Nine Months Later

With everyone I love seated around one large table, I somehow feel both elated and empty. We all know that something is wrong here, that someone important is missing from this almost perfect scene. It’s his birthday we’re here to celebrate after all, but he’s not here to see it.

My eyes run over my mum and dads, and then at Kelly sitting at the end of the table. Her eyes are constantly wandering over to the door. It’s as if she’s still hoping he’ll come through the door at any moment. I’d be lying if I tried to say I don’t feel that way too. My heart feels shattered, and I don’t know if I’ll ever fully heal, but I know he’d want me to try. He’d want for all of us to be happy. I look at my best friend again. Her especially, he’d be so hurt to see Kelly still suffering like this.

I feel someone squeeze my hand, and I turn to face East. I knowing he’s feeling this loss just as much as I am, he was Ryan’s best friend after all. The one I’ve been in love with since we were kids, I know East understands my pain of losing Ryan more than the others do, and I know that’s why he tried so hard to protect me. He leans over, pressing a gentle kiss to my forehead.

“I love you, Kenzie. It will get better. You just have to give it time,” he whispers. I can feel the teardrops rolling down my face, and I taste them when they cross over my lips, the salty tang sticking to my tongue. I know he’s right, but I’m just not ready yet. It’s not time for me to feel better, especially not today. The wound is still too fresh, and it burns me deeply, cutting me straight to my core.

“I love you too, East,” I whisper back. I’m so relieved to have him and the other here today to support me. I don’t know what I would have done if I’d lost any of them. They have kept me going through all the pain and destruction that my twelfth mark caused.

“I know you do,” he says with a small smile. He runs a hand through his hair, looking every bit the picture of perfection. A warm hand rests on my shoulder, and I turn around to face him, knowing exactly which of my guys it belongs to.

“Hey, you,” I say softly, looking up at Enzo.

“Take a walk with me a minute?” he asks, already stealing my hand from East and pulling me up from my seat.

“Sure,” I answer, somewhat belatedly, as we leave the room with the oak door closing softly behind us. We walk through Daniels’ actual house, which is located not too far on the outskirts of London. It comes in handy, considering we’re all working there now. Working for the council isn’t exactly my dream job, but we’ve had to step in and help lead our people out from the chaos.

Enzo leads me into the gardens, which my mother has been slowly decorating with dozens of flowers, trees, and garden benches. Daniels didn’t exactly have a choice when my mother asked to sort out his garden, which was once just grass and a few pots. Now it looks like you could find a secret world hidden inside of it.

“I helped your mum put a pond in, want to see?” Enzo asks and I grin, nodding.

“A pond? I think she has gone a little bit over board,” I laugh.

“Maybe,” he agrees, with a slight chuckle. We walk down the gravel path towards the back of the garden. There we, in fact, do find a pond, with plants and stones littered around it. There is a bench right in front of it and we sit down, Enzo draping his arm around my shoulders.

“How is Stacey?” I ask, remembering that he went to see her today. Stacey has moved into a house down the street with her new boyfriend, Tony, and we have started to become good friends. The Academy won’t be opening back up till next month, so she’s been around a lot.

“Good. Tony asked for my permission to ask her to marry him,” he says and laughs. “I felt so old as I said yes and threatened to beat his ass if he hurt my sister.”

“Don’t worry, you’re still hot, old man,” I joke, and he pulls me onto his lap and sliding his hands into my hair.

“I can show you exactly how young I am, right here if you’d like,” he teases, leaning closer and sucking my bottom lip into his mouth, making me gasp.

“Mackenzie! Can you come here please?” my mother shouts, and Enzo groans, leaning back.

“How long until your family goes home again?” he teases as I climb off his lap, giggling.

“A week. I’m sure we can find a way to sneak out later and finish what we just started,” I wink at him, and he shakes his head.

“Go ahead, I need to calm down,” he states, pointing at his trousers. I sigh, wishing I could help him with that problem, but I know my mum will just come looking for us if I don’t go to her. I kiss his cheek and run through the garden, seeing my mum standing near the back door. She smiles widely as I get to her.

“What’s up?” I ask.

“The twins are about to go and get their parents from the airport for the family meal tonight. They want to say goodbye,” she says with a smile. It’s good to see my mum smiling. She didn’t for a while, not after everything that happened.

“Okay, thanks mum,” I say, hugging her closely. When I pull away, I see tears in her eyes. “Are you okay?”

“I’m just so proud of you, that’s all,” she rubs my arms and steps back, wiping her eyes. “Go, go. I’m just being silly.” I hug her once more before walking in the house and searching the rooms until I find the twins in the second lounge. Locke is swinging keys around in his hand, and Logan is playing on his phone, looking up as I walk in.

“Hey gorgeous,” Logan says, standing up and walking over. He kisses me firmly and cops a feel of my ass in the process.

“Where’s my hello?” Locke jokingly whines from my right. He wraps his arms around us both, kissing the side of my head as I laugh, and Logan tries to escape.

“Let me go, you asshole,” Logan wriggles away, as I try to smother my laughter, and Locke winks at him.

“You clearly just want another hug,” Locke lets go of me to chase his brother out the room, waving goodbye.

“Bye then,” I shake my head and turn around, heading for the kitchen to see if anyone needs any help washing up. I walk into the room, and see East wiping a plate at the sink, a massive pile of dirty dishes next to him. His wavy brown hair with blonde tips is messy today. He looks like he has run his fingers through it a few times, but it only makes me want to run my own hands through it.

“Hey there, sexy East,” I say, wrapping my arms around his waist from behind and resting my head on his back. I squeal when he quickly turns around, picking me up with his yellow washing up gloves on, and puts me on the side.

“You’re all wet,” I complain, giggling as he kisses me and slides his hands around my waist and under my shirt.

“I was kind of hoping it would be the other way around,” he whispers against my lips, his fingers grazing my ribs just beneath my bra.

“Sorry, but the yellow gloves don’t do it for me,” I tease, and he tickles me, making me screech until I’m practically crying with laughter.

“Stop, stop! I cave! The gloves are sexy!” I manage to get out, and he finally stops, kissing my forehead.

“Good, because I plan on bringing them to bed tonight,” he tells me.

“I doubt any of us will be doing anything tonight. All of our parents are staying over for a few days. Remember?” I remind him, and he groans.

“My mum is going to clean this entire house and then take you out shopping,” he laughs at my pulled face.

“I’m sure I can cope. Maybe,” I say, and he kisses my forehead as he lets me drop from the counter.

“Now, I’ve got to finish this before your mum gets back in here. Unless you’re going to help…” he drawls off as I start backing out of the room.

“Nope. I did it last night, and you didn’t me help then,” I say, grinning at his annoyed face. I turn, skipping out of the room as I hear him chuckle.

* * *

“Damn, when did this dress get so tight?” I breathe out as I pull the black dress up over my hips and barely manage to pull the zipper up. Kelly snickers from behind me.

“Maybe one of the guys shrunk it in the wash. I swear they have no idea how to use the washing machine. They turned my favourite green top brown the other day,” she tells me, and she may have a point. We take the washing in turns because there are so many of us in the house. That means the guys do a lot of the washing, and my men are not good at washing clothes. Or cleaning for that matter. Thank gods Daniels has a cleaner that comes twice a week.

“I might get them to watch some YouTube videos on washing clothes, just in case,” I say, pulling my black hair over my shoulder. I look down, frowning at the glowing purple mark on my right shoulder. It hasn’t done glowed like that before.

“Hey Kells, what does this mark do again? Did we ever find out? Because it’s kind of glowing,” I say, trying not to panic. Kelly runs over, staring at the mark.

“I don’t know. I haven’t studied all the marks, but Daniels would know. He was the one that wrote that new book on the marks of Ariziadia. You know, the one that is a bestseller and every wants a copy of,” she says.

“Yeah, you’re right. If anyone knows marks, it’s Daniels. It’s just weird. All of my other marks I can just instinctively feel what they do, but this one I never figured out. It’s been too mad around here with all the stuff with the council, our families, and well, everything after,” I taper off, seeing Kelly’s pained face.

“I get it,” she says. “Go and ask him He should be setting the table with the other guys. I’m going to finish getting ready.”

“Are you okay?” I ask her as she walks to the bed and sits down, staring out of the window.

“I just miss him, that’s all. Ryan should be here,” she says.

“He is here. Ryan will never truly leave us,” I tell her, and she smiles sadly.

“Go, I’m okay. Love you, Kenz,” she says, plastering a fake smile on her lips.

“Love you too, Kells,” I say, trying not to worry about her. I turn around, walking out the room, and run down the stairs. I can hear everyone in the house getting ready for the massive family meal we are having tonight. Thank the gods that Daniels has a massive, old-fashioned table that can seat twenty in a dining room he never uses. I follow the sounds of banging to the dining room. Walking in, I see Logan and East laughing as they use their air marks to set the cutlery, but most of it is falling all over the place. At some point Enzo and Locke must have been doing it too, but now they are sword fighting with forks in the air, using their air marks.

Boys.

I look over in the corner and see Daniels sitting on a chair, folding napkins up into little swans. I manoeuvre past the other guys to go to him. I see them watching me from the corner of their eyes, but they carry on with whatever they are doing.

“Hey, I have a question,” I ask.

“I’m not your teacher anymore, you know?” he teases, but he pulls me onto his lap at the same time.

“Oh, I know,” I say, kissing him gently. I pull back, and move my hair out of the way, showing him the little egg mark that is glowing purple.

“This mark started glowing, and I don’t know what it is. Do you?” I ask, but Daniels doesn’t say a word as he stares at the mark for ages in seemingly stunned silence. I look up to see the twins, Enzo, and East have stopped what they are doing to come and stand next to us.

“What did you say to break him?” Locke asks, poking Daniels shoulder.

“Is that mark glowing?” East inquires, drawing all the guys’ attention to the mark, as Daniels whispers one sentence that silences us all.

“It’s a pregnancy mark. They glow when you’re pregnant. We’re having a baby, Kenzie.”

THE END