Banging the Band by Jen Cooper

Bonus Scene 3

Heat Level: Spicy

Scenario: This bonus scene has multiple POV’s (all of them) ❤️‍🔥 It’s Charlotte’s birthday and the guys forgot. So they’ve got a lot of making up to do. Or so they think…😏😈🔥

FELIX POV

“Get your ass here, it’s a fucking emergency,” I snapped at the boys in a voice message before sending it. 

I paced the patio, eyeing Charlotte who was in the kitchen, humming to her music as she made a smoothie. 

I couldn’t believe we had forgotten. There were fucking five of us and we had all been so busy working on the new album Defying Desire that we hadn’t paid enough attention. 

I did another few paces then looked at our girl, pulling on my joint like it would fix everything.

She was so happy, oblivious to how badly we had fucked up. 

She dropped some greek yoghurt into the blender then licked the spoon. The way she moved her tongue over it then licked her lips had me groaning, moving inside to her like a moth to a flame. 

“Damn, Trouble. At least let me get my morning joint in before you get me hard as hell for you,” I winked, blowing the smoke toward the open doors onto the patio that led to the pool. 

She grinned then opened her mouth, tipping the honey from her spoon down onto her. She intentionally let it drip down her chin then used her finger to swipe it up to her mouth. 

She sucked her finger with a pop before pointing it at me. 

It was the middle one, but her face was alight with a grin so instead of giving her the finger back, I moved around the counter and pulled her into me, licking up the leftover honey from her chin.

She giggled and tried to swat me away but I had her now and I wasn’t letting her go. 

I licked and kissed, putting my joint on my ear out of the way. 

She laughed and tried to grab it but Charlie had a nasty habit of drowning them. 

I had her around the waist, her ass against me when I grabbed her throat and pulled her back into me. 

She let out a squeal then sighed, panting from play fighting with me, “One move and I’ll bend you over this counter, Trouble,” I warned. 

She chuckled then leaned back to look at me. She looked me dead in the eyes then wiggled her ass against my cock, “Does that count as one move?”

I sucked in a breath and pulled her mouth to mine, kissing her fiercely. She turned into me, wrapping her arms around my neck as I backed her up into the counter. 

All notions of being too much of a fuck up for her went out the window and I kissed her hard, yanking her sports tank off. 

I grabbed her breasts, toying with the nipples as she moaned and pushed her hips against me.

I groaned as she reached between us, inside my black jeans and gripped my cock. I hadn’t worn underwear in a long time because it gave her more access for times like this. 

Ever since we’d moved into the house, every surface was fair game. 

Like the kitchen bench.

I lifted her onto it, spreading her legs so I could step between them. It was our favourite way to fuck. Desperate, fast, shameless. And usually on a surface like this. Actually, usually it was bathrooms. 

Before every show, she took me to the bathroom to fuck me, take my mind of it all so I could enjoy it without the narcotics. 

And now we did it because Dimitri hated the idea of fucking in bathrooms which amused us both. 

He was going to lose his shit when he saw me having my way with her on the kitchen bench. 

I yanked her lycra shorts off, unpeeling them from her skin with her panties, leaving her completely naked for me. 

I groaned and bucked my hips into her touch, “Trouble, you are my every fantasy,” I breathed then kissed her again. 

She moaned against me, “Your reality, Lix. I’m right here,” she whispered back like she knew every single part of my head. 

“I fucking love you,” I growled then kissed her harshly. I moved my lips down her body then opened her legs wide, putting them on my shoulder. 

I found her sweet centre with my tongue, stroking her with it until she was panting hard. She gripped the edges of the bench, her ass tilted and holding her balance while I devoured her pussy. 

She cried out as I made her my meal, her heels digging into my shoulder blades. I used my tongue and piercing on her clit, sending her hips wild. 

I pinned them down as she gasped, yanking at my hair. 

She fell back on the bench as she came, her orgasm exploding down on her so fast that her arms went out and her smoothie maker fell off the bench. It crashed and the contents went up the cabinets which I thought she would care about but she didn’t. 

She trembled and came hard around my tongue before she sat up, her body damp. She pushed me back and got to her knees. 

“Your turn,” she panted. 

Fuck yes. 

She yanked my jeans down my legs and had my cock in her mouth before I had them off. 

Her mouth was quick, her grasp at my base hard. 

I groaned, gripping the fridge that she had pushed me up against, “Fuck, Trouble, you take it so damn well,” I got out between breaths. 

And she did, she was a pro, taking me all the way to the back of her deep throat, gagging and sucking while using her hand. 

Heat and pleasure spiked inside me and an overwhelming rush went through me. It was always like this though. 

The others could be patient with her, they could take their time and enjoy their long lasting moments but with us? It was instant. We both raced our bodies to the finish line because we both craved that high from each other. 

I punched the fridge as she moaned against me, her tongue stroking up the vein in my length driving me insane.

I bit into the back of my hand, trying not to scream but I was on the inside. 

She sucked, her head bobbing on my cock like a damn pacman. 

“Fuck, Trouble,” I bit out, my hips bucking. 

I couldn’t help it, my hand went to the back of her head and I thrusted. 

I fucked her mouth hard until her eyes watered. 

It didn’t take long before that had my mind exploding, sending my body with it. 

I came so fucking hard. My body shuddered, my hot seed bursting out of me and onto her tongue that she held out for me. 

She opened her mouth wide, milking my cum onto her, letting it drip down her chin so it matched the smudges of her tear stained mascara.  

I stood above her and lifted her chin as the front door slammed open. 

“In here!” I called out. Atlas, Dimitri and Blake all came running in because I had told them it was an emergency. 

But I wasn’t done with our girl. 

On her knees still, my cum painting her mouth and chin, I smiled down at her, “So pretty, isn’t she boys?”

“What’s the emergency?” Atlas demanded.

“Pretty is too tame a word for what she is, Felix,” Dimitri scolded. 

I looked down at Char and ran my thumb along her bottom lip. I dragged my thumb through my cum on her chin then stuck it in her mouth. She sucked it, her eyes fluttering as she watched me. 

My teeth clenched and I fought back the urge to get hard again. 

She sucked my thumb dry of cum then licked her mouth with her tongue, “Delicious,” she said then turned to the others, “There’s an emergency?” She asked getting to her feet and going to the sink. 

“No, Trouble. I just wanted them to see me marking you. Are you still going for that run?” 

She frowned but nodded, “Yeah,” she said wiping her chest with a wet cloth. Then she eyed the smoothie spillage and laughed, “After I clean up.”

“Do you want help, Sweet Girl?” Blake asked, always being the golden boy and making us look bad. 

She shooed him off though, “I’ve got it. I’m going to clean this up and go, do any of you want to come?”

Atlas went to say something, probably yes because he hated the idea of her running without one of us there. Ever since they had become public, the paps had become vultures. But I glared at him. I needed him here because we did have an emergency. 

One I needed to talk to them about before Char found out. 

“Run to Edna’s and back, that’s it. If the paps follow you or you get uncomfortable, go to her place and we’ll come get you,” Atlas said. 

She nodded, “I know how it works, At. I’ll be safe.” She smiled then set about cleaning up. 

I took that as our cue and nodded to the boys to get the fuck upstairs. They did and I kissed her on the top of her head before going after them. 

They were waiting for me on the top landing and I led them down to the media room. It was a mini movie theatre with a huge sofa bed that we curled up in and watched movies. Well where we fucked while movies played in the background. 

But that wasn’t why I needed them here. 

I shut the door then frowned, “Where the fuck is Ethan?”

As I said it, the door opened and Ethan came trudging in. He was in his sweat pants and hoody, the hood up. 

It was fucking spring. 

I shook my head at him, “What part of emergency-”

“I checked the cameras, you were all fine. Charlotte was more than fine so I didn’t see the emergency.”

I rolled my eyes, “Well there is one.”

“Just tell us what it is,” Dimitri snapped, folding his arms. 

I huffed then put my hands on my hips, “Well. We fucked up.”

“How?” Atlas demanded. 

I pulled out my phone and showed them my Facebook notification I had gotten earlier. 

They all tensed, going silent. 

“It’s Charlotte’s birthday today,” I announced. 

I looked at them all with wide eyes. We, us, her boyfriends had forgotten her birthday. The first one as her boyfriends and she hadn’t even had a single happy birthday from any of us. 

Dimitri was smirking though and that made me nervous. 

“You remembered it, didn’t you?” 

Dimitri shrugged, “I knew it was coming up. I’ve had something made for her.”

“How about reminding the rest of us then, asshole? We can’t all have your awesome memory!” I snapped. 

Ethan looked pale, “Are you okay, E?”

He nodded slowly, “I need to get her something. Write her something. It has to be perfect. I’ll see you guys later.” 

He left faster than he had appeared. 

I chuckled then turned to the others, “So we’re all getting her something separate then?”

Dimitri nodded. Atlas looked feral and Blake didn’t seem to care. 

“Well I already have something for her. You three can figure the rest out. We’ll exchange gifts at dinner.”

“Dinner. Shit, what’s her favorite food? Or should we take her out?”

“I can get my Mom to make her something?” Blake offered. 

I pointed to him, “Yes, genius, do that.”

“I have to go, excuse me,” Atlas snapped then left the room. 

That was the exact reaction I had thought he’d have. 

It was just me and Blake then. He came over and clapped me on the back, “Don’t worry, Lix. She’s not that shallow. She won’t mind what we get her. Plus, pretty sure you just gave her something all over her face,” Blake laughed. 

I chuckled, my chest still tight. 

“Seriously Blakey Boy, I’m stressing out. What should I get her?”

Blake shrugged, “Think about what you and her enjoy or have in common. Get her something that lines up with that. She loves stuff that means something more than bought things.”

I nodded, blowing out a breath, “Usually I hate your golden boy shit, but that actually helps, thank you,” I grinned then left him and ran down the stairs. 

I had no idea what the others were going to get her but I knew what I needed to do. 

I had to go back to where we started. 

Edna’s.

Ethan POV

Perfect. It has to be perfect. I scribbled note after note, playing them on my keyboard, determined to make it perfect. It was her birthday. How had I not known? Admittedly, I didn’t have Facebook to remind me but still- I was hers. She was mine. And I had failed. 

I wouldn’t fail her now. 

She was my heart beat and she needed to know how much she meant to me. 

I emailed the cake shop and ordered a red velvet cake with musical notes and roses as the decorations then went back to writing the perfect song for her. I just had to hope it was enough to convince her that she was my everything.

Dimitri POV

I had never been so glad to be OCD in my life. I’d had her birthday memorised since the first day she’d friended me. I hadn’t forgotten. I’d had something custom made and I couldn’t wait to give it to her. It was something for her and me, something we could both enjoy. And it meant alot. It had to because she meant alot. The others may have forgotten but they should know me better than to do that. I checked my emails and confirmed the cake I had ordered, the flowers I was having delivered then pulled up outside the jewellery store to pick up my blackbird’s birthday present. 

Atlas POV

I had forgotten. FORGOTTEN. I hadn’t checked. I hadn’t known. I hadn’t even asked. I was such an asshole. But if there was anything I knew how to do, it was make up for being an asshole. 

I strode into my father’s office where he was taking a call. He held up a finger to me and I waved him off, heading to where his PR manager was. The one that wasn’t Victoria. 

“Hey, Atlas. What can I do for you?” Melanie asked, “There’s no new scandal I need to be worried about is there?” She half laughed. She was still a little gun shy thanks to the beach incident. 

I smirked at that. That photographer wasn’t going to be holding a camera anytime soon. 

“No, no. Nothing like that. I actually had a request.”

Her brows perked up, “Oh?”

“Yeah. Do you have a folder on Charlotte?” 

She frowned, pursing her lips, “Don’t put me in the middle of you and your father’s spats, Atlas,” she growled. 

I shook my head, “No it’s nothing like that, I just wanted to get all the career articles you had on her.”

Melanie looked confused, “I’m making a gift for her,” I explained. 

Melanie’s face changed and she grinned, “Oh of course! How can I help?” 

I spent the next hour with Melanie who helped me bring my idea to life. It wasn’t much but I knew it would mean a lot to Charlotte. I just had to hope it was enough to make her smile at least after she realised how much of an asshole her boyfriends were.

Blake POV

“Mom!” I called, barging into the house. 

“In here Sweetie!” 

I went through to the kitchen where she always was. She had flour on her cheeks, in her hair, on her apron and alll over the bench but it put a huge smile on her face so I said nothing. 

“Oh, where’s Charlotte? Is she not coming in?”

I rolled my eyes. Charlotte was Mom’s surrogate daughter and as much as I loved that, sometimes it made me feel like the third wheel. 

“She’s busy today,” I said. 

“Oh well. Next time,” Mom grinned and came over, hugging me and ruffling my hair. 

She knew Charlotte was the reason we had moved back here and it had given my girlfriend infinite brownie points. 

“What are you making?”

“Well, I found a new cob loaf recipe which I wanted to try and then Charlie sent me this delicious looking apple pie that I thought I would try. It’s almost done if you wanted to stay for dinner?”

I shook my head, “No thanks. We’re doing a birthday dinner for Charlotte,” I said reaching over the counter to grab the can of cream. I shook it up then sprayed the whip into my mouth as my mom bustled over to the calender. 

“Her birthday? What? No it’s not. Sweetie-”

“I know, Mom. But the guys think it is.”

She frowned, going back to the bench, “Why would they think that?”

“Her Facebook. She put a random birthday in when she made it.”

My mom laughed heartily, “Oh the silly poppets. Aren’t you going to tell them?”

I laughed. No.

“Nah. Now they’re all out getting her nice gifts and cakes and flowers and shit. Normally I’m doing that shit. They can have a turn,” I grinned. 

Mom whacked me with the teatowel, “Language, Sweetie.” Damn, that was one of my brownie points. 

“Sorry,” I said then put the cream down. 

Mom chuckled, “Well, since you’re not going to tell them, are you going to join in and get her something too? She deserves it for putting up with you lot. I don’t know how she does it.”

I knew but it wasn’t something I was about to tell Mom. 

“I’ve got her something,” I smirked and I did. I had been planning on giving it to her anyway but since I was pretending not to know it wasn’t her birthday, today was perfect. I just had to go pick it up. 

“Well, take her some of this pie and cob loaf then. I’ll just pack some up for you.”

Mom set about cooling the pie, making me try all her new mixes of jams that she was trying to push on the neighborhood. It was hard to tell her that some flavours weren’t meant to mix when she was so happy so I didn’t. 

I sat there begging the pie to cool faster then left with it and the cobb loaf packed up in a container to pick up Charlotte’s non-birthday present, laughing at the panicked messages coming through from the guys.

Charlotte POV

The guys were acting so fucking weird. Ever since I had gotten back from my run, they’d all been avoiding me. 

I had showered so I knew I didn’t stink. 

I gave up trying to get their attention in the end and spent the afternoon in my studio, practicing choreography for one of my new clients. I’d been flush with jobs, booked a year in advance and on steady contracts for my ongoing ones. It was a dream come true.

And living with the guys, back in Evanston made everything fall perfectly into place. 

Although today was not so perfect. It had been, especially the whole kitchen thing but since then, it had been so strange. 

I sat on the floor of my studio, my papers spread out, my laptop between my legs when my phone buzzed. 

“Can you come inside?” Atlas messaged. 

I grinned and took a picture of my legs wide open, “Come here instead and you can fill the gap,” I teased. 

He loved dirty, flirty messages. Usually. 

But instead of responding how he normally did, he said, “It’s important. We need to talk.” 

My heart sank, my chest tightening. 

I sent him ‘Ok.’ then stood slowly. 

My skin prickled as I panicked a little. Was this the talk where he told me I wasn’t enough? That one girl couldn’t possibly be enough for the five of them? That he was breaking things off? 

Nobody said ‘we need to talk’ unless it was bad news. 

With my stomach churning, I left my studio by the pool and went across the yard into the house. 

When I got there, I was a wreck, my nerves shot. 

All five of them were standing there, hands behind their backs with serious faces on. 

I walked in and stood at the end of the table by the bifold doors I had come through. 

“Take a seat,” Dimitri said. 

I gulped and sat down, shaking. 

I eyed Blake who grinned at me. That was reassuring. His face fell when I didn’t smile back, “What’s wrong?” He asked. 

The others all frowned between him and then me. 

I shook my head, “I don’t know. You tell me,” I bit back. 

Blake frowned harder then eyed the guys, “What did you say to her, Atlas?”

Atlas shrugged slightly, “I just told her to come inside and that we needed to talk.”

Blake’s jaw dropped and Felix smacked the back of Atlas’s head. He winced and rubbed it, “Ouch asshole, What was that for?”

“For telling our girl that we’re breaking up with her on her birthday,” Felix snapped. I was about to address the breaking up bit when the birthday bit registered. 

Birthday? It was not my birthday. 

I went to say something when Felix came up and pulled my lips to his, kissing them, “I’m sorry we forgot your birthday, Trouble but we’re going to make it up to you, okay?” 

I smiled, about to tell him he was wrong when I caught Blake’s eye from behind them all. 

He shook his head slightly, winking at me, grinning from ear to ear. I pursed my lips to hide my grin. The cheeky fucker. Damn I loved him. 

Felix put a small box in front of me. It was wrapped in tissue paper with a messy bow on it. Perfectly chaotic, just like Felix. I loved it already. 

“I did not break up with her. How did she get that out of what I said?” I heard Atlas murmuring to Dimitri who just rolled his eyes and shook his head at Atlas. 

I grinned and opened my present, letting them work it out.

It was a tarot card. The one with the heart and the five swords in it. It was my card, the one that had told me this future was coming for me. The card I had pulled with Felix. 

I grinned wide, my heart so warm, my eyes stinging at how thoughtful it was. 

“I was going to laminate it but Edna told me off. Said it was your card, that you had to decide.”

I held it to my heart, “I want to frame it. Then I can put it next to my bed and wake up to it.”

Felix beamed then gave me another kiss. 

“Also there’s a cake,” he said, this time more nervous. I eyed the table that he pointed to. There were five boxes there- one of them a container with Blake’s Mom’s cooking in it. But the rest were cake boxes. And four bouquets of flowers. Sunflowers, roses, lilies and tulips. 

“Did you each get me a cake and flowers?” I laughed. 

“We suck at co-ordinating clearly, but yeah we did,” Ethan said, coming forward with a scroll. 

I grabbed it and my eyes went wide at the wax seal. It had my initials on it. 

“You remembered?” I asked, my eyes watering. 

I loved Bridgerton. I’d made them all binge-watch it with me. And I’d mentioned how much I loved the idea of the wax seals and parchment with the quill ink writing. 

“That’s parchment I got from the back of one of my first edition Wind in the Willows books. I wrote on it for you in Quill ink,” he said, looking everywhere but me. 

I looked down at the song he had written me, humming it to myself before looking up at him, “This is perfect, E. Thank you,” I whispered then got up and hugged him. He sagged into me before kissing my cheek. Then my lips.

Then he pulled me in for a deeper kiss. The parchment dropped to the table as the kiss deepened and his tongue pushed along mine. Ethan had been so busy on the new album that we didn’t get as many nights together so his touch was volatile on me right now. 

Dimitri cleared his throat, “I also have something for you, Blackbird.”

I pulled back from Ethan who placed his hand on my heart a second longer then stepped back. I turned to Dimitri who handed me a beautiful jewellery case. 

Nervous because I never usually wore jewellery with dancing, I opened the case. 

My jaw dropped, “Dimitri,” I whispered. 

It was my very own, jeweled, leather collar engraved with my name; Blackbird. 

“This is amazing,” I grinned. 

My pussy fluttered and I licked my lips. We’d just been talking about buying a cage and building a toy room downstairs. Now I was even more on board with that idea. 

I grinned and he came forward to place the collar around my neck. 

I instantly wanted to be hooked up to a chain for him to play with. 

And by the heated look in his eyes, I knew he wanted to as well. “Thank you. All of you, these are truly so thoughtful,” I smiled. I wasn’t sure how long I was meant to let this go on.

I felt bad for pretending it was my birthday. But Blake was dying in the back, snickering and hiding his laughter in his grey hoody. The one I had worn on that first night back in Evanston. 

I shook my head at him and he grinned. 

“Here, Poison. This is for you. Because I know how much your career means to you,” Atlas said, placing down a large frame that he pulled out from behind him, “And I’m sorry that I messaged you that talking thing. I didn’t realise what it meant.”

I couldn’t forgive him because I couldn’t speak. His gift was so…thoughtful.

He’d made a collage of all the newspaper clippings and articles I had been in throughout my entire career. It was a timeline of success, of everything I had worked for. 

And it was all there for me to see, to be reminded of. 

Tears streamed down my cheeks and I got up, wrapping my arms around him tightly. He acted like an asshole but I knew that wasn’t who he was. He was all heart. And he took care of mine. 

They all did. 

I pulled back from Atlas and sniffled, wiping my face. I had to tell them-

“My turn!” Blake called, ruining the moment, probably sensing that I was about to give away the punchline to his joke. 

I frowned, “You got me something?” But he knew it wasn’t my birthday.

“Of course I did, Sweet Girl.” He kissed my cheek then strode passed everyone and left the room for a moment. 

When he came back, he had a box in his arms. A big box. 

I frowned at him as he placed it down in front of me. 

“These guys know who you are now, Sweet Girl but I’ve always known,” he taunted before he stepped back and nodded to the box. It made me nervous.

I reached down and peered in the box, expecting a prank or something to jump out but what I saw had my heart stopping. My eyes filled with more tears and I snapped my head to Blake.

“Blake if this is a joke, I swear to god, I will-”

He smiled, “It’s not Sweet Girl. It really is what you think it is,” he said softly and my heart melted. My soul melted.

I pulled the small, sleeping white puppy out of the box, snuggling into its fur. 

“Oh you’ve got to be kidding me? A fucking puppy, Blake? How is that fair? There’s no way we can top that,” Felix snapped.

Blake barked out a laugh and the puppy woke up. It let out a few soft barks and I smiled, cooing at it. I ruffled it with pats and it licked all up my face, it’s tail going crazy. 

My heart was so damn full. 

“The last thing on your vision board. A house like this. A career with your own studio. A prince charming. And a white puppy with black feet.” Blake recited.

Ethan smiled, looking at the puppy like he’d just found his best friend but the other three were sour. 

I laughed because they should have known not to bet against Blake. Then again, they shouldn’t have even been competing. I loved them all, not for their gifts, but because they’d all thought so much about what they wanted to give me. And that was after they’d ‘forgotten.’

I snuggled my new puppy. It wriggled and licked, it’s soft fur so comforting. 

Ethan came over and warily patted the pup who licked his hand like crazy, “What are you going to name him?” he asked. 

I shrugged, “I don’t know. Any ideas?”

Dimtri was the one to speak up, “Seven,” he said, “He’s the seventh member of our family,” he offered. 

I grinned, “I love it.” 

I snuggled my new friend tight then handed him to Ethan who seemed to be dying for a hold. 

Blake came over and kissed me fully. His lips went by my ear, “So birthday girl, do you like your gifts?”

I nodded, “They’re all beautiful. But you know it’s not my birthday Blake, why didn’t you tell them?”

He chuckled, “I wasn’t about to stop them buying you thoughtful gifts and now we have copious amounts of cake for dinner.”

I laughed at that then kissed him. When I pulled back, Atlas stole me, he pulled me into him and cupped my face, “Happy birthday, Charlie,” he said. 

I grinned and kissed him. Then I stepped back and went to pat the puppy who yapped happily. 

I crossed paths with Dimitri who locked his hand around my wrist. I went to yank it free but he gripped tighter. 

I raised a brow at him. He was looking at my career path collage, “It’s cool, right?” I said. 

He said nothing, just turned his head to me, his eyes glaring. 

I glanced down at the pages then realisation hit. 

One of those articles was about the competition I had won when I was seven. I had won it on my birthday. 

I gulped and yanked my hand free. Dimitri sauntered forward but I stepped back. 

“Blake?” I said, calling for him, knowing I was in trouble. 

Blake came over and looked between me and Dimitri.

“He knows doesn’t he?” Blake whispered. Dimitri’s glare hardened. 

I nodded slowly, “Think so.”

Atlas went quiet, “What’s going on?”

“What are we doing Sweet Girl? Guilty until proven innocent or run?” He said as we backed up slowly, being stalked by a very tall Dimitri who was on the prowl. 

Atlas was starting to clue into something happening and Felix was fighting Ethan for the Puppy. 

“I don’t know if I can outrun them both,” I whispered, eyeing the obstacles. The armchair, the table, the stairs. 

Blake sighed, “Then it is up to me,” he said, puffing out his chest. I laughed as he stood in front of me, “Run Sweet Girl! Save yourself!” he called then pushed me around the arm chair and ran at Dimitri. 

I laughed and took off around the living room toward the stairs. 

“What the fuck?” Felix asked. 

Blake warrior-screamed as Dimitri fought him, playfighting like kids, “Was it your idea?” he demanded.

“It was all me. She had nothing to doing with it!”

I jumped when Atlas came up behind me, “What’s he talking about, Poison?”

I shuddered and tried to edge up the stairs but he grabbed me and pulled me into him, “I have no idea.”

Dimitri pulled his coat around Blake backwards then tied his coat at the back so Blake was straightjacketed. He wriggled like a worm on the floor, “Run, Char! Don’t let them take you alive!” he called. I laughed and yanked out of Atlas’s grasp, running back into the living room, trying to make it out through the laundry but Dimitri caught me around the waist. I kicked and screamed, laughing as he pinned me to him. 

“That was not a very nice prank, Blackbird,” he warned heading to the bifold doors. 

I wriggled, and fought him but he had me. 

“What’d she do?” Felix asked.

“We’ve been played, boys,” Dimitri said before carrying me out onto the patio beside the pool. 

“No! I was going to tell you-!” I tried but Dimitri tickled me in the side, my laughs stopping me from talking. 

“It turns out, it’s not our girl’s birthday after all,” Dimitri revealed. 

Felix’s eyes shot up as Atlas glared at Blake. Ethan just smirked then sat down in one of the pool loungers, the puppy all over him, yapping from between his legs at the rest of us. 

“It’s not?” Felix asked. 

I was crying I was laughing so hard, “I swear I didn’t know you guys thought it was until I came in.”

“And you didn’t tell us then because?”

I shrugged. I wasn’t giving up Blake, “I’m saying nothing,” I grinned, knowing what that meant. 

“Not good girl behaviour, Blackbird. What do bad girls get?”

“Punishment,” I squeaked. 

“Wrong,” he grinned and I frowned. That hadn’t been the answer I was expecting. “Wet, Blackbird. They get wet.” Then he chucked me in the pool as I squealed, laughing as I crashed through the surface of the water. 

I came up laughing and a moment later, Felix had shedded his clothes, jumping into the pool with me.

“And I thought Blake was our resident golden boy. Maybe he’s got a rebellious side to him after all,” Felix grinned kissing me. 

I smiled and put my arms around his neck, floating with him, saying nothing because I was not giving up Blake. 

“Cannonball!” Blake called from the living area before running out the door, across the patio and jumping in next to us. 

I laughed again as he popped out of the surface, “And he even breaks out of straightjackets. My hero,” I said swimming to him. 

“You know it, Sweet Girl.” Then he kissed me slow and deep before the others joined us in the pool too. Even Ethan who brought in Seven on a small board. 

I grinned, looking at my family all playing together, laughing together. 

This was the best non-birthday birthday I’d ever had.

THE END