Vault

Bonus Chapter - Positive

"Katie, what am I going to do?" I panicked as I buried my head in my hands.

"Chill out," Katie laughed, "this is a good thing, isn't it?"

"It would be if I were ready for it," I sighed.

"Why do you think you're not?" Katie asked.

"Because I'm twenty-two. My life has barely started," I mumbled.

"This is not the end of your life," Katie assured me, "you've got a career that you're doing amazing work in, the guy of your dreams adores you, you have a beautiful home and you're thriving, you won your court case and helped Ashton start an organization to offer assistance to victims of abuse. Ava, you've done more in your twenty-two years than a lot of people do in a lifetime. And this is just the beginning."

"You're right, I'm just being emotional," I nodded, "so what do I do now?"

"Now, I help you plan how you're going to tell Karl," Katie smiled.

Together, we devised the perfect plan and got to work. We ran to the store, picking up the stuff we needed before Katie texted all of the guys that they were all coming over to my house tonight for dinner. I don't know what I would be doing without Katie right now. Well actually I do, I would be freaking the fuck out.

"I got it,' Katie smiled as she went to answer the knock on the door.

I was finishing dinner, feeling myself grow more and more anxious by the moment. I can do this, they're my family, they'll be happy right?

"Hey!" Jimmy greeted excitedly before he wrapped me in a tight hug.

The rest of the guys followed suit before Karl stepped up behind me and wrapped his arms around my waist, gently swaying us from side to side with his chin rested on my shoulder. He was watching as I stirred the sauce in the pot before gently kissing the side of my neck.

"Hi beautiful," Karl mumbled against my skin, "I missed you today."

"I missed you too," I smiled, "how was your day?"

"Good, I think everyone is really going to like this video. What's the special occasion for dinner tonight?" Karl asked.

"I just wanted to talk to everyone," I evaded the question.

"Is everything okay?" Karl asked, growing worried.

"Everything is okay," I promised.

"Okay, I'm going to bring my backpack upstairs and then I can help you with dinner," Karl smiled before he placed a parting kiss to my cheek and walked towards the staircase.

Here goes nothing. Karl helped me finish up dinner before we all took a seat around the table. I was going to wait until after we ate, knowing that the rest of the night would probably be a little hectic.

"Alright Ava, why are we all here? Not that I don't love coming over for dinner, but what's up?" Chris asked with a smile after he had finished eating.

"Well I wanted to talk to all of you," I smiled.

"About what? You better not be moving back to Wilmington," Chandler warned.

"No, definitely not moving," I laughed, "I have something for Karl first."

Karl gave me a questioning look as I grabbed a box from the living room, bringing it back to the table where everyone was. I bit down on my lip as I handed him the box, shaking with nerves about how this was going to go. I glanced up at Katie, who just gave me the smallest of nods as encouragement.

Karl pulled the lid off the box, reading the first card.

The only thing better than having you as my boyfriend

Karl smiled as he placed the card aside and grabbed the second one.

Is our kids having you as their dad. I'm pregnant!

His jaw dropped as he looked in the box, finding a onesie that said Hello Daddy with my positive pregnancy test.

"Seriously?" Karl asked quietly.

"Seriously," I nodded.

Please don't be upset. Please don't freak out.

"Oh my god!" Karl exclaimed, the biggest smile I had ever seen on his face as he pulled me into a tight hug, "oh my god, I love you. I love you so much."

"You're not upset?" I asked.

"Baby, of course not, why on Earth would I be upset?"

"I don't know," I shrugged, "we're just young."

"Doesn't matter. All that matters is that I love you," Karl assured me as I felt him gently rest one of his hands on my belly.

"Care to share whatever the news is?" Jimmy laughed.

"I'm gonna be a dad!" Karl yelled, making me giggle.

"Shut the fuck up! For real?!" Chris asked.

I just nodded as Karl held up the onesie and started to celebrate. I don't think I have ever seen this group of jokers so excited, but they were. They were all excited for us. We were excited for us.

"So," Karl smiled after everyone had left a few hours later, "Madeline or Eleanor?"

"What?" I asked.

"Madeline or Eleanor, for a name," Karl gently touched my belly, "if she's a girl that is. Those were the names in the dream you had about our kids, right?"

"I think I like Eleanor," I smiled, "baby Ellie."

"Ellie," Karl's lips quirked into an even bigger smile at the thought, "if it's a boy, can his middle name be Christopher?"

"Absolutely," I agreed.

"Beautiful, we're having a baby," Karl shook his head in slight disbelief.

"We're having a baby," I repeated.