Resolution (Saviour) (35 page)

Th
ere are cheers and tears from all directions, Gabe pulls me into him and slides my ring back onto my finger, I had taken it off earlier because I knew my friends would spot it in an instant, as soon as it’s back on, my eyes search out Ryder but he is already at my side, not only to give me a kiss and a cuddle but also with a man hug and a handshake for Gabe.

“
I couldn’t be happier for you Mum, congratulations – Gabe.” He takes a deep breath and seems to be swallowing back tears. “She is the bravest person I know. If it ever comes to my attention that you have hurt her in any way, shape or form, intentionally or otherwise mate. I will hunt you down and kill you.” He stares long and hard at Gabe, just to make a point but then just as quickly they are having a hug and shaking hands again.

The next few hours go along pleasantly, the men cook, the women set up the food and the drinks are flowing
, twice I have been asked what I’m drinking and both times I have got away with saying white wine and lemonade and that I will have a drink later, once all the food is cleared away but I am acutely aware of the fact that both Jemma and Zac have been watching me more than normal but neither of them have said a word, so maybe I’m just being paranoid. Once everyone has eaten the men drift over to the pool table and to watch the footie on the big screen on the wall; Ava, Sophie, Louie and Josh are all sitting on bean bags around the fire pit and I notice Gabe has spent more time looking at them this past half hour than he has concentrating on his pool match or even on me for that matter, it’s getting cold now so I walk over to where the kids are sitting and tell the girls that I’m going in to get my hoodie on and suggest that perhaps they might be more comfortable and warmer if they went and changed into trackies and hoodies too, thankfully they agree and follow me inside to change. I am so uncomfortable in my jeans that I switch into a pair of yoga pants, a hoodie and my Uggs; as I walk back out to the pool house, Zac is grinning at me.

“
Jeans a bit tight are they darl?” He winks at me as he says it, I try to keep a poker face, and it lasts for all of ten seconds.

“
Please do not say a word to anyone.”

He looks absolutely amazed, his grin is as big as Gabe’s was when we found out and my heart warms to Zac even more
. He puts his arms around my shoulder and pulls me in for a cuddle.

“
Really? I was right. Does he know, when?”

We start walking around the edge of the pool
. “Of course he knows…I’m about eight weeks we think but we won’t be telling anyone until I’ve had all the tests done on them because of my age.”

“
Wait, wait, wait a minute. Tests done on them?”

It’s my turn to grin now
. “We’re having twins.”

Zac spits the mouthful of beer he had just swigged
from his bottle and then totally floors me by wiping tears from his eyes. “I wish my Dad was here to see him so happy and settled, I’m so fucking pleased for him Lauren, for both of you but it’s a shame your babies won’t know the ol’ the man.”

It’s my turn to choke up now; they actually won’t have a Pops at all as neither of us have our
Dads still living. “They will know all about Charlie and about Joe – my Dad and even though they won’t have a Pops, they are lucky enough to have two of the best uncles around, as well as two big brothers, so they will be just fine.”

“
You’re fucking amazing, you know that Lauren? Everything that’s happened to you these past few months. You’ve taken it all in your stride and just bounced back. When did you find out you were pregnant?”

“
Just yesterday.”

“
Fuck. Sam would be freaking out and you’re so calm.”

“
Zac, believe me, I am seriously freaking out, we have so much to consider, that’s why we don’t want anyone to know until all the tests are done. I’ll be forty six next birthday so we will have all the necessary tests carried out and then make a decision on what we do. For us it’s just another hurdle, our whole relationship has been spent dealing with shit, we can only hope that this will be something to celebrate.”

He pulls me in for another cuddle
. “You two really deserve some happiness, I really hope this all works out for you, I really do and I couldn’t have picked anybody better for Gabe, you two are seriously perfect for each other.”

We walk back towards the pool house with Zac
’s arm draped over my shoulder. Gabe comes out of the toilet and looks right at us and frowns.

“
Dude. Get your grubby mitts off my woman.”

“
She’s family now man. I get to give her cuddles.”

“
Since when was that a rule. Get away from him Lauren, he’s a perv.”

Gabe holds his hand out to me.
I kiss Zac on the cheek and walk into Gabe’s arms; he wipes his thumb over my lips.

“
Don’t kiss my brother, I don’t like it.” I simply shake my head and kiss him, full on the mouth.

“
Loz, put the sex god down and come talk to us for a minute will you.”

I look over my shoulder to where Lu is sitting with Jemma and Jo; I’ve barely spoken to them all night what with playing hostess with mostes
t. Lu is slurring her words and obviously pretty pissed and I can’t help but smile as Jo rolls her eyes at Lu’s condition, it would have only taken her two or three glasses of wine to get to this stage, she never has been a big drinker.

“
One sec,” I call out.

“
Sex? Who’s having sex, you, with him, oooh, can I watch?”

I shake my head and look back at Gabe
. “You have an admirer.”

“
I know, she keeps touching me, right in front of Shannon as well, she didn’t care.”

I throw my head back and laugh
. “Gabriel Wilde, are you scared of our Lulu?”

He shakes his head and drags his teeth from my ear, along my jaw and bites my chin; my eyes close of their own accord and I know I just gave a little moan…
out loud.

I jump, when right in my ear a voice says
. “Get a room you two, there are children present.” I open my eyes, turning my head to the side where Jake is standing grinning at me, he slides his arms around my waist and kisses my cheek; Gabe is right in front of me and I feel like the meat in between the two sexiest slices of bread to ever to make up a sandwich. Gordon Bennett. Imagine being part of a threesome with these two? Did I actually just think that? Oh well, let’s face it, who wouldn’t?

“
Take your arms from around my wife Curtis, before I rip them out of their sockets and beat you with them.” Gabe almost growls the words and I’m not sure if I should be scared or turned on.

“
She’s not your wife yet Wilde, I’m still in with a chance.” Jake kisses my cheek again; Gabe raises his head and gestures towards Jake. “Tell him baby; tell him who your Daddy is.”

I
shrug and look over my shoulder at Jake and say in my best southern drawl. “I’m sorry sugar, y’all hot and that but ma Gabe here. Well he’s so big and fine.” I rub my hands over his chest and arms and wink at him as he stands all straight and upright with the biggest grin on his face.

Jake gives me one more kiss on the cheek
, which wipes the smile right off Gabe’s face. “Your loss Lauren, your loss.”

Jo appears from nowhere and slaps Jakes arse
. “Will you please stop grinding into my friend? Totes inaprops Jake.”

Gabe grabs me and pulls me away from Jake
. “Dude, quit with the grinding, seriously.”

“
You can come and grind me Gake. Jabe. Whatfuckinever your names are?”

We all laugh at Lu, she really needs to go home; Shannon walks away from th
e flat screen shaking his head. “Taxi for Lorraine. Time to go I think darl.”

We say our goodbyes and listen to Lu’s complaints at being called Lorrain
e as Shannon manages to get her into a taxi fifteen minutes later.

From above us I hear Ava call from the balcony
. “Dad, what about the song?”

“
Shit.” I hear Gabe say under his breath from beside me, I turn around to face him, he’s had a fair bit to drink and I can smell it on his breath, his eyes are glassy and he’s smiling a lazy drunken smile. I hold him steady by his waist as he sways ever so slightly. “What song babe?”

“
Aww, it’s something Ava wants me to do and I forgot.”

“
Well if Ava wants you to do it, then you better get to it, you don’t want to be letting your daughter down.”

He rakes his hands through his hair, kisses my cheek and asks Jen if he can borrow her for a few minutes, the pair of them head inside where all the kids are now gathering, leaving the weather proof bean bags around the fire pit now free
. Finally, I sit down and am quickly joined by everyone else.

“
You got a drink Loz?” Jem asks, waving a bottle of Bailys at me, surely one won’t hurt, if I put lots of ice in it?

“
Yes please, lots of ice though” I try to sound as casual as possible and instead my voice goes all children’s television presenter like. High and squeaky, squeaky reminds of the bitch from the ultrasound clinic, which reminds me that I’m pregnant, with twins. I swallow down the panic as it starts to unfurl in my stomach, I’m suddenly too hot and need to move away from the fire but Jemma is passing me a whisky tumbler full of ice, I take it from her and she concentrates hard on not spilling the thick caramel coloured drink as she pours it into my glass, as soon as the smell hits my nose I heave, Jemma stops, completely still and just stares wide eyed at me as I put my free hand over my mouth and heave again, I put the glass down as quickly as I can and jump up to head towards the bathroom but apparently I’ve moved too fast and as soon as I stand everything sways, I can feel sweat start to gather on my top lip and feel it run down my back, Jemma is suddenly at my side, holding me up and guiding me to the toilet, I just make it in time to empty the contents of my stomach in two giant heaves. As I quiet my retching, I can hear Jo banging on the bathroom door and telling us to open up, I nod for Jemma to let her in, she slides in the barely open door as I splash my face with water and put the seat down on the toilet so that I can sit on it.

“
You better start talking Day and I do not want to hear any crap. Are you sick?”

There’s another knock on the door, this time it’s Sam with a bottle of
water. I look up at all of them, looking down at me.

“
We’re not leaving here till you tell us what’s going on Lauren.” Jemma folds her arms across her chest, just to make her point clear.

“
I saw Zac cry when he was talking to you earlier Lauren, I know that something is wrong because he just changed the subject when I asked him what you were talking about. I will get it out of him so either you tell me or he will.”

I feel too sick to argue with them, what’s the point anyway, if there are any
complications and we choose not to continue with this pregnancy, I am going to need my friends anyway but abortion is a highly emotive subject and I could lose their friendship with whatever choices I make in the end. I let out a deep breath and look each of them in the eye.

“
I’m pregnant.”

“
What?”

“
No fucking way.”

“
Are you serious?”

“
I’m pregnant Jem, yes fucking way Jo, absofuckinlutely serious Sam, never more so.”

They all look down at me stunned
. “Well that’s a first, I’ve shut you all up.”

“
How pregnant are you?” Sam asks.

“
About eight weeks.”

“
You whorebag.” Jo and Jemma both say together and we all laugh.

“
Yep. Whorebag, only been together ten weeks and I’m already eight weeks up the duff.”

“
Well at least you know its Gabe’s and not the other fuckers.” Jo states.

“
Well yeah, that is a bonus I suppose.” Jemma says. I look over all three of them again.

“
What? What else is there?” Trust Jo, she’s like a bloodhound when there’s a story to be sniffed out, I can’t help but smile now, mainly because I am actually happy about this fact, I look at Sam to see if she is working it out, she starts to shake her head.

“
No way. Oh my god Lauren, is it what I think?”

I don’t know if
its nerves or shock at the fact that I am telling them all but I start to giggle and can’t stop myself. “We’re having twins.”

“
Fuck Loz. Four kids, your crutch is going to be like a bucket!” Is all I get from Jo, Jemma bursts into tears and Sam throws her arms around me and sobs. I spend the next ten minutes, telling them the facts and swearing them to secrecy; we emerge from the toilet giggling like a bunch of schoolgirls with a story all planned about how I’ve drunk too much and not eaten enough but nobody else seems to have noticed we were missing; we sit ourselves back down around the fire and Jemma removes all traces of Bailys from anywhere near me. I look up as everyone suddenly emerges from the house; Ava is beaming from ear to ear, she makes a big production of telling everyone to come and sit around the fire and she gets the blokes to bring over bar stools for her, Gabe and Jen, they all have guitars with them; Gabe sits in the middle of the girls and everyone falls silent.