Chapter Twenty Three

Tyler's POV

"Come shopping with me?" Callum asks over breakfast. Apparently, he is the type of man that leaves gift shopping to the very last possible minute. We're both eating toast with Carla, Daniel and Jerry.

Violet and Zach are still sleeping I presume. Neither of them came down for dinner last night and I didn't have the guts to go up to his, our room last night so instead Callum and I stayed in a room Carla made up for us hastily. We told her we'd be more than happy to do it ourselves but she just couldn't bear to let us do that.

"I hate shopping" I wished I had gone to bed with him last night though. I missed him and knowing that he was in the same house made that worse. Should have just gone to bed like I normally would. It was me, me who chose not to go to him. But he's been distant and I didn't want to be rejected.

"Do I have to beg? Would you please work?" Carla pleads behind him too, bringing her hands together in a prayer of sorts. Jerry and Daniel share a look and a smile. She's meddled and invited Callum's parents for Christmas. It's a terrible idea but it's done now and they were more than happy to be invited. Apparently, Callum hasn't told them about being in a relationship, not that Carla told them who he was in a relationship with. Nor did she tell them he lives with us. In fact, if his father was telling the truth he hadn't spoken to them since he started working for us around seven months ago. They'll be arriving this afternoon and I'm sure that's not going to go down well at all. Hence Carla wants him out of the house I presume. I raise my eyebrows at Carla and accept Callum's invitation to shop even though I really do not want to go.

"Fine" Callum smiles triumphantly. He does realise the shops are going to be so fucking busy we'll be lucky if we get in one before they close right?.

I eat the rest of breakfast slowly avoiding going upstairs to get fresh clothes. I don't know why I feel like I would be intruding. But I feel like I shouldn't even interrupt him even if it is just to collect clean clothes from the closet. I've never felt this distanced from Zach. Maybe it's because you know he's lying.

"He probably won't even wake up if you don't talk," Carla tells me as she takes my plate and cup. That reassuring smile on her face.

Is that what I want? To walk in and out without saying a word to him? I guess that would prevent him from shunning me again. I'd rather live in distanced bliss than have him ignoring me, keeping secrets from me.

Has he ever kept something from you?.

"Would you like me to get you some clothes?" She asks as I realise it's just the two of us in the kitchen.

"No Carla that won't be necessary" standing from the table I make my way through the house. Walking up the steps towards the third floor. Callum's fucking lucky to have Carla washing the few clothes he does have here. Maybe I should move some clothes downstairs? That would be easier, more convenient.

I've never had my own room here, even when we were kids we bunked up like brothers. Ironic really that there are so many rooms in this house and until last night I had never stayed in any of them.

Is that what it's going to come to? Avoiding the one person I don't want to avoid just to prevent. Prevent... what exactly? I softly click open the door. Of course, the room is still shrouded in darkness. The walls do that, it's exactly why he painted them black. He never liked getting up in the mornings. Never. I feel around the draws to flick the lamp on so that the muted light gives me enough vision to see where I'm walking. He even chose a bloody lamp that gives off barely any light.

Violet and Zach are huddled together in the bedsheets naked and instead of hurrying to find some clothes to wear as I intended to do I stand and watch them from the foot of the bed. They don't move except for breathing. Their chests are in sync as they take light breaths. Looking at the two of them I don't doubt what they were up to last night. Violet's hair is mussed and knotted around the pillow and Zach's hair is messy as if she ran her hands through it as he made her come, I can imagine it. I've seen it many times. Their night was probably the same if not more of what Callum and I had ended up doing after laying in bed for hours and not falling asleep.

I guess it's good that both of them can still have sex.

After all, rape does weird things to you.

Doesn't mean they'll have sex with you.

I'm a little hurt that Zach hadn't outright admitted what Henry did to him. He's not normally one to hide things from me. But I guess this is different. Besides, I shouldn't even know anyway. It was only that I overheard Carla and Jerry talk about it last night that I do know. Eavesdropping is a dangerous game, especially when what you hear breaks your fucking heart. I find myself gravitating toward Zach, my hand reaching out to stroke the hair from the side of his temple. He sighs like he normally would turning his face into the palm of my hand. I always thought he could sense me even when asleep. Maybe he can. Maybe he can't. I hope he does. Sighing before backing myself away from the bed and walking into the closet, maybe I should just wake him with a kiss and tell him we're going out. No, no. That would be silly. Things will be okay. He just needs time. And I should give him that. Shouldn't I? Jerry demanded as much from me. I find a pair of slacks and a shirt changing out of the lounge pants. It's a fucking godsend Carla keeps everything pressed, there's not a damned crease on my trousers. I steal a pair of Zach's socks before leaving the closet. Carla was right, neither of them even stirred whilst I was dressing. I chance to kiss Zach before leaving the room. My lips brushed against his with a feather-light touch, my tongue tasting his dry chapped lips.

He sighs into my lips as I break away.

If only you were awake. I think sourly.

"I love you Zach" there, at least I don't have to agonise over the last time I told him now.

It's not long before we park in town. The roads are busy and people mill around the streets in a rush.

"Please tell me you at least have an idea of where you want to shop?" The difficulty to park proves just how busy it is in town.

"I've already ordered Violet's it's ready to pick up. But I have no clue what to get you two. And I suppose I should at least get my parents something. They'll expect me to visit before January unfortunately" I look away not able to lie to him that his parents are probably already back at the house.

"What's your deal with your parents".

"They have strict beliefs such as God has us all born to get married, have children and work. In that order apparently. They're not bad people. I just" he shrugs "They're my parents".

"Do they know about us?".

"No".

"You realise we're having a baby? And it might well be yours. Wouldn't that help with telling them about us?".

"No" that's it, he's not even going to entertain the idea of telling them. It just reaffirms the fact I know ambushing him with them back at the house is a bad idea. I should tell him. So he at least isn't fucking angry with the fact they will be there for tonight and tomorrow.

"Come on then," I say even as my tongue feels like cotton at my omission of the truth. It's not like it was my idea or that I had anything to do with it so I shouldn't feel this bad.

I'll have to tell him before we go home. I wouldn't be able to live with myself letting him walk in on that.

The first shop Callum has us entering is Hewlett Jewellery shop. A privately owned business not far from where Callum parked. It's not inside the shopping centre so it isn't quite as busy as I had expected it to be. He beelines straight for the counter.

"Jeremy" he nods at the middle-aged man behind the counter.

"Ah, your back. Leaving it a little late aren't you?".

"We weren't in town until last night" he answers.

"Let me just grab them for you" the man flits out back bringing a few boxes back with him.

The first is a simple silver pendant with a heart-shaped locket that Jeremy flips open to reveal a picture of Matthew.

My fingers brush the locket in Jeremy's hand and he startles a little maybe not expecting me to touch it.

"Where did you get that?" I ask Callum looking at the picture.

"I had Dr Greene take one. I didn't know if she would but there it is".

"That's, nice of you" Jeremy hands the necklace to me as I look at the small picture of Matthew. He's swaddled in a tiny knitted blanket. Only his face and hands showing. Those tiny, tiny hands with his fingers hardly even fingers crossed over his chest.

She will love this.

"They struggled to find the right cut of birthstones to fit this in such a short amount of time" Jeremy hands Callum the other box. A ring with a sizeable diamond surrounded by birthstones I presume.

"Turquoise, Garnet, Bloodstone," Callum tells me.

"Our birthstones?".

"Yes. All wrapped up in a promise ring".

I smile at him as I take the offered ring from his shaking fingers. Sure doesn't look like a fucking promise ring. This thing must have cost, thousands.

"An engagement ring," I say with a smile enjoying the look of panic in his eyes.

"Promise ring" he sighs to me.

"It's the same thing Callum" He frowns looking back down to the ring in my fingers now. It is very pretty a large oval pink diamond with the birthstones wrapping tightly around it. The band is slim probably white gold.

"You should probably show this to Zach".

"Why?".

"It's an engagement ring Callum".

"Promise ring".

"I have to agree with him," Jeremy says holding his hand out for the ring. He places it back in the box with a smile on his face. Muttering how stupid us young folk are. I remember buying a ring for Rose, a promise ring that turned into an engagement ring that eventually turned into me marrying her and Zach. Though legally it was only Rose and me that were married.

"Are the pieces as you expected?"

"Yeah, perfect Jeremy" Callum says taking the offered bag from his hands distracted.

"So whose name do you want to take? Henderson, Farren or Mason?" I tease him as we walk out of the shop hand in hand.

"I only meant it to be a promise that I wouldn't bail. You know after I freaked out about the baby that she doesn't even look like she's having".

"Still, she may take that far differently than you envisioned Callum. And you still need to tell Zach at least" promise ring or engagement ring we should all be on the same page.

We agree to disagree and go about buying other gifts. Flitting in and out of shops is far easier than I would have thought possible on the day before Christmas. It's not until we're packing the few bits he did buy into the car that I gain enough confidence to blurt out the fact his parents will be there to surprise him when we get back.

"Carla has your parents at the house, for Christmas that is" he almost drops one of the bags as his mouth opens and closes whilst he looks at me as if I asked to fuck on the car. I think I would have preferred to fuck him here out in public compared to telling him that his parents are here. Maybe I should have done it whilst he was sitting down.

"What!?" Shit well, that went exactly as I had thought.

"She wanted to surprise you. She's kind of eccentric like that Callum".

"Did she tell them... you know about us?".

"Don't think so, though I'm sure they might gather you're going out with someone in the house" I shrug getting in the car. It's a few minutes before he gets in too and I can see how scared he is.

"It will be fine, they're just your parents," I tell him trying to appease his uneasiness.

"You don't understand Tyler. They're. Shit they'll make a fucking scene if they find out about you and Zach".

"Well, how long are you planning to hide us?" I ask a little confronted that it's specifically Zach and me that are the problem.

"I wasn't planning on telling them anytime soon" he looks at me as the engine starts. Well then this is going to be a fucking awkward Christmas, isn't it?