The Heartbreak Factor - Part Three

Chapter Sixty.

“I can’t believe this is it,” Chloe said as we all stood outside the front of mine and George’s apartment block.

“Next time we see you there’ll be a mini you!” Elle grinned as she stroked my bump.  “It’s crazy.”

“The fifth member of Union J,” Josh beamed.

“I thought that was me,” I laughed.

“Sixth then?” JJ grinned.

George carried down the baby’s car seat and fitted it into the back of his car as I stood talking to JJ, Elle, Jaymi, Olly, Josh and Chloe.

“Right, are we ready to go?” George asked as he walked back over to where we were stood.

I nodded, grinning a huge grin.

“Bye-bye bump,” Jaymi beamed as he gave me a hug, trying not to squash my bump.

“Good luck, Sammy,” Olly smiled as he gave me and Jaymi a mini-group hug. “You’ll do amazing.”

“I’m gonna miss the adorable baby bump,” Chloe said as she pulled a sad face.

“Who knows,” George grinned. “She might bring it back in a few years.”

I turned around to give daggers at him. “Think again, Shelley.”

“You should,” Elle joked. “All the magazines have been saying it – you officially rock the baby bump.”

“I haven’t even had this one yet,” I laughed.

“You better name him or her Jamie Junior,” JJ joked as he hugged me tightly.

“Whoa, watch the bump,” I grinned, backing away slightly. “I’m not far off my due date so it could just pop right out.”

“No, JJ,” Josh said as he hugged me next. “It’s Josh the second or Joshina if it’s a girl.”

“She can have Josh the second or Joshina,” I laughed, pointing to Chloe.

Chloe laughed awkwardly as Josh stood, not knowing how to react. “Anyway, we’d better get going,” George smiled.

Helping me into the car, Chloe patted my baby bump for one final last time. “I’ll miss you,” she whispered, leaning into the car to kiss it.

“Get over it, Chloe,” I laughed as I put the seat belt on.

“Good luck,” Josh grinned as he leaned through the car window to give me a final hug.

As George turned the car’s ignition on, we all waved goodbye to everyone before driving out of the car park.

*

Lounging on the sofa in the lounge at mum’s house in York, I watched 17 Again with Kayla as mum and Kate sat on the sofa opposite chatting. Michael, Luke, David and Jonathan had taken George to the local pub for a male family bonding session whilst me, Kayla, Kate and mum were left in the house to watch movies all night as Christopher and Jack slept upstairs. “I miss being 17,” Kayla said to me as the movie finished.

“I do too,” I sighed. “I miss the X Factor days.”

“Do you ever wonder what life would be like if you didn’t audition?” Kayla asked me as I turned the television off.

Mum and Kate looked at me as I began to consider it. “I’d just be a regular law student, I guess,” I smiled.

“Do you regret it?” mum asked. “Be truthful.”

“No way,” I smiled, placing my hand on my bulging baby bump.

Just as Kate went to say something, I heard the front door barge open, followed by a chorus of manly laughter.

“They must be back from the pub,” Kate laughed as a very drunken Michael, a slightly drunken Jonathan, a sober Luke, a drunken David and an extremely drunken George stumbled into the lounge from the hallway.

“Ooh, Zac Efron,” Michael winked to me as he picked up the 17 Again DVD case off the coffee table as he sat down on the sofa next to mum.

“How many have you had?” mum laughed, gently hitting him on his chest.

George slumped down on the sofa between me and Kayla and wrapped his arm around me, using me as a support to stop him from falling down. “I love you,” he whispered into my ear. “And I love this baby.”

“Oh, God,” I laughed, pushing him away from me.

“Sammy,” Michael said to me from across the room. “This young man has my blessing as your step-father to father your children.”

“Bit too late for your blessing now, dad. Isn’t it?” Kayla laughed.

“I can’t believe it,” Luke said as he sat down on the armchair in the corner of the room. “I go away to finish my degree and then come home a week and a half before you have a baby. You’re too young – you’re still my little step-sister.”

I shook my head. “I’m your fat step-sister,” I giggled.

“Well whatever you are, I’m so happy for you,” Luke grinned, blowing me a kiss through the air.

I turned to look at George who had fallen asleep next to me. “Why did you let him get so drunk?” I laughed to Luke as he grabbed a pen from the coffee table and began to doodle on George’s arm.

“He’s gonna be a dad in a few weeks,” Michael interrupted. “He needs to have some fun before all the father stresses take over.”

Kayla coughed an over-exaggerated cough. “What do you mean by that?” she asked, looking offended.

“It’s neither you nor Luke,” Michael smiled. “Being a dad is stressful, regardless of what the child is like.”

“Try childbirth,” mum grinned sarcastically to Michael.

I turned back to look at George, just as Luke was beginning to draw a moustache on his face. “Leave him alone,” I giggled, hitting the pen out of Luke’s hand as the nib was about to touch George’s face.