Hey sorry I've been a long time uploading this I've been really busy! This is probably the last chapter for now and I know it's not my longest, tough cookies.
I looked at Shane for a long moment. I wasn't thinking or debating, I already knew my answer. I was taking in how much I had really missed him, how much nicer he looked in real life, so much better than when he was on TV. Then I smiled at him.
"Yes, I'll marry you, Shane Gray!" I giggled and his grin widened.
"In that case, I demand that you wear this ring," he said jokingly.
"Well I suppose I could…" I said, holding out my left hand.
He slid the silver ring onto my ring finger and it sat comfortably there. I looked down at it.
"I love you Shane Gray!"
xOx
I sprinted out into the car park, my arms waving above my head.
"Caity!" I screamed as the limo door flew open and my best friend jumped out.
"Mitch!" she screeched, throwing herself at me. I hugged her tight.
"God, I've missed you so much!" I said as we pulled away.
"Not as much as I've missed you!" she told me. I rolled my eyes.
"I'm not getting into that argument," I said bluntly. I saw two other figures clamber out of the car, more slowly.
"Nate! Jason!" I shouted, hugging them too.
"Hey Mitch," they said in unison. I grinned; glad to have my friends back around me.
Shane came out of the doors, smiling.
"So I guess you guys made up?" Caitlyn asked as I ran over to him and gave him a kiss on the cheek.
"Yeah," I admitted.
"And it gets better," Shane said, wrapping his arm around my waist.
"How?" I glanced at Shane and then looked back at Caitlyn.
"We're getting married!" I squealed. Caitlyn gasped and then grabbed my hand, holding the diamond ring up to the light.
"Mitchie!" she said, speechless for the first time in her life. I smiled. I saw Shane and his brothers talking in low voices out of the corner of my eye but I didn't really care.
"Let me see!" Caitlyn demanded.
"Huh?"
"Your belly!" I sighed and looked down. "Wow, you're huge, Mitch!"
"Thanks," I said sarcastically. Caitlyn laughed and poked my belly.
"Ow!"
"I find that funny," she remarked.
"Why?"
"I honestly don't know…"
I realised for the first time that I was shivering. It was cold here; we weren't all that far from the sea and it was almost the middle of the night. I felt a pair of arms wrap around my waist and I snuggled into Shane.
"Cold?" He whispered, running a finger along my arm. The goose bumps melted away at his touch.
"Not now," I said truthfully. Shane sighed contentedly into my shoulder.
"C'mon, my pregnant little fiancée lets get you to bed before you collapse from exhaustion."
I smiled slightly.
"Shane, are we going to tell people?" I asked as he started turning me around.
"What do you mean?" he said.
"Like the paparazzi. About us, and me being pregnant and us being engaged… what are we going to say?" Shane thought for a few seconds.
"Well we could tell them the truth, if you don't mind. I'm sick of rumours and lies. I want everyone to know that you are mine and you are going to be forever." He kissed my neck and I fought not to get distracted.
"But, I'm only seventeen Shane! They'll make a huge deal out of the pregnancy thing!"
"We'll ignore them. As long as your friends and family aren't too mad, who really cares?"
"Okay," I said, feeling much better. "I suppose I should say goodbye to Caity then. Are you staying?" I was hopeful.
"Only if you want me to?" What kind of a question was that?
"Of course I want you to!" I told him, kissing him softly and heading over to Caity, who was hugging Nate tightly.
"So I guess I'll see you tomorrow," I said.
"Sure, Mitch. Don't forget to ring your parents, will you?" I hadn't given a single thought to my parents, but I now guessed I should tell them in person, before they found out through magazines and the news.
"I won't," A sudden thought occurred to me. "You wanna stay for the night?"
"Where?" she asked.
"In my apartment. Chloe won't be home till tomorrow."
"Sure, I'd love to," Caity said, smiling.
"The others can stay too," I told her. "You and Nate can stay in Chloe's room, Jason might have to make do with the sofa."
"No problem Mitch!" Jason said happily. "Have you seen any unusual birds since you got here?" I smiled slightly.
"No, but my apartment's on the fourteenth floor and one of the walls is completely glass so if you watch in the morning you might see something,"
"Great!" Jason hadn't changed much since I had last seen him.
I showed the others upstairs and they all marvelled at the view and how clean everything was. As they explored a bit, I pulled out my phone and sent a rapid text to Chloe.
Hey please don't come home! We have guests and your room is taken! – M
"Who you texting?" Shane asked, snaking his arms around my waist again.
"Chloe. I feel quite bad telling her she can't come to her own home…" At that moment, my phone vibrated and I read her response quickly.
No prob. I'll crash at Lily's. Hows lover boy? - C
Shane laughed quietly.
Reading over my shoulder. See you tomoz – M I sent back.
"Well after that all too interesting little discussion, I think we should get you to bed," Shane said.
"I'm not tired," I lied, ruining my argument by giving a huge yawn. The truth was, I didn't want to go to bed in case I woke up and this was all a dream. I wanted this to be the longest day ever.
"You look like your about to fall asleep standing," Caitlyn chimed in.
"Yeah, so do you, Caity," Nate said.
"What, so you're all going to bed now?" Jason said. "Fine, leave me alone here!"
"Jason, that's your bed," I reminded him, pointing at the sofa.
Nate and Caitlyn disappeared into their room seconds later, whispering and giggling.
"Something tells me they're going to have an interesting night," Shane said into my ear. Then he took my hand and dragged me into my room, kicking the door shut behind him.
"I don't want to go to sleep!" I complained. "What if this is all a dream?"
"It's not, trust me," Shane promised. "And nobody said anything about sleeping. I just said bed, sleeping was never mentioned." I raised an eyebrow at him.
"Don't even go there Gray," I teased. "I'm five months pregnant already."
"What, so you're saying you don't want me to do this?" he said, stroking my cheek softly. I sighed dreamily. "Or this?" he continued, lifting up my t-shirt and massaging my stomach gently. I gave a little groan of pleasure. "Or even-?"
"Shut up, Gray." I told him, crushing my lips against his. I could feel him smiling into the kiss as my arms wrapped around his neck, one hand finding purchase in his hair. His own hands fitted comfortably on my waist.
I didn't get to sleep for a long time. Our make out session seemed to be something I had missed since I had last seen him. He seemed to be enjoying it as much as I was.
When I woke in the morning, Shane wasn't there. I panicked for second, until I heard his laughter from the next room. I also smelt the delicious smell of bacon. How sweet was he? He dragged himself out of bed early in the morning to cook dinner for me!
When I stumbled into the room a few minutes later, Shane was laughing again. I tied my fluffy dressing gown on; it was surprisingly cold considering that the sun was rising. The boys were standing around. Shane was trying to cook bacon and
"Morning, babe." Shane said, giving me a tender kiss. At that second, Caitlyn emerged from her room, looking like she had had less sleep that me, but also looking happy and proud. I raised my eyebrows but she was avoiding my gaze.
"Hey," she said, giving Nate a very passionate kiss.
"Eugh! Caity!" I complained.
"What? You can't talk," she reminded me.
"I don't know what you mean?"
"Sure you don't Mitch. You just get back to kissing Shane." I looked guiltily at my fiancé, who winked at me.
"Caitlyn!" I said, pulling her out of her current kiss with Nate.
"Hey, Mitchie! I was-" she started as I dragged her into the bathroom.
"Spill!"
"Nothing happened!" she turned away, folding her arms across her chest but I could see the small smile on her lips in the mirror.
"Caity, I'm five months pregnant, I was there first. I'm not an idiot! Just why now? What the hell? I mean, you could have gone back to the hotel or waited a night. Why in someone else's house?" Caitlyn turned around, her cheeks flushed pink.
"We were going to go back to the hotel but you asked us if we wanted to stay and I missed you so I said we would. And everything was going so well and you were back with Shane and it felt like nothing could go wrong that night so it just kind of happened!" I sighed.
"Just be careful Caity. I don't want you ending up like me!"
"Whatever Mitch," she said. I was deadly serious. I didn't exactly regret that night, it had been the best of my life, with the possible exception of last night, but I did regret this whole pregnancy thing. I loved kids and I couldn't wait to have my own but I hadn't seen it happening when I was seventeen.
A sudden scream from the main room interrupted my thoughts as Caity and I both sprinted out of the bathroom to see what was going on.
The boys were standing by the bacon, which looked burnt and frazzled. Chloe, Poppy, Lily and Hattie had walked in the door and one of them, I guessed it was Lily from her startled expression, had screamed at the sight of Connect 3 standing there.
I laughed as all eight of my friends stood perfectly still, Caity was frozen too.
"Guys, chill!" I said, breaking the tension. Chloe was the first to relax.
"Shane, Nate, Jase, Caity, this is Hattie," Hattie waved. "Poppy," she smiled. "Lily," Lily just bounced on the spot happily. "And this is Chloe, who lives here." Chloe smiled shyly at Jason and he looked just as shy. I smiled to myself. "Girls, this is Shane, Nate, Jason and Caitlyn."
xOx
By lunchtime, everyone was over their shock. The guys were being friendly and hadn't complained when Chloe told them what she thought of their cooking skills. Lily and Caity were chatting like old friends, they got on better than I had hoped. Hattie and Poppy were sitting with Shane and me on the sofa, talking casually, but I knew they were still slightly in shock.
Chloe and Jason were sitting at the kitchen table, talking shyly. Everyone was throwing them conspicuous glances and every now and then someone would let out a loud 'Aww!' then turn away before they saw. Nate was sitting patiently by Caity, where I was pretty sure he would be for the rest of time.
Hattie decided to introduce Harry and Kyle to the boys so she rung them. They still didn't know who I was so when Hattie told them it was an emergency and to get here as soon as possible, they ran as fast as they could. The expressions on their faces when they burst through the door to see Connect 3 were priceless.
When my friends left later that evening, I knew I had just had one of the best days of my life. I was engaged to Shane Gray, my best friend was probably going to be with his brother for a very long time and even Jason had found his soul mate in Chloe. All of my friends were happy, everyone was glad about how the day had gone and I couldn't stop smiling.
"So, did you enjoy today?" Shane asked as we drove back to the hotel. I was spending the night with him and in a week I was moving back home with him, into his apartment. I would miss Chloe, but living with my fiancé would soon help me forget that.
"It has to be one of the best days of my life," I told him honestly.
"Well that's good, because next you have to ring your parents." I bit my lip and glanced at the clock. It would be almost midnight at my parent's house.
"Maybe we should wait until it's not mid night for them," I tried.
"Mitchie as soon as they hear your voice they'll forget what time it is." Shane said. I sighed.
"Fine, give me your phone." I wasn't wasting a fortune. Shane handed it over easily, now I had agreed to call them he didn't really care.
I dialled the number I knew off by heart and listened as it slowly connected and started to ring. Once, twice, three times.
I was just about to hang up when the ringing was cut off. A part of me had been hoping they wouldn't answer, but it was too late now. There was a phone by the bed; they didn't even have to open their eyes to answer.
"Hello?" my Mum said sleepily. Even when she was still half asleep I could hear the strain in her voice, the way she sounded like she was about to cry. Had I done this to her? I knew the only reason she had answered was in the vain hope it was me.
"Mum!" I said quietly. "Mum, it's me, Mitchie!" I heard her shouting at my dad to wake up.
"Mitchie!" she shouted down the phone.
"Mum, calm down. I'm fine. Shane and I are back together and he's bringing me home next week!"
"What happened?" I looked at Shane and he nodded encouragingly.
"I… I'm pregnant…" I said quietly.
"What?" my mother gasped.
"That's why I left, Mum. I didn't know what else to do so I ran away to England and then Jason accidentally let it slip so he came here and Caitlyn said she'd tell him if I didn't so I called him yesterday and then he came to my apartment and we're back together." I deliberately left out the engagement. I didn't think my mum could take that.
"Mitchie… I don't know what to say…"
"How about, I forgive you?" I said hopefully.
"Mitch, there's nothing to forgive you for. I know you didn't deliberately get pregnant. I might not be ecstatic about if but you're my daughter and if you'd told me I would still have helped. I love you darling and that will never change." I wiped a tear out of my eye.
"Thanks mum. Go back to sleep. I'll see you next week." I felt strangely excited about seeing my parents again, but also apprehensive. They were only half awake at the moment, maybe they would be angrier when they had had chance to think it over.
"We love you Mitch," my Dad said and I realised the phone had been on speaker.
"Love you too," I reminded them and then hung up.
"Well that was surprisingly easy," Shane said as I handed him back his phone.
"Yeah, while they think they're dreaming. In the morning they'll really have chance to think about it." Shane wrapped his arm around my shoulders comfortingly.
"They love you Mitch. They'll forgive you. Although when you tell them your getting married... that could be a different story." I groaned.
"I'll always have you, right?"
"Of course you will, baby."
"Then I don't care what my parents say. As long as you're mine I couldn't care less."
I stretched up to kiss Shane, content in the knowledge that everything was going to work out fine.
So that's all I've done for this story. I might do a sequel or I might not… it depends what people think. Also, please review everyone; I've got 2541 views and only 31 reviews!
I know roughly what would happen in the sequel but if people won't read it then I won't bother writing it. Thank you so much to everyone who had reviewed, especially those people who reviewed pretty much every chapter!
Tell me what you think, let me know if you think there should be a sequel,
~Spwarkle
