Me Without You

I refused to open my eyes. The house was dead silent. And I live with Jack Barakat. There was something wrong. I felt around for my phone and pulled it to my, flicking the duvet over my head and hiding underneath. Sure enough, there was approximately thirty happy birthday texts, all of which I would suitably ignore. I was 26. I was four years away from forty. I was having kids. I. Was. Old. I had officially reached crisis level. I was old now. In seven months I would have responsibility of two tiny humans. Shit, I already had responsibility of two tiny humans. Working in the music industry gave me assurance that I was still cool as the years ticked by but now I was a baby momma. This was in no way okay. I had told Jack I didn’t want anything for my birthday, which I’m sure he promptly ignored, but I’ve changed my mind. I would like to never age. No more birthdays. Forever twenty-six. I had told him not to do anything but the house was quiet and he wasn’t in bed next to me. And Olivia was at May’s. That only left one conclusion. Jack was doing something. Something that would involve pouncing the moment I walked downstairs. So damn it, I was going to take at least an hour making myself look sexy, well, as sexy as a pregnant woman can be, and practicing smiling for people who liked to celebrate my aging.
I slid reluctantly out of the covers and plodded over to the wardrobe. Flicking the doors open over-dramatically I stared at the contents, entirely disappointed in my choices. I didn’t fit anything anymore. I finally found a pair of jeans that still fit and gave up on my earlier goal of sexiness and pulled on one of my Orioles jerseys. It wasn’t going to get better than this. It was the only piece of clothing I had that hid my fatness relatively well.
Hair. Curled.
Make-up. Totally perfect. Because I’d redone it five times so buy myself more time away from whatever Jack was up to.
I pulled a pair of socks on a slowly plodded down the stairs, wondering what I’d find. The house was totally empty. There was no one here, nothing odd. What the hell? I flicked a text to Jack asking where he was and grabbed a smoothie I had made yesterday out of the fridge for breakfast. Twenty minutes later and I had no reply. I swear to god, if he was doing a ‘we forgot your birthday but we didn’t’ stunt, I would kill him for being so cliché. I gave up on trying to find my husband-to-be and slipped my vans on and headed out into the chilly Baltimore morning. May would know where her brother was. She always had tabs on him.
Trust Jack to go off and plan something of whatever he was off doing when I specifically said I wanted to stay home with him and have a movie night later. Of course when would go directly against my wishes. “You’re not exciting enough, Jasey. You should enjoy your birthdays!” The four of them had always been annoyed at me for my lack of enthusiasm over my own birthday.

“May Barakat, open the damn door. I know your there!” I shouted after five minutes of knocking. “You’re cars outside and you’re too lazy to walk anywhere!” Sure enough, moments latter a slightly frazzled looking May opened the door. I smiled sweetly as I pushed past her and demanded to know the whereabouts of her brother.
“I don’t know where he is, I promise.” She held up her hands in surrender.
“You all think I’m stupid.” I laughed as I plopped down on her couch. “I’ll just wait here then shall I?” May’s eyes instantly widened in panic and I knew that Jack would be back her later if he wasn’t hiding somewhere already. “Just tell me where Jack went, May.” I sighed. All I wanted as my fiancé. I wanted seven hours of birthday cuddling. I wanted Starbucks and chicken sushi with donuts. Actually, that gave me a thought.

To: Jack x
I’m holding your sister hostage until I receive a roll of chicken sushi, a caramel macchiato with cream and 100 donuts of varying types.

I smiled at my ransom text and patted the seat next to me for May to sit down.
“You’re not going anywhere until I get my donuts.”
We ended up talking wedding plans for a good half-an hour, organising the seating plan and talking about the fitting for the bridesmaid’s dresses.
A knock at the door made May jump up and run from the room and for a small smile to spread across my face. Food. My face fell as Alex walked in carrying my order.
“Where’s Jack?” I scowled as Alex placed the food down and hugged me with a louder than necessary happy birthday.
“You think he’d fall for that? You will never know what we’re up to.” Alex laughed maliciously. “NEVER!” I whacked the overgrown man-child over the shoulder to vent my frustrations before beaming at the six pack of donuts he was holding. “But you may have donuts. Boston Crème, Oreo, Chocolate fish, Bavarian and some other weird ones Jack picked out.” I smiled at my favourite flavours of Dunkin’ Donuts and licked my lips.
“Thank you, Alley Cat.” I sang and Alex gave me a one armed squeeze.
“I’m just the delivery boy.” He laughed before teasing that I was in for one hell of a night and slamming the door behind him.
Fucker.

Notes

Hello!
So I procrastinated form my Classical History essay to write this... I hope you like it!