The Sun in My Eyes

55 Like Stars in Hidin', You and I Burn On

This is the second to last chapter! Had to break it into two. Last one coming very, very soon. 

**

Bobby peeked at his phone. It was flashing a notice that he had a text, but his sister didn't allow him to have the ringer or vibration on during tummy time.

So he stayed on the floor on his stomach, watching his nephew as he stretched his little neck out like a turtle, straining toward the soft giraffe toy just out of his reach. Cadien's serious little face lit up as he managed to grab hold of the squishy thing and pulled it closer.

"Oh, he got it!" Abigail whispered as she entered the room.

"He's a strong little bugger," their mum said, trailing behind her.

Cadien lifted his head and turned slightly toward the sound of his mum's voice and made a burbling noise as spit bubbles flew from his lips.

"Aye, I can't believe he's four months old already." Abigail scooped him up and propped him upright on her lap as she sat.

Bobby rolled onto his side to grab his phone. Lili had texted him several messages in a row. She wasn't one to complain about her job, but her frustration with her new supervisor was bleeding into every conversation. After a few solid rants, she sent him some emojis.

Thanks for listening, babe. I love you more than belly dancing and chicken vindaloo. Can't wait to see you tonight. Enjoy tummy time 💖😘

He couldn't stop the dopey smile that stole over him. Three months. Three whole months of being Lili's boyfriend. And it never failed to electrify him when she said she loved him. But it was nothing compared to how it felt when she showed him. The way her face lit up like the sun's rays when she saw him; the way her hand gestures got wild with excitement when they dreamed up grand plans for his show. The way her fingers lazily traced his freckled chest as she fell asleep in his arms. Yeah, just being loved by her was the best part.

"Lookit that face," his mum cooed. "Does my boy have a jo?"

Shite. He locked his screen and shook his head. "Um, no."

"Were you sexting?" Abigail asked.

"No!"

"Then why do you look so guilty?" Abigail ran her nails through Cadien's fuzzy hair.

"Um, I don't. I'm just..." He couldn't think of a lie, and honestly, he didn't want to think of one. He wanted to tell the world that he belonged to Lili Clarke-Reyes. But he couldn't. Not yet.

"Oooh, you do have a jo," Abigail cooed.

He wasn't allowed to tell them details but Lili never said he couldn't say that he was dating someone. And he knew if he kept lying about it, they'd harass him until he cracked.

"Okay, aye. So there's a girl I've been friends with for a few years–"

"What friend?" His mum's sharp eyes lasered on him. "It's not that awful Maitland is it?"

"What? Maitland's amazing, but alas no." His mum's eyes narrowed and he sighed. "You've never met her." Not a total lie. Seeing someone on telly wasn't really meeting them. "Anyway, we kind of went from friends to more-than-friends a couple months ago."

"More than friends?" Abigail tilted her head. "So she's a fuckbuddy?"

"Wheest!" their mum said. "Cadien can hear you!"

"Don't start, mum." Abigail turned back to Bobby. "So, she's a naked friend?"

Mum sighed. "God, that's somehow so much worse. Congratulations, Abigail."