Interdependent (Book 2 in EBTWOG series)

Chapter 20

I wake to Sophie inches away from my face grinning down at me.

"Mummy, guess who's here!" she says excitedly before I have the time to wake fully.

"Who? I respond, mirroring her excitement through a yawn.

"Come see," she says pulling on my arm. I brush a hand over my face,hoping to get some of the grittiness out of my eyes. Still bleary eyed, I clamber out of the bed and follow her as she goes carefully down the stairs.

I don't remember what time we made it to bed last night, just that we only stopped talking once our heads started to droop as some of us began to nod off. Most of the guys camped out in the living room, while a couple gave them more room by sleeping on the floor with Ashton in his room. With Sophie in the bed, I was coerced into taking the space instead of offering it to one of the others.

Sophie pulls me to the kitchen, pushing the door open for me, and I catch it just in time before it comes back to smack me square in the face and break Sophie's grip from mine.

"Ta-da," she says, very cutely might I add.

I stifle another yawn as I fake surprise. "Wow."

Ashton is over in the kitchen area, busying himself with getting breakfast for everyone else. Aiko and Joshua are sitting at the table, Brody sitting next to Joshua and talking to him animatedly Levi is at the end in the wheelchair, and Jesse is leaning against one of the counters drinking a cup of coffee. Storm is bent down putting some dishes in the dishwasher, and straightens when he hears Sophie exclaim with her surprise of the guys.

Happy she got the reaction she wanted from me, she runs to the table and her bowl there.

"Coffee?" Ashton asks, Jesse getting a mug down from a shelf. I nod enthusiastically.

I slide into an empty chair beside Sophie. A mug is placed in front of me soon after.

"Alright, I'm heading out," Storm tells us after I fill a bowl with the cereal on the table. He stops at the table on his way out.

"Bye, mia piccola sole. Bella, I wish I could stay longer but Mamma..."

"Don't worry about it," I say, meeting his eyes hoping to convey that I don't mind him leaving. They all have lives. I can't expect to be with them every moment of the day. A small smile graces his lips before he bids us farewell.

"And then there were..." Brody trails off counting each of us. "Eight." I assume the others has already left as well then.

The scrapes of spoons against bowls return, but we stay in a comfortable silence otherwise. Ashton's mother and father both come down as I'm carrying my bowl to the dishwasher. I worry that they'll get angry at us not telling them we'l be here, but they seem unfazed, both communicating with the guys left here.

I wonder if they know the guys' secret. Gerard had mentioned that most of the parents do, whilst some don't. Ashton's parents don't seem the type to take advantage of someone's abilities. From what I've seen they love Ashton unconditionally, and want the best for all of their kids. The thought makes me turn to Sophie.

Ashton's parents move around the guys easily, obviously having known each other for a while. Ashton's mum kisses his cheek, thanking him for doing breakfast, before she shoos him away and takes over.

"Did Ryder and Trystan have a good time last night?" Ashton's mum asks the room.

"Did Patrick and Lynn let them breathe?" Ashton's dad adds on, which gets him a light slap to the back of the head from his wife. She doesn't disagree, though.

I bite back a laugh, glad to have confirmation that I'm not the only one who has trouble with Ryder and Trystan's parents.

"What do you think?" Brody answers, pushing one of Joshua's toy car over the table to Sophie who picks it up and runs it over every surface she can find, including my arm.

"The poor boys," Ashton's mum commiserates. "What are they doing tomorrow? Ash you should invite them over. Including Lynn and Patrick. Maybe we'll be able to give them a break."

Ashton shrugs. "They don't even know what they're doing. Just got told to get on the jet this morning. I doubt they'll be able to make it back in time for tomorrow, especially if they're not in the country." My head flies up in Ashton's direction. They're not going to be here tomorrow for their birthday? I had hoped to see them. Will I even be able to contact them if they're in a different country? When will they be back? I hope that whatever it is, Ryder and Trystan want to do it.

Hi Guys! I'm sorry this update is relatively short, realistically it should have been put on the end of the last one, but I didn't know exactly what would go down in this update. I can promise you the next one will be longer - I have some interesting stuff planned (or at least I think so). See you in 2 weeks!

Weirdly enough, in the books, it would be Trystan and Ryder's birthday today! So, Happy Birthday to Trystan and Ryder!

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CC ;)