Fireproof: Phoenix

Happy Birthday Phoenix

 OH MY GOD I'M ACTUALLY TIRED!! ONLY TOOK UNTIL HALF 5. THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS A STEAMY SHOWER SCENE AND THEN A BIT OF A MORE SOMBER ENDING.  

Phoenix POV

I was too preoccupied with the puppies to pay any attention to what Jesse and Blue were talking about.

They were so damn cute.

All five of the pups were wearing collars of all different colours, obviously a way for them all to be easily identified. Three of them had name tags whereas the other two just had collars.

The three puppies with names were: Zoe, Sapphire and Thor. Sapphire had a light blue collar, Zoe's was green and Thor wore a red one. Then there were the last two nameless puppies. One had a black collar while the other one's was white. I always wanted a dog but my mom and dad would never let me have one of my own because it would apparently have been unfair to give me a puppy without getting ones for Luke and Lexi. They did say that we could possibly get a dog which would belong to all of us but, being the spoilt little brat that I was at that age, I only wanted one if it was going to be mine and mine alone.

Sky walked up to me from where she had been sat with Blue and Jesse, and she nuzzled me. Her wet nose brushed against my neck making me giggle.

My head snapped round to the entryway of the kitchen when I heard Jay's voice.

"What the fúck are you two doing downstairs so early?" I looked over at Blue to see her beaming in the direction of the door. Jesse rolled his eyes.

"An old friend of mine just came around to pay me a visit." Blue shot me a glare at me calling her old.

"I am not old Phoenix."

Jesse and I both grinned when she spoke, knowing that Jay will have heard her and would therefore now know that she was here.

"Blue?" Jay questioned before bursting through the kitchen door to see his little sister sat there.

Blue squealed in excitement and then launched herself at him.

My gaze briefly locked with Jesse's. He winked at me making my cheeks tint a light pink before I quickly looked away from him and he chuckled at my embarrassment.

The whole day was spent playing with the dogs and catching up with Blue. Blue stuck true to her word and laid into Jay about not getting his dog neutered resulting in Sky's five beautiful puppies. He apologised and promised to arrange to take him to the vets when he was next at home but, due to the look on her face, Blue obviously didn't believe a word he said.

On the run-up to my birthday, the girls all started ganging up on me, like they did every year, saying that I needed to do something to celebrate. I've never been one to have parties or do anything particularly special for my birthday – not even for my 21st. I'd prefer to just hang out in my sweats with my friends and pizza.

The night before I turned twenty-five, we were all sat in the den just watching a movie while Sky and her pups huddled up in front of the radiator. I was sat on Jesse's lap on a beanbag with my head tucked beneath his chin as he traced shapes and patterns on my hip.

"Can we at least go to a club or something?" Blaze asked as she walked in with a bottle of beer that I'd asked her to get for me. I went to take the bottle from her when she handed it over to me but Jesse managed to grab it first and took a mouthful before handing it to me. He winked at me but I just scowled at him which resulted in him nipping at my protruding bottom lip but I shoved him slightly then turned to Blaze.