A few weeks later, Robert and Ashley had announced that they were engaged to their families. They all had jumped into wedding planning mode. One day, Ashley came home and saw that Troy, Chad, Eli, Robert, and Easton were all in the kitchen.
"Hey guys" Ashley said.
Robert smiled. He walked over to her and kissed her lips.
"Hey baby. We are looking at the tuxedos that you wanted to look at" Robert said.
"Oh, what do you think?" Ashley asked.
"I like them. I like that everyone has the same vest color" Chad said.
Ashley smiled.
"Cool. Do you need my help with anything?" Ashley asked.
"I don't think so" Robert said.
"Okay. Hey, did you pick your best man?" Ashley asked.
Robert looked at Ashley.
"Not yet. I'm still deciding" Robert said.
"You should figure that out today, baby" Ashley said.
"Okay" Robert said.
Ashley smiled and kissed Robert's lips softly. She then left the room. The men continued to figure out wedding party details. An hour later, Troy, Easton, and Robert were talking in the kitchen.
"Hey East" Robert started.
"Yeah?" Easton asked.
"I was wondering if you would want to be my best man" Robert said.
Easton smiled. He walked over to Robert and hugged him. Troy smiled as he watched his two sons hug.
"Well? Don't leave me hanging" Robert said.
"Yes, I would love to be your best man" Easton said.
Robert smiled. The two brothers shook hands. The Bolton men talked for a little while longer. Troy and Easton said goodbye to Ashley and Robert and left the apartment. Robert and Ashley walked into the living room.
"I asked Easton if he would be my best man and he said yes" Robert said.
Ashley smiled.
"That's great, baby. Now we must figure out the venue and wedding reception details" Ashley said.
"And the date" Robert added.
Ashley nodded. Robert kissed Ashley's lips softly.
"I love you" Ashley said.
"I love you too. Ready for bed?" Robert asked.
Ashley smiled and nodded. She kissed Robert's lips. Robert lifted Ashley up into his arms.
"Rob" Ashley squealed.
Robert carried Ashley into the bedroom and set her gently on the bed. Ashley kissed Robert's lips softly. Robert kissed her and pulled back slowly. The couple changed into their pajamas and got into bed. Ashley had her head on Robert's chest. Robert had his arm around Ashley. A couple of months later, Ashley came home and smiled when she saw Robert and Easton talking about the wedding.
"Hey guys" Ashley said.
"Hey baby" Robert said.
"Hey Ash" Easton said.
"Hey East. What are you guys doing?" Ashley asked.
"Looking at bachelor party stuff" Robert said.
Ashley raised her eyebrow.
"Nothing too crazy, Easton" Ashley said.
Easton smiled.
"Don't worry, Ashley. I'll have him home by five AM" Easton joked.
Ashley shook her head. She kissed Robert's cheek.
"Did you ask Ev to be a bridesmaid?" Robert asked.
"Not yet. I was thinking that when she comes over this week, I could ask her" Ashley said.
"Okay" Robert said.
Easton left the house. A couple of days later, the doorbell rang. Robert walked to the door and opened it and smiled when he saw Everly.
"Hey Ev" Robert said hugging his sister.
"Hey" Everly said.
"How's school?" Robert asked as they walked into the living room.
"School is school" Everly said.
Robert smiled.
"Is it going well?" Robert asked.
"It's alright. I'm just trying to adjust" Everly said.
Everly and Easton had just started their first semester of college. Both were going to different schools and it was the first time that they were truly apart.
"You miss East being with you all the time?" Robert asked.
"Kind of. It's like when you moved out and started college" Everly said.
Robert smiled.
"You could always text or call him, Ev" Robert said.
"I know. It's just weird" Everly said.
Robert smiled.
"You guys are my best friends. It's weird to be away from you" Everly said softly.
Robert smiled. He opened his arms. Everly walked into them. Robert put his head on top of Everly's.
"I love you so much. I know that Easton loves you too. Look at me, I came home from school all the time so that I could see you" Robert said.
Everly nodded.
"That's true" Everly said.
Robert smiled.
"You guys have half of each other's DNA; you can't live without the other" Robert said.
Everly smiled and nodded.
"If you want, I could tell him how you feel" Robert said.
Everly shook her head.
"I don't want him to know. It will make him feel bad" Everly said.
Ashley came into the room and smiled.
"Hey guys" Ashley said.
Everly looked over at Ashley and smiled.
"Hey Ash" Everly said.
"How's it going, Ev?" Ashley asked.
"Alright" Everly said.
Ashley looked at Robert, who shook his head, meaning not to bring up the topic that he and Everly were just talking about. Ashley looked back at Everly.
"I had a question for you" Ashley said.
"What's up?" Everly asked.
"I was wondering if you would be one of my bridesmaids at the wedding?" Ashley asked.
Everly smiled.
"Really?" Everly asked.
Ashley nodded.
"You are Rob's sister. You are going to be my sister-in-law. You are also my friend. Plus, you can make sure that the boys are on schedule" Ashley said.
"Thank you, Ashley. That's really nice" Everly said.
Robert smiled.
"You guys hungry?" Robert asked randomly.
Everly and Ashley looked at Robert and rolled their eyes.
"What? I'm a guy. This conversation is getting a little heavy" Robert said.
"Let's go eat" Ashley said.
The couple and Everly went to go eat. After they ate, Rob drove Everly home. He walked Everly to the door.
"Just talk to him, Ev. He will understand. I'm sure that he is feeling the same way" Robert said.
Everly nodded.
"Thanks Rob. I love you" Everly said.
"I love you too" Robert said.
Everly hugged her brother and watched him walk back to his car. She then walked into the house and smiled when she saw Easton sitting in the living room. Easton smiled when he saw Everly. He stood up. Everly walked over to her twin brother and hugged him. Easton hugged her back. The twins stood in silence.
"I missed you" Everly said.
"I missed you too" Easton said.
Gabriella came into the room and smiled.
"He surprised us" Gabriella said.
Everly pulled away and nodded.
"How was dinner with Rob?" Gabriella asked.
"Fine. Ashley asked me to be a bridesmaid at the wedding" Everly said.
Gabriella smiled.
"That's exciting" Gabriella said.
"Yeah" Everly said.
Gabriella walked out of the room.
"How is school?" Everly asked.
"Good. It's kind of weird not being in classes with you" Easton said.
Everly nodded.
"I just told Rob that" Everly said.
The two siblings hung out together for the rest of the day. A couple of months later, Robert and Ashley had gotten married. They were currently on their honeymoon in the Maldives. One night, Robert and Ashley had gotten into bed. Ashley snuggled into her husband's chest.
"So, there are a couple of things that we need to talk about" Ashley said.
Robert looked at his wife and nodded. He wrapped his arm around Ashley's bare shoulder and kissed her temple.
"Babies" Robert said.
Ashley nodded.
"We wanted two, right?" Ashley said.
"Yeah" Robert said.
"Do you want to wait?" Ashley asked sensing that he wasn't in the mood.
"I think we should just have fun and if it happens, it happens" Robert said.
Ashley nodded.
"Okay" Ashley said.
"We aren't in a rush, right?" Robert asked.
Ashley shook her head.
"I think I'm just anxious" Ashley said.
Robert smiled. Ashley looked at Robert.
"Everything is going to be fine" Robert said.
"You make it sound so simple" Ashley said drawing imaginary shapes on Robert's chest.
Robert kissed Ashley's forehead.
"It's a big step. We don't have to start tonight or tomorrow or even a month from now" Robert said.
Ashley nodded.
"I like that we have a plan though" Ashley said.
"Me too" Robert said.
A week later, the newlyweds had come back from their honeymoon. Robert was at his parents' house. Everly walked into the house and smiled when she saw her older brother.
"Hey Ev" Robert said.
"Hey. What are you doing here?" Everly asked.
"I'm just hanging out. Ashley is at work. I had a half-day" Robert said.
Everly nodded.
"How is Ash?" Everly asked.
"She's fine. We've been recovering from our trip" Robert said.
"How was it?" Everly asked.
"It was fun. We spent a lot of time on the beach" Robert said.
"Did you talk about your future?" Everly asked.
Robert looked at Everly, confused.
"What?" Robert asked.
"Like babies and other stuff?" Everly asked.
Robert shook his head.
"Whatever we decide, that's our business. Now that we are married, we don't need to share every little detail" Robert said.
"So, there is a plan for babies" Everly said.
Robert shook her head.
"Everly, stay out of it" Robert said.
Gabriella came into the room.
"Stay out of what?" Gabriella asked.
"Rob was going to tell me about his plan for the future with Ashley" Everly said.
Gabriella looked at her eldest son, who shook his head.
"Ev, leave him alone. That's none of your business" Gabriella said.
"Mom, don't you want to know?" Everly asked.
"I will find out when they decide to tell us. They are married now, Ev" Gabriella said.
Everly sighed. Robert smiled.
"Don't worry, Ev. You will be one of the first to know" Robert said.
Everly shook her head.
"Whatever. I guess I'm not the only girl in your life anymore" Everly said.
Gabriella looked at her daughter.
"Everly, just because Rob's married now doesn't mean that he doesn't care about you or your feelings" Gabriella said.
Robert sat down quietly at the kitchen island. He didn't think getting married would have affected Everly so much.
"You are always going to be my best friend, Ev. I'm always going to love and care about you" Robert said.
"I can't handle this right now" Everly said getting up.
"Everly" Robert started.
Everly walked upstairs and into her room and closed the door. Robert looked at his mother.
"She's sensitive, Rob" Gabriella said.
Robert took a deep breath and released it.
"She's your little sister. It's the same thing that happened when you went to college. She feels left out. But I can't make her feel better. It has to come from you" Gabriella said.
Robert nodded.
"I'll try talking to her" Robert said getting up.
Robert walked upstairs and saw Everly's door closed.
"Ev" Robert called from outside his sister's bedroom.
"Go away" Everly said.
"Everly, I want to talk to you for a minute" Robert said.
Easton came out of his bedroom and looked at Robert.
"What's going on?" Easton asked.
Robert shook his head.
"Everly feels left out" Robert said.
Easton shook his head. He patted his older brother on the back.
"Good luck dude" Easton said.
Robert looked at the door. He tried to see if the door was unlocked. Once Robert found that the door was unlocked, he walked into the bedroom and shut the door behind him. Everly was laying on her bed and turned towards the wall. Robert sat on the edge of the bed.
"Ev, do you want to talk about this?" Robert asked.
Everly shook her head. Robert smiled.
"It will make you feel better" Robert said.
"No, it won't" Everly said.
Robert moved Everly so that she was looking at him.
"I know that things are different now. But that doesn't mean that I won't love you the same. There are certain things that I need to keep between Ashley and me. I am not saying that to hurt you. I just want you to understand what's happening. She's my wife, Ev. There will be things that we can talk about regarding Ash and me. But, until that point, we have to put a line there" Robert said.
"It was just really sudden. It was like one day, everything was out in the open and the next day, the door was closed" Everly said.
Robert nodded.
"I'm sorry if that hurt you. It wasn't my intention. Mom and dad are married so they understand what I am talking about. But I know that we needed to have this talk because you have never experienced this" Robert said.
Everly nodded.
"Do you kind of get where I am coming from?" Robert asked.
"Yeah" Everly said.
"You still call me if you need to talk" Robert said.
Everly nodded. Robert and Everly finished talking. Everly hugged her older brother. Robert then walked downstairs. Gabriella looked at Robert.
"What did she say?" Gabriella asked.
"She was hurt that everything happened so quickly. I explained to her that it wasn't my intention to close everything off. But now I am married, and Ashley and I have our own life together. It won't be like before where everything about our relationship was open to you guys" Robert said.
Gabriella nodded.
"Did she understand that?" Gabriella asked.
Robert nodded.
"Yeah. It's just a transition that needed to happen" Robert said.
Gabriella nodded. Robert left his parents' house and drove home. Once Robert got home, he walked into the living room and sat down next to Ashley, who was on her computer.
"How was the family?" Ashley asked.
"Fine. I had to have a big conversation with Everly" Robert said.
"About what?" Ashley asked shutting her laptop.
"She wanted to know our plans for the future. She wanted me to tell her details and I didn't think that I should have to tell my sister what our plans are. She got upset so I had to talk to her and explain to her how things are changing, and I won't be so open about what happens between you and me" Robert said.
Ashley nodded. She leaned over and kissed Robert's cheek.
"She's never been without you" Ashley said.
"I know. I explained to her that she could always call me if she needed to talk" Robert said.
Ashley nodded.
"It's not like we are telling her that we can never hang out together or anything. We just need our space. Soon, she is going to want her own space and we have to respect that" Ashley said.
Robert nodded.
"It's a two-way thing too. I have to get used to it too" Robert said.
Ashley nodded. She kissed Robert's lips softly. Robert placed Ashley's laptop on the coffee table. Ashley then moved so that she was straddling Robert. She kissed his lips again. Robert wrapped his arms around Ashley's waist and kissed her back. Ashley pulled back slowly.
"Bedroom" Ashley mumbled.
Robert nodded. Ashley carefully got off Robert. The couple walked into their bedroom and shut the door. The couple made love into the early morning.