Page 101 of The Lies That Shatter
Bree’s expanded the large dining table even more to seat us all. Bree is sitting at the head of the table, with Liam on her right—Nate’s high chair in between them—and Kian on her left. Kellan is sitting beside Liam, with Mia next to him. Hallie’s high chair is between Kel and Liam, though she has her back to her dad, giving all of her attention to her Uncle Liam.
I’m sitting beside Mia, who I’ve grown closer to over the last few weeks. From the first time we had a proper conversation, I knew I liked her. She was easy to talk to, and a genuinely lovely person. There’s just something about her you can’t help but like. We share similar broken pasts, but that’s not what bonds us. It’s the family we’ve chosen to help us heal that unites us.
Finn sits by my side, his fingers constantly laced with mine, reminding me of his presence, even while we talk to others. Next to Finn, at the other head of the table, is Desmond, who I still don’t know too well.
I’ve noticed that Finn has been having more conversations with him, and is giving him the second chance I’m not sure he deserves. But Finn’s an excellent judge of character, so if he’s willing to try with Desmond, then so am I.
Von sits on Desmond’s other side, and over the last couple of weeks, I’ve got to know her a lot. She’s not at all like the cold, distant woman I remember growing up. She has a story that Finn will need to hear when he’s ready, but she has a lot more love for her children and her husband than any of us know.
Shane is next to Von, though he’s only got eyes for Ryleigh, who is beside him. They are so cute together, and though I maynot know either of them all that well, I can tell why they’re together. Shane puts up with all of Ry’s wild antics, anchoring her crazy just the right amount. Freya is between Ry and Kian.
I have to admit, out of everyone, Freya and Kian have been the hardest couple for me to wrap my head around. He’s just not at all her type, or at least he wasn’t when we were growing up. All Freya talked about when she was a teenager was that she wanted a nice, shy boy who just wants a quiet life. And one word you would never use to describe Kian is quiet.
But within a couple of days of watching them together, all my reservations fell away. She doesn’t take any of his shit, putting him in his place on a daily basis. Whereas he pushes her out of her comfort zone, forcing her to live a more adventurous life. Together, they are a perfect team, and the love they have for each other is obvious.
Despite everyone being under the same roof, this is the first time we’ve all sat down to dinner together. Mostly we all just do our own thing, and it’s not often we catch up as a whole family.
At first I thought the large group would freak me out, since I’ve never had a family to do family meals with, but the truth is… I love it. It’s loud and chaotic, everyone is talking over each other and nobody is really listening, but it’s perfect. I’ve never felt more at home.
The food arrives and everyone begins passing the takeaway containers around the table, so people can help themselves to whatever they like. I only put a few small spoonfuls of rice and chicken on my plate, my stomach rolling at the thought of eating too much.
I’ve been recovering from a sickness bug the last couple of days. It started a few days ago, and I’ve not been able to stop throwing up since. Honestly, I’m exhausted. All my muscles ache, and I feel like I might fall asleep at any moment. But I’ve not eaten much recently, so I promised Finn I would at leasttry eating something. Besides, I didn’t want to miss out on the celebration.
As the family digs in to eat, Kellan raises the beer bottle he has in his hand. He’s not usually one for public speaking, but this is different—we’re his family. Unable to hide the shit-eating grin on his face, he looks around at us all.
“Thank you all for being here to celebrate with me and Mia. We’re so happy you could all be here with us for this. Now would be a good time to tell you that we are having a baby boy.”
As soon as the words leave his lips, a roar of excitement and congratulations fills the room. Liam pulls Kellan in for a hug, and everyone raises their glasses to congratulate the happy family.
Hallie lets out a massive shriek, grabbing everyone’s attention. Her eyes are narrowed on her dad, and her beautiful lips turn into a pout.
Kellan sits down and grabs hold of her hand, not realising she had a mushed up chip in her fist. “You’re going to be the best big sister, Hallie Bear. Do you want a baby brother?” he asks.
She pauses for a moment, tilting her head to the side as she contemplates his question. Then, with a sense of finality, she nods her head once. “No. Me live with Unca Lee.”
Then she turns to face Liam, giving him the biggest smile as she holds her arms out for him, opening and closing her fists to let him know she wants him to pick her up. Liam throws a cocky smile at Kel before he lifts Hallie out of her high chair, drawing her onto his lap as she coos like a lovesick teenager.
Kellan’s face falls as laughter erupts around the room. “Fucking typical,” he chunters under his breath, before Mia and Bree tell him off for swearing again.
It won't be long before Hallie repeats everything he says, and we really don’t need her swearing on top of everything else. Mia is already worried about enrolling her in nursery school.
As the laughter settles in, I lift my fork to my mouth, but as soon as I catch a whiff of the Chinese spices, my stomach rolls. Without saying a word, I quickly run out of the room. I make it to the downstairs toilet just in time to empty what little stomach contents I have.
As soon as I’ve finished throwing up, I actually feel a little better, though I’m still incredibly exhausted and drained. I splash some water on my face, swirling it around in my mouth before spitting it out, in an attempt to get rid of the bile taste.
I make my way back to my seat, hoping my exit hasn’t been noticed too much. I should have known all eyes would be on me. Finn looks concerned as he takes my hand. “Are you okay?”
Everyone is listening, so there’s no point in me keeping my voice to a whisper. I just address everyone. “Sorry about that. I’ve got a bit of a sickness bug. I will be fine soon.”
All eyes remain fixed on me, and I can’t quite work out their expressions. Kellan’s the one who breaks the silence. “You’re probably pregnant. In the first few weeks of Mia’s pregnancy, any sort of fast food smell made her sick.”
Now, when all the eyes flick back to me, they’re wide and assessing. Even Finn is looking at me questioningly. “I’m not pregnant,” I confirm. “Just sick.”
Everyone accepts my response and turns back to their conversations, but Finn keeps his eyes on me. He knows me better than anyone, so I’m sure he can see the effect Kel’s comment has on me.
Now that I think about it, I haven’t had a period in months. That’s not unusual for me, as I’ve always been irregular. Plus, I’ve had a lot of stress, so I put it down to that, but now I’m not so sure.
Finn doesn’t say anything until later that evening when we’re alone in our bedroom. I change into the T-shirt of his that I sleep in, and he’s just in his boxers, his piercing blue eyes raking overmy body, like he’s trying to tell if it’s any different. “Are you pregnant?” he asks.
