Perfect

Chapter Twenty Five

-AVA-

   As usual, whenever Emma got a huge dose of sugar into her system, she ends up going through a sugar rush before completely crashing.

  Luckily this time Logan was here, and I used the excuse of him coming up with the idea of getting ice cream to my advantage, and made him deal with the sleeping toddler currently face down at the kitchen table.

  As Logan carried my daughter upstairs, I collapsed down onto the sofa whilst exhaling, pulling out my phone from the pocket of my jeans.

  No new messages.

  I frown, remembering Alex's promise of a text as soon as he landed.

  'He probably hasn't landed yet.' I thought to myself before putting the phone down on the side table and picking up the remote, turning the TV on.

  After about 10 minutes, footsteps cascaded down the stairs, and Logan reemerged in the living room, exhaling loudly himself.

  "Boy, that girl is exactly like you." He states. "I had to wake her up to get her to brush her teeth, and I thought she was going to start swearing at me in a foreign language - she looked that pissed."

  "I'm bringing her up well." I joke as he collapsed down onto the sofa next to me, taking the remote off me. "Hey!"

  "I call dibs on the remote after having to deal with my beautifully scary niece." I smirk and look back to the TV screen as he began flicking through the channels.

  It was a quiet evening, just hanging out with my step-brother. When my Mother and Jason first got married, Logan, my other step-brother Jack and I used to hang out all the time, along with my ex Tyler. They were my rocks when I got pregnant with Emma, and when Tyler left us.

  I love family time like this. It was blissful.

  Until there was a knock on the door, ceasing the fun family time.

  "Gaby..." I spoke dryly, not even getting a chance to move out of the way before my darling step-sister shoved her way through my front door, pulling the huge designer sunglasses off her face and into her waved blonde hair that was definitely fake. Clearly even with the amount of money her fiance - Dave - has, she still couldn't afford realistic looking hair extensions.

  Logan stood up from the sofa upon hearing Gaby enter the living room, and smirked brightly when she saw him.

  "Hi bro!" She exclaims, opening her arms. 

  "Yeah, don't mind me." I run my tongue across my teeth, closing the door and walking into the living room also to see them embrace, Logan sending me a sympathetic look with his eyes. 

  "Uh, I missed you and Jack so much!" She pulls away from him. "I got you presents from Malta! Dad told me you were here, although I don't know why..."

  "Because I wanted to hang out with our sister and our niece?"

  "Yeah whatever," Gaby glanced over to me again. "Ava."

  "Gaby," I hook my hands behind my back. "How are you?"

  "Missing the sun," She emphasized her sigh. "And the beaches, and the nightclubs!"

  "I thought your flight was coming in much later?" Logan questions, mimicking me by placing his hands behind his back.

  "I caught an earlier flight," She replies. "Apparently Dave got invited to some film premiere in Berlin so he's going over there."

  "You were never one to miss a red carpet event." I ran my tongue over my teeth once more. 

  "Yeah, but it sounded like an awful film that would definitely put me to sleep." She threw daggers at me. "I'd rather be in England and go to Dave's invites over here on his behalf."

  "How exciting for you." I sarcastically said, sitting back down on the sofa again. "Is it that film that has Grayson Wiseworth in it?" I was curious to if it was the same film premiere as the one Alex was attending with the Darkblooms.

  "Yeah, whatever his name is. Sounds crap."

  "He's apparently going to be nominated for another Oscar for it, hardly sounds crap Gabs." Logan spoke up in defense.

  "Gaby's never been one to be known for her intellectual film reviewing," I smirk sarcastically over to my step-sister. "More into those nightclub appearances, eh Gabs?"

  "Jealous?"

  "No." I bluntly said. "I've got a 4 year old to raise, not a thousand shots to knock back."

  "You're still as boring as ever, I see."

  "What are you doing here, Gaby?" I furrowed my eyebrows. "I mean, except see Logan, of course. Couldn't you have waited until he got back to his?"

  "All right girls, let's all calm down here." Logan tried to interject, only to be shot down by Gaby again.

  "I came to see MY brother."

  "He's my brother too."

  "Step-brother, remember," She pulls her designer handbag back onto her shoulder again. "He's been my brother longer than he's been your step-brother, and you know what they say, blood is thicker than water."

  "I think you should leave," I stood up from the sofa again. "Because I see you're still the same Gaby that I first met all those years ago, who doesn't give a shit about anyone else but herself."

  "No, I do give a shit about other people," She walks straight up to me. "I just don't give a shit about you."

  "Girls," Logan tried to get in between us before it escalated, which was becoming more and more likely by the second. "Let's just calm down here yeah? We're siblings."

  "I really think you should leave now before you wake my daughter up."

  "Oh yeah, the precious daughter." Gaby shook her head. 

  "Don't bring Emma into this," I warn sternly. "Clearly the only reason you came here was to pick a fight, but it's not going to work."

  "Really?" She smirks, unnerving me slightly.

  "Gaby, come on man what the heck are you doing?" Logan asks as my phone beeped on the coffee table. I momentarily turned away to pick it up, glancing down at the screen to see it was Alex.

From Alex:

Just landed in Berlin and got off plane and already want to get on a plane back to England again. Call me when you get a chance?

  I bite down on my lip, more because I was in a mixture of annoyance and extreme anger at my stupid step-sister.

  I turned back to her again, phone still in my hand.

  "I'm going to check on my daughter now, so I suggest that you're gone when I get back."

  "No need to wait," She looked back at Logan again. "Come on bro, let's go back to yours so I can tell you all about Malta."

  Logan gave me a quick hug after Gaby walked out of my living room, waiting impatiently at my front door.

  "I'm really sorry sis," He whispers into my ear. "I'll see you tomorrow?"

  I nodded in reply. "Good luck with that."

  "Thanks, I think I'm going to be needing it." He replies and then picks up his jacket from the sofa.

  "LOGAN! HURRY UP!" Gaby yells, causing Logan to walk out of the living room and begin to scold his sister.

  "Ssh, Emma is fast asleep!" He whisper-yelled, and then seconds later the front door closed, leaving me in silence.

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Much love as always!