BOOK 2
SEQUEL TO LIGHTS OUT - SPOILERS - MAKE SURE YOU READ BOOK ONE FIRST
That day in Abu Dhabi changed everything. Her secrets may no longer be her own, but the real battles have only just begun. Having such a renowned and experienced teammate, th...
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finally figured gifs out so instead of having to repeatedly beg at the beginning of my chapters, you can be hypnotised by flashy words... but i will probably still beg bc engagement owns me
also you know how i said that i had to split the last chapter with this one? yeah... this one also needed a split lmao sorry! should be an upload tomorrow or monday, though, so keep your eyes peeled for that!
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Max wasn't kidding when he said he wanted to devote the whole day to planning. For the first few hours, we sat on opposite ends of the sofa, flicking through the magazines for inspiration of any kind. Whenever either of us saw something that we liked, we would take a pair of scissors and cut out the section, being careful that it wasn't ruining something important on the opposite page, before sorting into separate piles on the coffee table. There was a pile for colour schemes, outfits, the honeymoon, the venue, food, and an additional one for miscellaneous.
It was a little after two in the afternoon when we moved on to discussing the potential date and location of the wedding. One thing I knew for certain was that I wanted to get married in a fairly local location. The main reason being so that the event suited well to my brother's needs. He doesn't like travelling so if Max and I were to get married abroad, I would have to prepare for the chance that he's too stressed to fly and might not be able to make it. If the wedding was to be abroad, then Xavier would need an additional few days of potential flights so that he is less likely to miss it. Max was obviously completely understanding of this with how close he was to my brother.
"How about a winter wedding?" I suggested to Max, my eyes scanning over some of the beautiful pictures we had cut out of brides in the snow. "It may be cold, but I could always wear extra lace on my arms and tell the guests to bring cosies. That way we could always have it at the end of this year."
Max seemed to consider the idea for the moment, but then shook his head. "I would love that, but it might mean that Cate and Pierre, or Vic and Tom, can't make it. I doubt they'd be allowed to travel if they're that far pregnant, and I don't think they'd want a babysitter for a newborn so would have to leave early anyway."
My heart dropped in my chest. "Wh-what? Victoria's pregnant?"
"Uh..." Max's smile dropped quickly and a look of guilt washed over his face. He reached a hand out across the sofa to take my hand in his. I was in too much shock to protest the movement. "I completely forgot that you didn't know; I'm so sorry. I thought it would be best to wait to tell you because of our miscarriage."
The emotion that followed learning the news of Victoria's pregnancy should've been elation that she was able to have the opportunity to have a child naturally. I knew that she was deserving of being a mother and would give her child nothing but unconditional love, but I would've done the exact same. It's unfair that those around me are able to take that next step in life when Max and I will not be able to without assistance, and I hate that I think it's unfair. Why can't I celebrate this for her? Why does my chest feel tight with anger? Why am I such a horrible person? I knew I was capable of these horrible feelings after Cate announced her pregnancy a few weeks ago, but I thought they had passed after not seeing her much since. Now they're back and I'm reminded of just how shitty of a friend and a sister-in-law I was.
