Chapter 77

“HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!” My mom, along with the rest of my family, bursts through the door, causing me to jump off my bed in surprise.

Another week and a few days have passed, and I still haven’t looked at him. I haven’t spoken to him since my meltdown on the Fourth of July.

Feeling bodies bounce on my bed, I slam my own back down into the sheets, covering my head from them.

I grumble out, “It’s too early for this! Let me sleep,” feeling the covers rip off me. I see Kyle grinning cheekily, my other brothers and Sam lying across my bed.

“But it’s your birthday, sis! Come on,” Kyle whines with a pout on his lips.

“It’s a normal day, Kyle—”

“There is nothing normal to me about the thirteenth of July, Alex! You were born on this day twenty....”

“Four!” My mom fills him in because he doesn’t remember how old I am today. Math wasn’t his strong point.

“—twenty-four years ago! It’s a special day to me and everyone else here. I can’t think of one person you know who wouldn’t think it’s a special day today.”

“I can,” I say, dampening the mood and causing silence in the room. You could hear a pin drop. They all know who I’m talking about. The one person in my life who wishes I wasn’t born. My own blood.

“Sorry, I didn’t mean it like tha—”

“It’s fine, I know you didn’t, Kyle,” I smiled down at him. His face is slightly frowning. I know he meant well, but this will forever haunt me until he’s finally out of my life. Completely.

I sit up just as Lovey walks in and hugs Kyle to make him feel a little better.

“It’s okay... really!” I whisper to him and stand up to hug my grandmother.

“Happy Birthday, sweetie, I have your present downstairs for you.” I got a squeeze from her and I melted into her arms. I love her hugs. But I loved my granddad’s even more.

I walk around and thank everyone with hugs except for him. The she-devil’s even here. Standing by his side in a white dress hugging her figure and showcasing her long tanned legs.

Her hair and makeup were done to perfection. She actually goes to the beach like that?

“So what do you want to do for the day, sweetie?” My mom diffuses the tension between us three with ease. It’s a talent of hers.

I shrug my shoulders and reply with, “Nothing, it’s just a normal day, mom—” I shuffle my feet to turn around and face her.

“Oh hush! You’re doing something today! It can be anything... legal!” She jokes, making a small laugh erupt around the room.

“Seriously—”

“Alex! You’re doing something even if it’s something small!”

“Ugh... ok fine... um.... let’s bake today and then watch movies while eating what we baked? How about that?”

Seeing some heads bob around the room, it was agreed that we’re doing that for the day today. It will be fun to have everyone in the kitchen baking stuff and then we can all eat until we’re full.

“Ok, sweetie! We can do that! But we need to go to the grocery store to pick up some goods. The pantry is low on baking stuff.” I wave people out of my room so I can get changed into something comfortable.

An hour later and we all pile out of our cars like in the movie Cheaper by the Dozen and the kids run into the store to find the baking aisle. Folding my arms over, I get a tap on my shoulder.

Turning on my heel, I see Cole holding out baby Reign with a look begging me to take him because he’s crying.

“Godmother duties,” is all he says and passes him to me. I gladly take him and rest his head on my chest, I coo him until he simmers down and completely falls asleep on my chest. It takes him a while to quieten down.

As I walk down the aisle where my entire family and friends are, I see hands rummaging around to see which ones they want. Everyone gets to pick one small thing they want to bake.

I make my way down towards the cupcake section and try to find the double chocolate ones that are always here. They’re the best ones. I rub Reign’s back and I look around on the shelf to see where they are.

When I see them, I know I won’t be able to reach them. Until I see an arm stretch up and take them, handing them down to me.

That’s when I made a mistake.

A big mistake.

I looked into his dilated crystal blue eyes that were staring softly back at me. My mouth suddenly went dry and my heart started to beat hard. I can’t tear my gaze away from his.

He slowly hands me the box to which I take, brushing my fingers lightly on his hand and his eyes widen a fraction. A tendril of hair falls down his face.

He gulps down hard like something was stuck in the back of his throat and licks his lips. I see the emotion streaming from his eyes as we just stare at each other. Neither one of us breaks the stare. I’m too afraid to move.

“Alex! Can I get these?” Adam breaks us out of our trance, pulling on my shorts. He’s pointing to the brownies in his little hand. He hits it hard by accident, making him drop the box and the noise makes Reign stir.

I rub his back once more to calm him back to sleep and I nod yes to Adam, “Of course you can, Adam,” I whisper to him.

Spinning around fast on his feet, he races back to his mom who is helping Eden choose something.

I train my eyes to look down at the box in my hand and I mumble, “Thanks for helping me,” and looking to Reign once more to check if he’s alright. I hear his soft voice through the bustling around me, loud and clear.

“Anything for you, baby doll. Happy Birthday,” I say, biting down on my lip. I don’t dare look at him, but I can feel the weight of his gaze on me.

I turn and walk away, heading towards the checkout counter, the monotonous beeps of the barcodes scanning echoing in my ears.

I tell my mom I’ll wait in the car with Reign—it’s a bit too noisy for him in here. She nods, handing me the keys.

With Reign nestled against my chest, I slip out to the car. I start the engine to get the air conditioning going, then stand in the shade, waiting for the car to cool down before bringing him in.

Once I’m settled in the back seat with the door closed, I hear his voice behind the car. He’s arguing with her about something. I can’t help but listen in, curiosity piqued.

“I can’t do it anymore, Lauren! This needs to end—”

“Knox! You don’t like her! You’ve been with me! Remember—”

“And I’m really regretting it! How do I know you even have the pictures of her? Show me them—”

Pictures? Pictures of who? Of me?

“Oh believe me! I have the photos! You want to see? I’ll show you, they’re not pretty! She’s completely naked in them, Knox! Do you even want to see that? She’s a slut! These prove it.”

I whip my head around, trying to catch a glimpse of them, but I can’t. I can only hear them. Where are they?

“See! She’s a slut! Sending these around to guys—”

“Shit! Delete them, Lauren! I mean it! I know her, she’s not like that! She’s never been like that! Where did you even get these?” His voice rises with each word.

I can tell he’s furious—I’ve been on the receiving end of that tone too many times.

“Does it matter? I’ll send them to every magazine if you break up with me, Knox! I swear I will ruin that little bitch! She ruined us once. I’m not letting her do that again!”

“Fuck, Lauren, what is it with you? What do you want from her? From me?”

“I want her to leave you alone and I want you to look at me the way you look at her!”

Her voice sends shivers down my spine. She is pure evil. They have to be talking about me. But what pictures? I’ve never taken naked pictures of myself.

This doesn’t make any sense. Think, Alex, think.

“Fuck! Why do you have to be such a bitch about everything? I will never see you the way I see her. But I’ll do everything in my power to protect her from you.”

My breathing starts to get harder at hearing his words.

“You threaten me like that again, I will release them, Knox! I’m not fucking around now—shit, act normal! Paparazzi are here now.”

I hear a loud sigh from him, then footsteps walking away from the car. The rest of my family is slowly making their way out.

I gently place Reign into his car seat. Cole slides in next to him, Sasha up front with my mom. Hannah climbs in behind Cole with Noah and straps him in.

As we drive back to the house, I can’t help but replay the conversation in my head. They had to have been talking about me, right?

But I’ve never taken naked pictures of myself. Ever. So how could it be me? I’m so confused. Something’s not right. How did she get them if they are of me?

When we arrive at the house, I hop out and grab a grocery bag. My mom tosses me the keys to unlock the door. My mind is still spinning, trying to piece it all together.

Replaying the conversation in my head, I reach the kitchen and set the bag down, leaving the door wide open for the others to come in.

I rest my palms on the cold counter surface, my eyes beginning to widen. A shiver trails down my spine.

That’s when I smell it.

My heart starts to race.

Fuck.

The strong cologne he always wore fills my nostrils. I inhale it. It’s him.