.
“Hey, Phoenix…” Rebel calls out, “wanna go find your room while we unpack?”
“Yeah!” Her eyes light up and she races off upstairs without a backward glance, at home already. Good.
“Knock, knock,” Thorn's voice calls from the open doorway and we all spin to greet him. Raven’s face lights up at the sight of him.
“Thorn! Come in! Thank you for coming,” she cries with excitement. “Is Jax with you?”
“Erm...no, sorry,” Thorn tells her sheepishly. “He had some…business in London to attend to.”
It sounds like a lie even to my ears, and I hate the way Raven looks crestfallen. She recovers quickly, plastering a smile onto her face, and welcoming him in again.
We make short work of unloading the car, Thorn and I easily lugging boxes up to the first floor to place them in Phoenix’s pink princess, unicorn, sparkly room. It makes my eyes hurt, but the little girl is beyond happy, so I guess that’s all that matters.
A couple of things end up in Raven’s room, but that’s it. Two lives unpacked in a couple of short trips. It makes me sad. It reminds me of when I arrived in the U.K., with pretty much just the clothes on my back. I wouldn’t wish that life on anyone. I want to fill this house with happy memories and mementos.
