𝚝𝚑𝚒𝚛𝚝𝚢 𝚠𝚎𝚎𝚔𝚜

"You sure Atlas won't mind you paying for all of us?" Athena asks, sounding a bit concerned. I'm sure she knows better than to ask that question. Winter thinks so as well as she starts to laugh and hands the cashier the black card Atlas left in my possession.

It's the twenty-fourth of December. That means it's Christmas. I promised Athena, as we do every year, we'd go shopping for last-minute presents, some hot chocolate and breakfast. Atlas didn't like me being gone for today, but I didn't care much. Athena and I have a tradition, and I plan on keeping it. With an add-on; that being getting our nails done.

And besides, I'll be home by lunch time. Athena has her own family, surely she'd prefer to be home with her husband and son as well.

Oh, and as Summer had called Atlas earlier, I invited her and Winter to tag along. Didn't think they would, but here we are.

"Atlas wants me to spend his money, for whatever reasons that is," I say with a chuckle. I link my arm with hers, slowly walking over to our table at the diner.

Walking gets more and more exhausting, as well as my speed seems to be slow-motion now. Annoying.

Winter and Summer are right behind us, making sure to catch me if I trip. It's hilarious, really. I've always been clumsy, but pregnant-me seems to be even clumsier.

As we sit, Winter starts to tell us all about her boyfriend, who still appears to be using her for her brothers money. Clearly, Summer believes so too. "God, Winter. That guy asked you for one hundred dollar. Don't you get it?" She rolls her eyes, not believing the naivety of her sister.

"What should I get? He's a bit low on money, that's nothing bad," Winter argues, crossing her arms. "I just want to help out. It's Christmas."

"Honey," Athena says, stroking a hand through Winter's hair. "He might be low on money, but so are you. You can't give all you have away."

"I'm not low on money. I have access to some all year around."

That she might, but it's not hers. Atlas is basically her personal ATM machine, and he'd never tell her no. Well, unless he knew where she'd put all the money he gives her.

"You're just stupid," Summer throws in, not even bothering to look up from her phone. "He keeps asking you for money. He doesn't ever give some back. You pay for everything. He is using you."

I doubt there's much more we can tell her. We've tried, but Winter isn't listening. She will have to learn from her mistakes eventually, but for now, changing the topic seems better. Though, before I do, I make a quick mental note to let Atlas know where his money is flowing in to.

"Are you seeing him tomorrow?" I ask Winter, offering her a smile. She returns the smile, scrunching up her nose.

"Unfortunately, no. Liam said he's with his family somewhere in Oregon."

Summer takes a deep breath, obviously trying not to snap. "Or he's with his other girlfriend," she says in a breath. Winter doesn't even listen to her sister anymore at this point.

"You know, I really wished I had a relationship like you do," Winter says, suddenly causing even Summer to look at me with her full attention. "Atlas and you, you're the cutest."

"That they are," Summer agrees, so does Athena with a nod.

"You guys know, Sierra only comes to the office for Atlas? She's not even working," Athena tells my sisters-in-law. Sure, she had to give them more fuel to mock me all about how ridiculously in love I am with my husband while he's not feeling a thing for me at all.

Winter gasps, a smile as bright as the sun spreading all across her face. "They do be having the relationship of my dreams."

"I don't know, Winter," Summer says. "They started off so...wrong."

"Yup," Athena agrees. "Forced proximity doesn't sound all too intriguing."

"That wasn't forced proximity," I utter, somehow feeling offended by a simple fact that does have some truth in it.

"Doesn't matter. It worked out all fine." Winter lays her hand on mine, giving it a reassuring squeeze. "Yeah, if it weren't for this baby, I doubt Atlas and you would've ever exchanged a single word again. But you made it work. You got married, even if that's on Cody. And now you're so deeply in love, I could vomit just looking at the two of you. I want people to think my future boyfriend and I are so disgustingly in love, they would like to puke while looking at us. I want envious looks and jealousy. I want...your love."

For a fourteen-year-old, Winter has a huge imagination. A broad picture of love. Yet, she can't see her boyfriend is using her for money.

"I'd rather not be in love at all," I mumble, internally punching myself for it as Summer gasps and slaps a hand to her mouth. Panic arises inside of me. "No, I mean. I love your brother, and I wouldn't trade my feelings for anything, but I never...wanted it. You know? I never wanted to rely on someone. I never wanted to cry when I'm apart from that person for too long. I never wanted to feel empty when I'm on my own, miss the warmth of the other person. I was doing so good on my own, and he wrecked it all. If I had to spend one day without him, I would go nuts. And I never wanted that."

Athena raises her brows at me, clearly amused by my confession. A confession I haven't even told her of yet...or anyone. Is it wrong to admit feelings to the persons siblings first? I think so.

"It does sound exhausting," Athena laughs. By the look in her eyes, I can tell she is planning something evil right about now. Like print these exact words on a banner and hang it up in the office building.

Then I turn to Winter, my eyebrows draw together as I ask, "Wait, did you say 'you got married, even if that was on Cody'?"

I look at Athena, trying to see if she knows more than I do. But as it appears, she looks just as confused as I feel.

"Uh-oh." Winter facepalms herself, dragging the same hand down her face, regretting having opened her mouth. "I swear I didn't." Lie.

"You did." I'm not even sure I want to know the truth at this point. Yet, I can't seem to stop myself from saying, "Now you have to tell me the whole story."

With a quick look towards Summer, I find that she stares at Winter with narrowed eyes. I'm not sure if it's because Summer had known of it as well and is mad Winter accidentally let something slip, or because she is just as surprised as Athena and I are.

"Only if you promise not to divorce Atlas. He wouldn't survive your loss."

Would I survive it? I doubt I would. "I won't divorce him," I promise. For some reasons, no matter what Winter will say next, I just know I wouldn't leave Atlas for it.

"I was at his house—that day when you found out you were pregnant and told Atlas. We were supposed to have our weekly sleepover, but Atlas tried to get rid of me. I didn't leave. Anyway, Cody came over later that evening. He marched inside the house, yelling at Atlas and calling him names. At first I didn't know what that was about, until I heard him say: 'How the fuck could you get a woman pregnant that doesn't even like to be touched?! How the fuck could you get my fucking sister pregnant when she is afraid of men!'"

I gulp, heavily. Not sure why. Maybe because Winter has known of my fear of men, or at least heard of it before.

"Atlas actually didn't even answer anything. He sat on the couch, holding a glass of whiskey in his hand, sipping on it like he was already drunk. He wasn't. Not one bit. Then Cody exploded even more. Saying something like 'you got yourself in the mess, and I swear, Storm, if you fuck this up...I will fuck up your whole career. And we both know how important that one is to you. You'll marry her. I don't care how you'll convince her to do it, you will marry her. She can barely take care of herself, being financially stable will at least give her some peace. God, you knocked her up without even thinking about the consequences. I just bet she woke up the next morning thinking it happened again. Thinking Nico happened again. Marrying her and letting her think you're being more than serious with her is the least you can do.'"

Before I get to speak my mind, Summer cocks her head, her eyes snapping to mine. "Nico?" A second passes. "Our brother Nico?"

So, what started off as a day I was looking forward to, just turned into a get-together I desperately want to end.

Luckily for me, the waitress is just about to put our drinks down, giving me a second to come up with something other than the truth to say.

But what's even more fortunate, Winter shrugs off the topic and starts to talk again. "Is Atlas picking you up from here?"

Summer laughs, so loud I bet the people next to us are looking at us. "Atlas? Nah, he's probably at work."

"He isn't," Athena says, taking a sip of her milkshake. I do the same. "I just bet he's at home, sitting in the kitchen, waiting for Sierra to call so he has a reason to actually come and pick her up."

Athena said she'd drive me home. Atlas didn't like it. Before I left his car as he dropped me off, Atlas kept repeating "you call me when you want home," like having Athena drop me off at home would be so wrong.

"Oh, because I was gonna ask if you guys can take me with you. Mum just texted and said she can't pick me up," Winter let's us know. What I don't understand, why wouldn't she just ask Summer to take her with her? Summer has her own car.

Athena offers to drive her, but that offer is soon to be regretted as I tell her that Winter lives in Bellevue. Athena hates driving. And she hates it even more having to drive in a circle. She lives in the heart of Seattle. Athena only offered to take me home since were still in Medina and it wouldn't be too much of a detour. But driving over to Bellevue, then back to Medina, and then to Seattle...it'll kill her.

"Never mind. I have Nico's location, and apparently he's around here somewhere. I bet he'll pick me up and take me home," Winter says and starts texting her brother.

If he does pick her up, that means I will come face-to-face with him, again. A sight I don't think I'll get through without Atlas by my side. I felt like dying on our wedding day, if it weren't for Atlas by my side, I'm sure I would've done something stupid.

That only leaves me one other option.

I don't think I have ever texted Atlas. Our chat is empty, so I most definitely haven't. Usually, when I do have to communicate with him and we're not together, I call him. Even if he's at work. I do because I know he prefers calls to texts. He's just a bit old, of course he prefers calls.

It doesn't take long until my phone starts ringing. As I look at the screen and find Atlas calling, I can't help the chuckle from slipping out.

"Hello there," I say, smiling. I bet he can hear my smile.

"You texted me." He sounds a bit mad. Not sure why. It can't be because I sent him a text, right? Wait, never mind. He's tense because of me mentioning Nico. Whenever someone mentions his name, Atlas balls his hands into fists and is about to murder him.

"That I did." Everyone is looking at me. And I mean everyone, not just the three girls I'm with.

It's not that surprising to me anymore. Whenever I go out, someone is always looking at me. Especially in Medina. It's not that bad in Seattle.

When I asked Atlas why everyone keeps staring at me, he said it's because I'm pretty, but I don't believe that. I have my money bet on it being because of Atlas. Sure, he isn't some celebrity, but a hell lot of people know him. Especially citizens of Medina. And there are some paparazzi following him, sometimes at least. Thank god it's not every day.

For whatever reasons, they all know a hell ton of rich people live here in Medina. I mean, Jeff Bezos, anyone? I feel so weird ordering off of Amazon with only two houses down the owner of it living there.

I also know that Bill Gates lives somewhere around here. Now imagine already two well-known Billionaires living in the city, and you happen to be neighbouring with them.

If I know Bill Gates and Jeff Bezos live here, and other people know too, I just bet they know Atlas lives here as well. And since his relationship to me is of public knowledge...I just bet that's why they stare at me.

"I'm on my way."

"You could have sent a text saying that," I let him know.

"I don't text you, Sierra. When I communicate with you, I want to hear your voice. And smiley-faces aren't your voice." Rude. "Tell Winter there's no need for her brother to come. We'll take her home."

I guessed he'd say that.

"They're called emojis, old man."

Summer begins to laugh, shaking her head. "I keep telling him that, but he won't listen."

"Was that Summer?" Atlas asks. I think. He's outside and for some reasons there is a hell ton of traffic in the background.

I look at her, she laughs, knowing exactly what Atlas has just asked. "Nope. This isn't Summer. It's June here."

For anyone who doesn't know Summer, her sentence makes no sense at all. But knowing her...Summer was born in June, so it's kind of funny. And apparently, she loves playing around with her name.

I don't get to say something before Atlas hangs up the phone. As usual, not having the decency to say goodbye. We're still working on that.

Just when I'm about to call him back, because he doesn't know where I'm at, the doors to the diner open and the man himself walks inside.

And as it is with Atlas in public, he is his usual, grumpy and asshole self. He does kiss me hello though, so there's at least that. What does bother me, however, is the fact that he doesn't so much to greet his sisters or Athena. All Atlas does is look at them and nod his head. Once.

"How did you know I was here, Atlas?" I find myself asking.

He doesn't answer me. Instead, Atlas orders for Winter and me to get to the car so we can leave. I don't want to leave yet, but since I refuse to argue with him in public I get up and say goodbye to Summer and Athena. A moment later, we're on our way to drop off Winter at home.