The Brothers Down The Street

Chapter 27

Ross's POV:

Now, it'd been about two weeks since Maddy had moved in with the rich twat. Some days she didn't even come down, she said it was getting uncomfortable for her to walk around that she could barely fit in the drivers seat of her car. Will had offered to pick her up but she told him she didn't want to see many people at the moment.

I worried about her, about how sad she was getting. She put up a good front but I could see through it: she was terrified of having this baby. Tom saw through it too, we didn't really get along but when we did talk and it wasn't about cars, it'd be about Maddy.

I stopped running outside Maddy's house, I never used to run but I'd been getting back into it, and boxing. It was a good stress reliever and stopped me from thinking about Maddy, about what couldn't have.

Her and Will were happy together, anyone could see that. I could make her happier but not safer. They were like a married couple, they fit perfectly together but that was the thing, Maddy and I didn't, we were like fire and ice which is why we worked: we awoke something inside of each other, ignited the flame that nobody else could. If only she could see that.

The lights in her house were off and the sky was quickly darkening, I sat down against the pillar that marked her driveway and just thought about the time I'd broken in. She hasn't taken my advise, the doors and locks were exactly the same, she was too stubborn to listen to me.

My mind tortured me as I looked back on the night I threw her to the ground, the night she asked me not to hurt her, the night I sent fear through her bones. I was so stupid.

"Ross?" Her voice questioned.

I looked up to see her stood beside me, between the two pillars that her gate swung between.

"Maddy." I scrambled to my feet.

"What are you doing here?" She asked.

"Got tired of running." He said.

"It's like a two minute walk from here to your house." She smirked. "You should run more, a stamina like that."

"Actually I'm on my second lap of the village." I retorted, smirking and edging closer to her. "There's nothing wrong with my stamina, I can show you if you want."

"Right." She scoffed, placing a hand on my chest and pushing me away. I'd missed her touch, even if she was quite literally pushing me away, I'd missed it.

My eyes looked to her other hand, it held a little carry cot. My eyes flared up in confusion and panic.

"Relax." She laughed. "It's empty, the midwife said it could be any day now so I'm getting prepared."

"And how are you feeling about all that stuff?"

"I thought you didn't do feelings." She laughed.

"I think we both know I do with you." I said in a low tone.

"Maddy!" Tom called, from the bottom of the street, beginning to make his way over to us. "Haven't seen you in a while stranger."

"Came for this." She replied, holding the baby stuff in her hands. She turned to me and in a regretful tone asked, "Is Will around?"

"Inside." I said.

"So far." She groaned with a laugh and stretching my arm out down the street.

"Can carry you if you want." I laughed, staring at her enlarged baby bump.

"I've gain like over thirty pounds with this pregnancy." She said. "And I'm not even exaggerating."

"Well how much did you weigh before?" I asked, following her a few steps to the left so she could open her car and dump the carry cot inside.

"Don't you know you should never ask a woman her weight?" She smirked in an overly ladyish voice.

"Guess I'll just ask your age then." I scoffed.

She laughed, shutting the door. "Thank you."

"For what?" I asked, furrowing my brows and shoving my hands into the pockets of my bomber jacket.

"I haven't laughed in a while." She said. "It's been all babies and rich bastards and parties- speaking of did you get invited to that?"

"Invited to what?" Tom asked, arriving.

"Take your time Grandad." I chucked.

"Grandad? Could still beat your ass." He said.

"Boys!" She exclaimed, clicking her fingers. "Liam said he invited you to this stupid party, did he?"

"Yeah but I wasn't planning on going." Tom said.

"Same, why would I want to stand in his posh house?" Ross questioned.

"Well I'm refusing to go but I live there so I'm just staying in my room, you should come we can have an anti-party."

"In your room?" I smirked.

A hard hand slammed down on my shoulder, it belonged to Tom. "Relax Grandad, it was a joke." I scoffed.

"Right well I'll come, just to stick it to Liam." Tom said.

"Thank you and dress nice, it's a fancy thing." She said, getting in her car and pulling up.

"I didn't sign up for anything." I said to Tom.

"No but you'll come." He said.

"And why is that?" I questioned with a smirk.

"Because Maddy asked." He replied causing my smirk to fade, his face was stiff and he glared at me. "You leave her and Will be."

"I've been given this talk by Will and my dad already." I stated.

"Difference is I'll act on my threats." He said before storming back down the street.