Two Months N.M

e i g h t e e n

Devon Devereaux

"There you are." Nash said as soon as I shut the front door and he looked back from the couch along with Hayes while the Jacks played FIFA.

"Hey, sorry, I had pasted out at Nate's." I explained walking past the couch to get to the hallway. "I'm going to take a shower." I said before any of them could say anything.

——

I laid down in my bed and sighed shutting my eye but I was thirsty. I sighed grabbing my phone to start scrolling through Instagram as I walked into the kitchen.

When I got into the kitchen Johnson was there texting. "Hey." I offered a smile and he looked up returning a smile.

"Hey,"

I set my phone in the counter and opened the fridge grabbing a water bottle but my eyes scanned the fridge. The only thing I had today was the egg McMuffin from earlier today at Nate's.

"You excited?" Johnson spoke up causing me to turn around as he set his phone on the counter. "Your birthday is coming,"

"Yeah," I nodded with a slight laugh and opened my water to take a drink.

"Your turning, twenty-" he dragged out the 'y' waiting for me to finish it.

"Twenty o-" I start to tell him but my phone lit up telling me I had a call. I glanced at it and it Cole. "I'm sorry I have to take this," I told him and he waved it off with a smile telling me it was alright.

He picked his phone up and started to scroll through his phone again as I answered. "Hey, what's wrong?" I asked leaning my back against the counter.

"Nothing, sis." Cole's voice and a little laugh came through the phone instantly calming my thoughts that something happened. "Sage had a bad dream and she wants you." He explained.

I laughed a little but smiled nonetheless. "Give up the phone, then."

He laughed and soon I heard the sweet innocent voice that I loved. "Auntie Dev'?"

"The one and only, baby." I smiled. I didn't care if Johnson heard my conversation but I doubt he was listening yet alone could hear me because one her was on his home and two because I wasn't yelling into the phone, I was talking quietly.

"I had a bad dream," she said kinda grumpy but I knew she was hunched over pouting.

"Will you tell me about it?" I said.

"You, and Daddy," she sniffled. "And Cole, and Uncle Jai, everyone was gone."

"Sweetie, that's not gonna happen." I told her.

"Promise?" She asked softly.

"I promise," I told her with a smile.

It was silent for a moment.

"When are you coming home?" She asked. I could still picture hunched over swinging her little legs as she held the phone to her ear.

"Soon, baby, soon." I told her.

"Okay," she sighed dramatically. She gasped, "What about your birthday?!" She exclaimed. I gave a little laugh not only because of how cute she is but she because she can't pronounce 'birthday' so I came out as 'birfday'.

"I'm not gonna be home for it," I told her.

"Imma miss you!"

"Imma miss you too." I laughed copying her wording. "I already do."

"When you home can we watch Barbie Swan Lake again!" She exclaimed.

"Of course!" I said faking enthusiasm which caused Johnson to look up at me quickly telling me I scared him. I laughed at him.

"And will you let me braid her hair?!" She asked quickly, her voice sounding kind of in and out telling me she was mostly jumping up and down in her spot.

Hayes and Gilinsky walked in the in there own conversation.

"Well, duh!" I rolled my eyes playfully with the enthusiasm in my voice still present, really girly how I said it if I'm honest. G and Hayes looked at me weird then at Johnson. Johnson shrugged.

"Sage, come on, it's late we got to get you back to sleep." Cole's voice came through the phone slightly muffled but I knew what he was saying.

"Okay," Sage replied quietly. "I love you, Auntie Dev', Cole says I got go to sleep."

"You do," I laughed agreeing with my brother. "I love you too, honey." I said.

"I miss you, come home soon!" She cheered.

"Sure thing," I laughed. "I miss you too."

"Alright," Cole's voice came clearly through the phone telling me he took his phone back. "Night sis, love ya."

"Love you too," I said hanging up placing my phone back on the counter.

Gilinsky was making toast so he was by me and nudged me some with a smile. "A secret lover back home?" He wiggles his eyebrows.

I laughed shaking my head. "It was my niece." I informed them.

"What happened? Shouldn't Sage be asleep?" Hayes ask concerned.

"Bad dream." I said and Hayes nodded his head. "Which it surprises me because it seemed like Cole was in the house," I thought out loud.

"Why is that a problem, isn't that a good thing?" Hayes ask confused, the Jacks not paying attention to our conversation to much.

"Reese isn't home," I said. "Which means Cole is watching her while the boys check in on them, if Sage was asleep Cole was outside trying to smoke and or drink with them."

"And knowing them, one of them caved." Hayes laughed walking over to the side of the island I was on:

"Exactly."

Gilinsky and Johnson had kinda formed their own conversation.

"It's just who though, Tucker isn't stupid." I said thinking. "Luke, I don't see him caving."

"Jai, obviously." Hayes rolled his eyes like it was just a known point.

"No," I laughed shaking my head.

"Yeah," Hayes nodded. "Jai would do anything for you and Sage and the dumbasses," my brothers. "So all Cole has to say was one thing and Jai would cave."

"What are you talking about?" I laugh clearly confused.

"You have Jai around your little finger," Hayes said, once again saying it like it was just a known point.

"I do not," I laughed. "Your delusional."

"Mhm," he hummed. "Sure." He rolled his eyes.

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