Christmas with the Gerard's

16

4 days till Christmas 

*Colton’s POV* 

Delia didn’t make it back to Theo’s flat last night, after spending the night pacing back and forth with Phoebe, I decided to go look for her. I hopped in my car and as I was about to drive out of the parking garage, I saw her getting out of a taxi. She wasn’t alone as a woman I had never seen before walked out behind her. Delia hugged the woman and handed her an envelope. The woman got back in the taxi and sped off, leaving Delia standing there watching the taxi drive away and disappear.  

I drove slowly up to her, which was easily done, seeing how she was next to the entrance to the parking garage, and lowered the passenger side window.  

“D?” I called and she jumped, she turned around and relaxed when she saw me “Sorry, didn’t mean to scare you. Hop in.” I said and she rounded the car and got in. 

“I’m starving.” She said as she put her seatbelt across her chest. I watched as the black material tightened between her breast and I licked my lips as images of her soft body pressed to mine overcame me. “Col? You daydreaming mate?!” Her voice snaped me out of my dirty thoughts and I smiled at her.  

“Sorry, yeah I’m alright. Just thinking.” I answered as I looked at her, she had moved, her body pressed into the door as if being close to me would burn her.  

“About what?” She asked as she looked out the window at the passing cars.  

“You.” I said casually as I slowly moved us into traffic. “About us kissing the other week to be more specific” I said as I watched her from the corner of my eye. Her mouth had dropped open and she had turned to face me. I watched as she swallowed dryly.  

“Don’t say s**t like that Colton.” She admonished me and I laughed 

“Why not” I replied while looking around before doing the roundabout and turning left onto the road that would take us into the city center, to my favourite little café. 

“Cos.” She said quietly as she fiddled with the zip on her coat “Cos it’s embarrassing ok?! I mean, it should have never happened.” She whispered and I my heart lunged into my throat. I concentrated o driving but the long silence that settled into us was killing me so I blurted out the first thing that came to mind. 

“So, I was just a mistake?” My tone coming out colder than what I had intended. She looked at me and I turned my head towards her, as my jaw clenched. Thank god for red lights! 

“No!” She shouted “I mean, yes. Urgh I don’t f*****g know ok?!” She continued to shout, babbling about me being her brother’s friend and her living away and how I’m a player and how it could ruin everything, and she can't take risks. I watched her with a smile on my face. I think it was at that moment I realized something. My attraction to her isn’t just physical, I mean Cordelia is a gorgeous woman, but she is smart and kind and so funny, especially when she is embarrassed and being awkward.  

“You’re so cute when you ramble.” I said as I found a parking spot and took it. She didn’t say anything, she simply remained quiet until we had sat down and ordered our breakfast. I sent a quick text to Phoebe to tell her I had found her and we were eating and she replied asking me to use a condom as she is not ready to be an auntie. I showed Delia the text and she laughed.  

“Typical Pheebs.” She smiled as the young girl from the coffee shop placed our coffees and cakes in front of us.  

“So?” I asked “Where did you go last night?” Delia lowered her eyes to the coffee cup and sighed deeply. 

“To see Tomas.” She replied and immediately shoved her blueberry muffin in her mouth, taking a huge bite and chewing slowly. 

“D, that big bite ain’t gonna save ya, I’ll just wait patiently for you to finish it,” I said as I snatched the rest of the muffin from her reach “and then you can tell me why the hell you went to see that bastard. Alone!” I smirked at her and she scoffed, little bits of muffin flew out of her mouth and she widened her eyes before her hands flew to cover her mouth. I laughed at her silliness and sipped my coffee, even though I was angry with her for being reckless I couldn’t help but feel happy around her. She finally swallowed all that muffin and after a long sip of her coffee she looked at me and exhaled a long sigh.  

“Ok, I will tell you everything, but you have to answer me one question honestly.” She said seriously and I nodded. “Why did you pretend to believe Avery when she accused me of sleeping with Toby?” I didn’t expect that question from her now. To be honest, I was expecting her to lay into me, had been waiting for it to come the moment she sat in the car, but how could she know I had been pretending? I looked at her and she smiled at me. “I heard you and Pheebs, I came home last night but when I heard you both I left again to find Tomas. So again, why did you pretend?”  

“Because I knew that if I didn’t pretend Toby might’ve hurt you even more. I know he has something on you, and I can tell he set it all up, the phone, the texts, everything. Why is he doing this to you D?”  

“Because I know who the lover is. Or at least I know one of them.” She shrugged and drank more coffee. I looked at her with wide eyes.  

“Is that why you ran?”  

“Yes.”  

“You can trust me D.” I say reaching for her hand, she reaches for mine and interlocks our fingers. She takes another deep breath and opens her mouth, but my phone rings at that moment and I hold my hand up at her.  

“That’s Theo’s ringtone. I better answer, he is probably worried about you.” I slide my finger across the screen and Theo’s voice fills my ears.  

“She with you?”  

“Yes” 

“Bring her to mums please.”  

“Why?” I ask looking at Delia’s pale face.  

“Just bring her. Please.”  

“Ok” I say defeated and hang up, I look over at D and she smiles sadly. “You heard that?” I ask and she nods. “Shall we go?” I grab my cup and down the rest of my coffee and hand Delia her half-eaten muffin and she smiles. 

**** 

We arrived at mums house half an hour later, I managed to convince Col to stop at Theo’s to let me grab a quick shower and my phone. We walked in to a shouting match coming from the kitchen, so we followed it. I had a bad feeling about this, the shouts were getting louder and I braced myself for the drama we were about to walk into, but nothing, I mean nothing could have ever prepared me for what was unfolding in the kitchen.  

James and Theo were next to the breakfast bar, in Theo’s arms was my mother, her top torn in the sleeves, her hair all messed up and her eyes puffy from crying. James was holding Heidi, her face was bruising and her lips was split and bleeding, her sleek hair was the same as my mother’s, messy. Around the kitchen was the rest of the gang, Avery and Mallory stood next to my nan who was holding Gabe’s hands in hers, their faces contorted and panicked. The only person who seemed to be enjoying this was Toby, who stood by the back door, his lips donning a small smirk.  

“What’s going on?” I asked as my eyes once more surveyed the scene. Everyone stopped and looked at me and Col.  

“She!” My mother pointed at her sister, anger filled her voice, making it waver “She, she...” She stopped talking as tears filled her eyes and she started sobbing, Theo pulled her closer to his chest and squeezed her in a hug. I looked at Heidi but she offered no explanation. I looked around the room and stopped when I looked at Avery. She moved towards me and I flinched.  

“I’m sorry Cordelia.” I stood stunned as she wrapped her arms around me and started crying. “I’m so sorry, I can’t believe I didn’t see it.”  

“Didn’t see what?” I asked her as she pulled away from me, she looked at Gabe and then at Toby and then at Heidi. “You are freaking me the f**k out, Ave, what is going on?”  

Nan chose that moment to clear her throat and direct all the attention herself. She smiled at me and spoke. 

“Heidi set you up, she put the phone in your coat that night.”  

“What? Why?” I said looking at Heidi. “What did I ever do to you Heidi?” I asked her as the tears spilled from my eyes. 

“I think you know why?” She hissed towards me, her words full of anger “I wanted you gone, same as him.” She nodded towards Toby and he shrugged his shoulders.  

“I wanted you gone because I didn’t want our affair coming to light!” He said looking at Avery.  

“I don’t believe you anymore Toby. “She said and my eyes steered towards James, his arms were around Heidi’s waist, but his shoulders were tense, he was sweating and pale. I knew he could feel my eyes on him, but he made no move to say anything. His eyes eventually found mine and his face blanched even more when he saw the tears running down my cheeks. “I’m sorry” he mouthed and I knew I was on my own. Or so I thought, my phone pinged in my hand, I looked at the text I had just received.  

*I found her. We will be at your mums in half an hour. Hold the fort. * 

I looked at Toby and smiled. You are going down motherfucker.