Favored || Sequel to Chosen

TWENTY-EIGHT: the end

Lexi's POV - FIVE YEARS LATER

I took the lasagna out of the oven, setting it down on the counter. I started to make a salad as Kian made garlic bread. Today Kian's family, Jc, and Franny were coming over to our house to visit, since it's been a little while since we've all gotten together. 

"Mommy! I drew this for grandma and grandpa." I heard our daughter Eleanor say, and I turned around to see her holding a piece of paper. Ellie was now four years old, and we haven't told her yet, but soon she'll have a baby brother. She looks so much like Kian, I can't imagine how much our son will look like him too. 

"Aw Ellie, they're gonna love it." I smiled, looking at the drawing she did, it looked like all the Lawleys together. I was still close to my parents, Ellie's other grandparents, but we just don't get to see them a lot since they live so far away- they moved to the east coast about a year ago. I wish it wasn't that way. 

"Babe can you get the door?" I asked Kian, hearing the doorbell ringing. 

"Yep I got it." He said, hurrying over to the front door. Jc walked into the kitchen and living room area, and Franny came in right behind him. 

"Uncle J!" Ellie excitedly said, running up to Jc as he picked her up.

"Hey kiddo." He laughed. 

"I thought Chelsey was coming too?" Kian asked Jc.

"She had a lot of work stuff to get done, but she said she'll come next time." He said. 

"Hi Ellie!" Franny exclaimed. 

"Auntie Franny!" Ellie giggled. It made me happy that our kids are able to grow up having our friends in their lives. Bobby doesn't hang out with us much anymore, but I'm so grateful for Fran and Jc. 

The rest of the Lawley's showed up not long after and we all had dinner together.

"Hey Lexi, I have something for you." Jc said, after Kian's parents and sisters left. He handed me a big yellow envelope, and sat next to me on the couch. Ellie was sitting on the other side of me. Kian and Franny were on the other couch. 

"What is this?" I asked, as I opened it curiously. I reached in and pulled out a stack of photographs. I flipped through them, and they were all from years ago when I first became friends with the group, and they were all from disposable cameras. There were so many photos... one of them I stopped on and looked at it longer. It was a picture of Corey and I on my birthday, Kian and Jc had decided to throw me a party at the house while I was visiting. 

"What's wrong mommy? Who is that?" Ellie interrupted my thoughts. I didn't realize that I was getting emotional. I cleared my throat before speaking.

"This is your uncle Corey. Corey Labarrie. He passed... he went up to heaven when you were a baby still. He was a really wonderful man." I told my daughter. I stared at the photograph, remembering the times I had with Corey.

FLASHBACKS

"Well... I guess this is really it." I said looking around at everyone.

"If you don't come back, we'll come to you." Corey smiled, giving me a hug. The others stood in the yard, talking and laughing over probably the stupidest little things.

"Promise?" I asked, my face in his sweatshirt.

"Yes, I promise." He laughed. God, I'm gonna miss my Aussie...

-

I watched cars drive by and stop but not any cars that I recognized until I saw Bobby's jeep pull up to the curb in front of us, and two car doors open almost immediately.

"Lexi, what are you doing here?" Corey asked as we hugged each other. He let go of me and I hugged Bobby. The two of them looked at me, waiting for my answer.

"I didn't want Kian to leave, so... I just came with him." I smiled, shrugging my shoulders.

-

"Surprise!" We all called out as Corey walked through the front door. The lights turned on, showing all the balloons and birthday decorations around the kitchen and living room. 

"Oh my god." He laughed, looking around the room, until his eyes landed on me, widening. 

"Lexi?!" He smiled, rushing over and hugging me tightly. I flew back into LA early for his birthday as a surprise, since I was back visiting with Erika for a couple weeks. 

"Happy birthday Corey!" I smiled.

"I wasn't expecting to see you for another week, this is awesome." He beamed. Corey and I had gotten super close in the year that we had now known each other, almost as close as Jc and I are.

-

Kian wanted to film a video of our friends' reactions to finding out I'm pregnant, and the first person I told was Jc by Kian's request, and now today I would be telling Corey. I told him I needed to talk to him about something, and Kian was filming.

"Why are you filming, is everything okay?" Corey asked me, as we sat on my bed. 

"Yes everything is fine." I nodded. "I just have something I need to tell you." I sighed, trying to stay serious.

"I'm pregnant." I told him. He stared at me before smiling.

"Shut up. You're lying." He laughed.

"I'm pregnant, Corey." I nodded. 

"You're serious? Oh my god, Lex." He said, hugging me. "I'm gonna be an uncle!" He excitedly said, making my heart melt.

END OF FLASHBACKS

"Don't be sad mommy." Ellie said, snapping me out of my thoughts. Corey was the best uncle for the time he had with my girl.

"I'm okay." I shook my head, quickly wiping the tears from my eyes before hugging Jc.

"Thank you." I whispered. The rest of the night we played some board games, after Ellie had gone to bed we played the adult card games. But sadly, it was soon midnight and Franny had to leave. Jc was just gonna spend the night at our place.

"We need to have a girls day soon, okay?" Franny told me, as I walked her out to her car.

"Definitely, just let me know when." I smiled.

"Okay. And Lexi, I'm sorry if the pictures upset you... Jc, Bobby, Harrison and I found a bunch of them and even printed some and we thought you'd like to have them-" She was saying but I stopped her.

"Fran, no, I love them. It means the world to have them." I hugged her.

"I miss him too." She said quietly, after a moment. 

"Yeah." I nodded. "Drive safe, love you." I said to her as she got in her car.

"Love you more, I'll text you soon." She said, and I stood in the driveway until she drove off. I suddenly felt arms wrap around me.

"Hi, you scared me." I said to Kian. We just stood there for a few minutes, looking up at the sky and all the stars twinkling above us.

"I was looking through some of those pictures too. It's crazy that a few years ago we met through that contest, and now here we are with our own family." He smiled.

"It is crazy, but I couldn't be happier about it, Kian Lawley."

A/N

Well that's it for this book. I wasn't planning on this chapter being the last, but I felt like I would've just kept drawing out the story longer than needed. I doubt that there will be a third book in the series, cause I have no idea what it would be about, and I think the sequel ties it together enough :) thank you for reading, it means so so much <3

Also

RIP Corey, ily angel <3 I can't believe that it's already been eight months :(