We officially moved in two weeks ago. It was a bit of a shock to the system after living in Corey’s small apartment, but we soon found our feet. We’ve turned one of the bedrooms into a den for him to work in when he’s not at the studio; it’s his man cave for when things get too much. He keeps warning me that at some point he’s probably going to freak out, but so far, he’s been nothing short of incredible.
He came with me to my first doctor and midwife appointment, and he held my hand tightly as we went to our first scan and got our first glimpse at our baby. The look of awe in his eyes as he stared at the screen is something I’ll never forget. He never got to do any of this when Carla was pregnant. He might not have said much more about what happened since the night at the hotel, but he’s mentioned his old friend a few times. I see the pain in his features as he does, and I know it’s not because he doesn’t want to tell me about his daughter, more that the pain is still just too raw to find the words. I get it and I’ll give him all the time he needs.
His mother, though… she was less patient, and the second we confessed that we were officially together, she demanded we visit.
To her disappointment, we didn’t jump straight on a plane. We both had busy schedules, plus I was still spending my mornings throwing up, and the idea of doing so on an airplane didn’t really appeal. We agreed to wait until we’d had our first scan and then we’d visit and give them our news in person.
It’s only Bailey, Rylee and Colton who know thus far. It was important to both of us that his family were the next to find out that there was going to be a new arrival.
“It’s this stop,” Corey says, looking out at the underground sign.
I allow him to pull me from the seat and off the train.
It took quite a bit of convincing, because he is a man of pride and stubborn as hell, but eventually he conceded and allowed me to help out his family.
I invested in a nice house in a decent part of the city, and his mom and sisters moved in soon after. I knew it was the right decision the second they did, because the tension that had been pulling at his shoulders since the first night I met him began to loosen.
Without the stress of his family to worry about, Corey is like a new man. He gives me his incredible smile so much more often. It’s amazing to see. And although I still miss my family with every day that passes, I’m grateful that they were able to help him and those he loves. It means everything to me to make their lives so much easier after they’ve been thrown into chaos.
“Fucking hell,” Corey mutters the second we emerge from the underground station.
I’m about to ask what’s wrong when a loud squeal hits my ears and three familiar women come racing at us.
They engulf us in a group hug as laughter rumbles up my throat.
It’s one hell of a welcome.
“I thought you were waiting at home?” Corey asks his emotional mom when she eventually pulls away from holding him tight.
“We couldn’t wait any longer.” She turns her eyes from her son and to me. “Harlow,” she breathes, holding her arms out for me.
I immediately step into them and follow her lead. I’ve been hugged by Bailey’s mom countless times in the past, but there’s something about this hug that just reminds me of my own mom.
“Oh sweetie,” Helen breathes when she pulls back and finds my cheeks wet with tears. Lifting her hands, she wipes them away.
I sniffle. “It’s so good to meet you in person at last.”
“You too. It’s been a long time coming.”
“As fun as this is, I didn’t intend to spend the day on the path catching up. Shall we?” Corey says, pointing down the street with amusement dancing in his eyes. He might be acting cooler about this right now, but I see the emotion he’s trying hard to cover at seeing his family again.
“We thought we could go for breakfast—if you’re not too tired, that is.”
“Fry-up?” Corey asks.
“Whatever you want.”
“Lead the way.”
Helen chuckles as Sadie and Natalie flank Corey’s sides, taking an arm each. Love and adoration for their big brother oozes from both of them.
“They’ve really missed him,” Helen muses, coming to stand beside me as we head down the street.
“He misses you all terribly.”
“I know. It was the right thing for him to do though. I know he’s felt guilty about leaving us, but he needed the new start. He needed to find you.”
Emotion clogs my throat once again. Damn pregnancy hormones.
“It’s so good to be here. I’ve always wanted to visit.”
“Well, we can do all the sights while you’re here. It’s been years since I did all the tourist things.”
“Sounds perfect.”
We turn into an English-looking pub and find an empty table.
“So, what’s good here?”
“Leave it with me, baby.” Corey winks and I push the menu away, trusting him wholeheartedly. He’s made me a few full English breakfasts since living together, but each time he tells me that it’s not quite the real thing.
He orders for us all, and we sit chatting about everything we’ve been up to before Corey places his hand on my thigh.
Racing to pull our scan photo from my purse, I hand it to him under the table.
“We’ve actually got something to tell you,” Corey says, causing all conversation to immediately halt. Helen’s eyes sparkle with hope as they drop to my ring finger. She quickly covers her disappointment when she finds it sans ring.
“Well, go on. Don’t keep us waiting.”
A wide smile splits Corey’s face a beat before he reveals our secret by sliding the picture toward her. He’s been excited to tell his mom that she’s going to have a second chance at being a grandmother. She hardly spent any time with Layla, seeing as she was almost always abroad with his dad.
“Oh my God,” Helen cries, her hand flying up to cover her mouth. “Really?” Tears fill her eyes, as do mine at her happiness.
“Really. Sixteen weeks in.”
She quickly takes the scan and stares down at our little fuzzy baby.
Helen jumps up as if her chair just bit her ass and lunges for me. I manage to stand just in time for her to pull me into her arms.
“Thank you, Harlow. Thank you so much. You brought him back to life,” she whispers in a shaky voice. “Thank you so much.”
I don’t respond, I can’t. I couldn’t get any words past the lump in my throat if I tried.
Once I’ve eaten the biggest breakfast I’ve ever seen in my life, we head back to their house so that I can have a nap.
Corey has agreed to go out with his friends tonight. Now he’s got over his apprehension of me meeting his family, he wants to introduce me to everyone.
“Are you nearly ready? The Uber will be here in two minutes,” he calls as he walks through to the guest room at his mom’s house. “Whoa,” he says, stopping in the doorway, his eyes locked on my chest. “Second thoughts, we’ll just get a hotel for the night.”
“So yeah, my dress doesn’t really fit anymore,” I sulk. It’s one of my favorites, but seeing as my breasts have practically quadrupled in size in the past few weeks, it’s almost obscene.
“It looks fucking perfect to me.”
“You say that now; wait until you’re introducing me to your friends.” He pales slightly.
“Yeah, we’re definitely going to a hotel.”
Swatting his hand away, I step into my shoes and grab my shawl in the hope it might cover my cleavage. “Come on, they’ll be waiting.”
“They can wait until another night,” he sulks but reluctantly follows me from the room and down the stairs.
“Harlow, you look gorgeous,” Helen gushes when she comes to say goodbye.
“Thank you.”
“Careful with this one, Corey. Someone might want to steal her.”
“She won’t be leaving my sight,” he mutters, making us both laugh.
“Have a great night.”
She waves us off, and we find the Uber waiting for us.
Corey confirms our destination and the car sets off, giving me my first glimpse of London by night. I keep my nose practically against the window the entire time, taking everything in, much to Corey’s amusement.
“You adding more to that must-see list you’re hiding in your purse?” I turn to look at him.
“I’m not hiding it, I was just planning out loud.”
“Right. You weren’t that loud about it, because I had no idea.”
“Well, you do now. The most important thing is spending time with your family and friends, but if we get time, I’d like to see a few places.”
“Your wish is my command, baby.”
I smile at him before turning back to the window.
I’ve always wanted to travel. We used to go to at least two different holiday locations each year when I was a kid, but with everything that happened, I never really got to do it recently. Something that I hope we can rectify in the coming years.
“We’re here,” Corey announces as the car comes to a stop outside a bar called The Pear Tree.
We thank the driver and climb out.
“Come here,” he says, pulling me into his side. “Look down there. You see that pink sign?” I nod. “That’s the original Rebel Ink. Where it all started. I’ll take you there another day. For now, you get to meet the guys who make it what it is.”
He holds the door open for me and I step through. Everything seems calm, normal, until he follows me. Then an eruption of noise comes from the corner of the bar and four tattooed guys come running at us.
I stand aside with a huge smile on my face as the four of them greet Corey as if they never thought they’d see him again.
“You’ll get used to them eventually,” a soft voice comes from beside me. Pulling my eyes away from the bromace happening before me, I find the kind eyes of a woman with pink hair. “Hey, I’m Tabitha. Although everyone calls me Biff. You must be Harlow. I’ve heard so much about you.”
“Really?” I ask, baffled about how that can be.
“Yep, you’ve really stolen that guy’s heart, it seems.”
I look over to where he’s laughing and joking with his friends, and my heart damn near explodes in my chest with everything I feel for him. Seeing him back here with the people that mean the world to him is everything to me.
“The same can be said for me.”
I look back to find her staring at me with a wide smile on her face.
“Let’s introduce you to this lot.”
“Hey, Kitten, who’s your new friend?” the blond guy asks with a wink at me. He knows full well who I am, as do I as I watch him sweep Biff into his arms. She’s not the only one who’s had a full rundown as to who everyone is. “Hey, I’m Zach,” he says. I expect him to hold his hand out, but, much to my surprise, he releases his girl and pulls me into a huge bear hug.
“Um… hey,” I say with a laugh.
“Get your hands off my girl, motherfucker,” Corey barks.
“S’all good, man. Just thanking her for looking after our boy.” Zach winks at Corey, but it doesn’t help relax him at all.
“So you’ve met my overly-handsy boss. This is Titch, Spike, and the old one is D.”
“Fuck you, man,” D grunts, much to everyone’s amusement.
After a few seconds, we all head over to the table they vacated when we arrived.
“Right, drinks,” Zach says, rubbing his hands together. “Pint?” he asks Corey. “Wine, cocktail…?” he says, turning to me.
“Um… just an orange juice please.”
Everyone’s silent for a beat. As far as I know, they have no idea about the baby, but it seems that’s all about to end.
“Hell, yes. She’s pregnant.” Another round of excitement ensues, and I can’t help but sit here and laugh as they all give us their congratulations.
I love LA. It’s my home, and it’s where all the memories of my family are, but after even being here for just a few hours, I already know that I could make this place home. From the second I stepped off the plane, I was just relaxed. I’m not sure if it’s just the company and I’d feel that way wherever I am in the world, as long as Corey is by my side, or if it’s the place.
I turn to look at him as he laughs with his friends. He must feel my stare, because he turns his eyes on me.
“Everything okay?”
“Yeah,” I say with a smile. “Everything is perfect.”
I have no idea if he’d ever want to move back, but I decide there and then that if he ever brought it up, there’s no way I’d stop him. I think we could be really happy here.
Our two weeks in Corey’s home city pass in the blink of an eye. We spend time with his family every day and meet up with his Rebel Ink family more often than not. I get a tour of the studio, which looks freakishly like the one I’m used to in LA. I even spend a day with Biff and her best friend Danni while the guys hang out. It’s incredible, but it reminds me of just how much I miss my own best friend. We’ve hardly been separated since I arrived at her home all those years ago. Whenever we’ve been on vacation, we’ve been together, so being so many miles apart is weird. We’ve spoken every day, but it’s not the same.
Tonight, Corey told me that he’s taking me out. And that’s all I know. It’s our last night in London, so I hope he’s got something good planned. I’ve still got a few things on my to-see list that we’re yet to tick off.
He’s told me to wear something comfortable, so I pull on a pair of leggings and an oversized t-shirt. I might have the smallest of small bumps, but I’m already struggling with proper pants.
After slipping my feet into a pair of sneakers, I go in search of my man.
I find him sitting in the living room with his mom and sisters.
“Here she is,” Helen announces, smiling at me as I join them.
“You ready to go?” Corey asks.
“Sure am.”
“We’ll see you before you go tomorrow, right?” Sadie asks.
“Of course. Our flight isn’t until five o’clock. We’ve got almost the whole day.”
“Good. I’m not bored of you yet.”
“Nice,” Corey jokes as he takes my hand.
“Have a great night,” Helen calls as he leads me out of the house.
Unbeknownst to me, there’s an Uber waiting outside. I climb in, sit back, and wait to see where we’re headed for the night.
“Are you looking forward to going home?” Corey asks me.
“Yes and no. I’m going to really miss your family, but I can’t wait to see Bailey and tell her everything. What about you? Ready to get back to the sun, ocean and sand?”
“Yeah. I love it here, but there’s too much pain.”
“You think you could ever move back?”
He shrugs. “I’ve no idea. I think we both know better than anyone that you can’t predict the future. I’ll just take things one day at a time.”
“That sounds perfect. I just want you to know that, if you wanted to, it wouldn’t be out of the question for me.”
He stares at me for a beat. His eyes are so intense that it makes my heart race. “Fucking hell, Harlow.”
“What?” I ask, not following where he’s going.
Reaching out, he wraps his hand around the back of my neck. “How the fuck was I so lucky to find you?” He doesn’t give me a chance to respond, because his lips brush mine before his tongue slips between them.
I moan into his kiss, sliding my hand up his torso. I’ve always wanted him, but with the added hormones racing around my body, one touch from him and it makes me damn near desperate. I can’t wait to get back to our large, empty house so we can make up for having to be so quiet and restrained while under his mother’s roof.
The car comes to a stop and sadly, we have to break apart.
“Where are we?”
“On the west bank. I thought we c
ould have a nighttime trip on the London Eye. It was on your list, right?”
I can’t help my lips twitching in excitement. “Yes. I can’t wait.”
“Come on then.” We walk along the river, chatting about our time here and the things we want to do when we get home.
It turns out that Corey has booked us our own pod so I get to enjoy the sights of London by night without the distraction of anyone else.
In no time, we’re stepping inside and moving our way around.
“This is amazing,” I say in total awe, my nose almost pressed against the glass as I stare out at the incredible city beyond.
“I’m glad you like it.”
The view is out of this world when we get to the top, and my eyes hungrily flit around, trying to take it all in.
“Harlow?” Corey asks from somewhere behind me.
“Yeah, what’s—oh my God,” I gasp when I find him down on one knee behind me.
“Harlow Winters, by some miracle you brought me back to life. You’ve shown me that the world still has color in it. And you’ve shown me that it’s possible to bounce back from the darkest of times. I don’t want to spend another day without you by my side. Will you do me the honor of agreeing to be my wife?”
“Oh my God, Corey.” My eyes fill with tears and my hand trembles in front of my mouth as I try to cover that it’s gaping open in shock.
He reaches into his jacket pocket and pulls out a small black box. The world around me blurs as I watch him flip it open.
“Oh my God,” I repeat. “You’re serious.”
“Deadly. Now, will you marry me?”
“Yes. Corey. Yes.”
He holds his hand out for me, and I reach for it. I blink, and he’s got the ring in his hand and is sliding it up my finger. It stops at my second knuckle.
“Fuck,” Corey barks, looking up at me with a horrified expression on his face. “I had Bailey give me the size. Shit.”
"It’s okay,” I say with a laugh. “If I weren’t pregnant, I’m sure it would fit perfectly fine.”
Inked: A Driven World Novel (The Driven World) Page 27
