5
BERLIN, GERMANY
DYLAN
I’m worried about Sky.
I know she hates star-studded and fake nights like this, where we’re forced to put on a show for the world, but she’s quieter than usual. I mean, she refused wine, which is her usual way of coping with stressful situations so she must feel bloody awful.
I apologised for my behaviour this morning, but I can’t lose the guilt when it’s clear how much I upset her. Sky’s quieter than usual, and I swear I saw her hiding tears earlier.Way to go, Dylan, you jerk.
I’m pissed off with myself. I try not to let things get to me, but the constant phone calls and hassle over band-related shit since we arrived back in England drags me backwards. The panic that I can’t cope if I’m pulled back into the Blue Phoenix world before I’m ready, spilled out and Sky received the brunt.
Tonight’s fun and games is Blue Phoenix’s first time together as a whole band for a long time which is weird, especially since we all had girls with us. I haven’t seen Jem for a few months, and I’m relieved to see him looking well after rehab, though I’m not sure if tangling with somebody like Ruby is good for him. What if she breaks his heart and sends him sliding backwards? Because it looks to me like she’s captured that heart. The last time Jem looked at someone the way he looks at her was years ago. If ever.
“Who’s the girl Bryn was with?” asks Sky, sinking onto the plush sofa in our suite.
I pull off my suit jacket and throw it on the nearby armchair. Usually this would prompt Sky to help me out of the rest of my suit. I’m not a fan of wearing them, but I am a fan of Sky’s reaction, especially if she has a few drinks inside her. This time, however, she just looks at me with a tired expression.
“Mia? I think she’s the daughter of someone we knew years ago, but I’m not a hundred percent sure. If she is, it would be pretty damn weird for Bryn to be fu—” I catch Sky’s look and correct myself. “Dating her.”
“Hmm. She doesn’t look Bryn’s type. She’s a bit young too.” Sky rubs her eyes.
“Sky, what’s wrong?” Her pale features and silence through the Awards is at odds with the girl I know and love. “You really do need to see a doctor, don’t you?”
“I will. As soon as we’re back in England.”
“See? I told you we should’ve told everybody to piss off and stayed home. This trip has made you worse.”
Sky’s eyes well with tears and my panic spikes. It’s a long time since Sky cried in front of me. Following the months of hell we were apart, and the mess up I made of things with the stupid overdose, I’ve attempted to fill her life with happiness. Sure, we fight like any normal couple, and either she wins or I sulk, but we’re never nasty.
“Sky.” I sit and curl my fingers around hers. “Please tell me what’s wrong. Are you feeling worse than you were?”
“Pass my bag.” She indicates the small black bag resting on the top of her suitcase. Hastily, I hand it to her.
She pushes the bag back to me. “In there. I need to show you something.”
Confused, I unzip the bag. Amongst the small items is a plastic stick, which Sky pulls out and hands to me. I stare not sure what this is, but I have a pretty good idea.
“Is this a pregnancy test?” I ask.
“Yes. Sorry.”
Sorry? I flip the item over. Lines. “No. Tell me. I’m confused. I don’t know how to read them. Is this positive?” I study the plastic, feeling dumb at my words. I stare harder, imprinting the two lines on my mind, as the world outside the room suddenly doesn’t exist anymore.
Sky doesn’t respond. She doesn’t need to. “You’re pregnant?”
She nods.
I blink and shake my head in case I misunderstood. “Yes?”
“Yes.”
“Holy shit!” Sky’s eyes widen at my loud voice. “I mean, fuck... shit, you know what I mean. Wow!” I seize Sky’s head and kiss her mouth. She stiffens and I pull my head back, searching her eyes. “This is awesome! Right?” I’m pretty sure I’m grinning like an idiot, and I wait for her smile in return.
Sky doesn’t reply. Or smile. She wraps her arms around me, burying her face into my chest, her body shaking. Uh. I wrap my arms around Sky, still holding the plastic stick, and she grips my waist.
Now I’m confused. This is the biggest, the best, most fucking amazing thing that’s happened to me since Sky. A baby. Anus. My heart skips out of rhythm as the reality of her words floods through. I’m going to be a dad. Holy crap.