Ruin The Wedding (The Murphy Brothers #1)

𝐩𝐢𝐧𝐤𝐲 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐦𝐢𝐬𝐞

"There you go!"

Looking up from his phone where there was yet another message from his father about the Brussels trip as if nothing happened earlier, he quickly put it back in the pockets of his jeans.

Then he took the glass of white wine from her and moved closer to the left to give her more space on the couch next to him, so close that he could easily smell the fruity smell - shampoo or a fragrance? - that made him close his eyes and just enjoy it.

"Thanks! Are you planning to get me drunk?" He looked behind him at Aurora's room where the door was closed. Now he was nervous that even when he was whispering, she might hear it and wake up.

"I'm not telling you that," Charlie winked before leaning to the back of the couch and closing her eyes, letting out a tired sigh. "Just let me have this, please. This is my first time drinking in ten months and even then I had like two beers when I had a night just to myself. This is my party!"

It was on the slip of his tongue to ask whether or not Mason helped and gave her more time to relax and have a day off without the baby but then he realized that it was a stupid question.

From everything Fabian had learned about Mason, he wasn't exactly a father of the year and didn't help the twenty-one years old new mother. Thinking about how scared, disappointed, and angry she must have been while trying to take care of Aurora all alone made him see red.

"Well, congratulations! Let's cheer for that." Fabian clicked his glass to hers before taking the first slip. "So, how are you? Really? It's been only two weeks since you gave birth."

"I'm fine," she faked a smile, avoiding his eyes. Not looking away for even a second, he just waited until she was ready to tell the truth. "Okay. Okay. Of course I'm worried about Jules and I might or might not cried a few times during the night so Rory wouldn't hear. I just feel so helpless and worried and guilty and..."

"Guilty? Why on earth do you feel guilty? For what?" Fabian frowned.

He would ask more about her crying after this because while she mentioned it like it wasn't a big deal, it was a huge deal. It killed him to hear that she had spent the night crying her eyes out all alone without anyone comforting her.

He should have called her more often and forced her to talk more, to let out all of her feelings so she wouldn't have to do it alone during the nights. Hell, he should have been here during nights and just been there as a shoulder for her to lean on. He should have done more!

Charlie frowned in confusion, looking at him as if it was obvious. "It's my fault that she was born so early and can't hear or breathe on her own. If I could have just taken better care of her when she was still inside me then maybe -"

Furious with her, he quickly shut her up by putting his finger on her lips. Then he got distracted by how soft those felt and how pink they were and how close they were, so close that he could so easily replace his finer with his own lips. Hearing her take a deep breath, he noticed that she had closed her eyes almost like...

No, he was most likely only imagining everything. Taking his finger off her lips, he looked away. "It's not your fault, Lottie. There's nothing you could have done better to prevent this from happening. Sometimes bad things just happen, that's life. But I promise, it's not your fault. It was Jules' time to meet us."

"Maybe... But I can't help but think that if I had rested more or eaten better or gone to the check-ups even more then maybe this wouldn't have happened. Maybe she didn't have to start her life in the NICU, fighting for her life this young. And I can't do anything. Some mother I am," Charlie said bitterly, clearly angry with herself.