Chapter Fifteen

Entering our mansion, I stumble inside with a searing pain to my ass as Arlo smacks it hard. I whirl around to face him, stepping backward and he gives me a wicked smirk while walking forward. Arlo's eyes move to the stairs behind me, and I turn around, noticing Lily, cradling Lumi in her arms, seemingly not long woken up, with Cree beside her, home already. I smile, and Arlo strolls past me, heading straight for the kids.

He gives Cree a kiss then takes Lumi from her, lifting her into the air with a big smile on his face, which she returns. My heart clenches at the sight, filling with warmth and love. Jasper follows down the stairs from behind, yawning, and shirtless and I step forward and crouch in front of Cree.

"Me and Daddy are taking the day off. We're taking you and Lumi to the beach for the day." I say with a modest smile and his eyes brighten up, the excitement clear.

I glance up and Lily and Jasper, "You guys should come." I suggest.

Jasper and Lily glance at one another briefly before looking at me and I start to sense the unease, wondering if Jasper finally told her about being an Elite.

"Oh, yes, please come!" Cree pleads, looking at them with expectant eyes.

I gently stand, watching between them as they reluctantly give a small nod in agreement.

"Good," I say with a smile. "Go and collect your things and we will meet up in around one hour."

As they walk away, me and Arlo look at one another, both thinking the same thing. As he carries Lumi, he follows me up the stairs and we head to the bedrooms to get everything ready and packed.

I head into the bedroom after getting into a red two-piece swimming outfit, throwing my hair into a messy bun atop my head. I see Arlo instantly turning a black snapback on his head backward, his curly brown hair peeking through the front. My eyes briefly wander over his toned body, black shorts hang low on his hips. He slides on a white, short sleeve cotton shirt, leaving it unbuttoned, paired with a pair of white sneakers.

His dark eyes meet mine before they trail over me, hot and laser focusing on my tits.

"You need to wear red for me more often," he growls.

I shake my head with a smile as I lift my short summer dress off the bed and pull it on my body. Lumi lies in the centre of the big bed, kicking around in her little floral, white, and pink dress we picked for her, little white shoes to match. She has her summer hat scrunched tightly in her fists, trying to eat it.

"What made you want to do this today?" I ask, curiously, not looking at him since I am adjusting my dress.

When I lift my head, he slides on his sunglasses and casually shrugs his broad shoulders, "Why the fuck not? When was the last time we actually went out as a family?"

I breathe out a heavy breath, looking away, "We haven't. Not yet anyway."

"Yeah, well that's about to change," he continues. "Family first. The business is not as important."

I raise an eyebrow at his change in attitude, studying him carefully before I stride in his direction. When I stop in front of him, my eyes move up his firm chest before they lock onto his.

"Where is Arlo Hayes and what have you done with that workaholic?" I smirk.

He snickers, leaning down, pressing a firm kiss to my forehead. He completely ignores my teasing and walks around me, and I turn my head, watching as he scoops Lumi up.

"Look at you, my little princess. Who wouldn't want to dump work for this pretty little girl." He says, completely smitten with his daughter.

"You need to stop doing that. You're making my ovaries twitch."

A small smile tics on his lips as he adjusts her dress, "Did you hear that, Lumi. Mommy wants to give you another sibling already."

I roll my eyes with a grin as I turn around, folding my arms across my chest. I walk forward until I am standing beside him.

"Can you blame me when you're such a damn good father." I expression, moving my palm up his strong back.

He turns his head, looking down at me, taking a moment to think about how to respond, "So, it's not the fact that you like daddy's, big fat…"

"Are you ready to go? I have my bucket and spade!" Cree's cute voice suddenly echoes from the doorway, stopping Arlo from being the filthy bastard he is.

Arlo raises an eyebrow, and I smile widely before turning around to face Cree. I take in his little summer outfit. A cap, shorts, and a shirt.

"Did you pick your outfit all by yourself?" I ask proudly while walking toward him. "You look amazing!"

He glances down at himself. "Yes," he responds before looking at us again. "Now can we go?"

I take a moment to admire how big and independent he has become until Arlo strides past me with Lumi. On the way out the door, he leans down, lifting Cree in his other arm.

"Come on then, Mr impatient." He jokes before carrying them away.

On the way to the beach, the sun beams hot rays inside the black truck, the warm breeze from the open windows flapping the loose strands of my hair around. Cree plays with his toys in the back, Lumi in her car seat reaching out to the figurines that hang above her.

Arlo slips his hand into my inner thigh, giving it a squeeze, the sensation sending a jolt through me. I peer over at him from behind my sunglasses, noticing his one hand low on the steering wheel, his twinkling Rolex and silver rings catching the light as he stares at the path ahead.

"Jasper and Lil will meet us there." I say and he gives a small nod.

"I wonder when he will plant a baby in her," he responds casually like it's most normal thing in the world to say.

"My sister is sensible." I assert firmly while I return to my eyes forward, thinking about it.

He snickers beside me, "Just like you were, huh? Now look. Corrupted." Our shaded eyes meet as he continues, "You can't get enough."

The way he says makes my thighs clench around his hand, my body betraying me, and he lets out a low chuckle, proving his point.

"Nah, in all honesty. They've been together for as long as we have."

I sigh as I sink further into my seat, "Yet she's much younger than him, Arlo. What, seven years? I hope she's not thinking about kids yet, especially when she's still in the dark about what he does for a living. I would rather he told her before she makes such a big decision," I reply. "Also, not everyone's like us. Some people like to take things slow."

He glances over at me again, studying me before looking at the highway again, "He hasn't told her?"

"No. It seems like their relationship is going through a bit of strain right now. She knows he is keeping things from her, and he was stressed thinking he couldn't tell her."

Arlo blows out a big breath beside me, "I wonder how she would take it and where does that leave things with your mom?"

I look over at him, not initially thinking about that side of things. "I guess Lil doesn't have to know that, yet. But if hers and Jaspers relationship is going to get through this, they need honesty, so, I told him to just tell her the truth to a certain extent."

He gives a few nods in agreement and something else springs to mind about something else Jaspers mom said yesterday.

"Hey, what's this about Jaspers mom being…" I trail off and his eyes flash to mine.

"Mentally unstable?" he asks as if he knew exactly what I was going to say.

I nod, "Have you ever met her?"

He shakes his head slightly, "Nah, well, if I ever did, I would have been young and don't remember. My dad just always said she was nuts and was in mental institutes throughout Jaspers life," I stay silent as he continues. "Jasper said something to me the other day about meeting her with you, but I brushed it the fuck off."

When Arlo curses, I quickly look back at Cree, but he is too busy playing to hear, or it might be the loud hum of the car, luckily. As soon as I return my eyes to Arlo, he lets out a heavy sigh.

"Give me a break woman."

I lightly slap his arm with a smile which makes him smirk then I move my focus to the road ahead again.

"Why does she want to meet us?" I ask, curiously.

He simply shrugs his shoulder, "I dunno, I didn't ask questions."

"So, I guess that means you don't want to do it?"

He peers over at me, his dark eyes concealed by his sunglasses, but I can feel the intensity, "When have I ever been one for family dinners, Wren? Plus, she ain't even our family," he shoots back in a calm manner. "She's just some woman that my dad cheated on my mom with and got her knocked up. End of story."

I study him as he looks at the at the highway again, "But she's Jaspers family, so that makes her our family. It's not her fault your father was a cheating as…"

He glances at me sharply, and I pause, realizing I almost cursed. We both chuckle and I shake my head, "Your mouth has rubbed off on me."

He sneers, "Yeah, it has, beautiful. It's rubbed all over."

His words ooze with dark desire as his gaze lands on my bare thighs, his hand tightening on it. I slap his arm again, snapping him out of his intrusive thoughts.

"You keep slapping me like that, Wren, you know I will have to start returning them." He growls, his warning vibrating through me as he looks ahead.

I sigh and look aside out of the window, a smile playing on my lips until I notice the beach in the far distance.

Once we've parked up and met with Jasper and Lily, we all stroll over the warm sand, heading toward a quieter spot on the beach. After setting down some blankets and put up a parasol, we all begin to get undressed out of our top clothes.

As me and Lil relax on the blankets, Lumi lays between us, kicking her chunky legs around while the guys kick a soccer ball around with Cree by the sea. We watch them for a bit, then I move my focus to Lumi, pressing my finger into her hand.

"Was she okay last night?" I say to Lil, and she gives a small nod.

"She was good as gold. I told Arlo that in the text." She responds dryly while watching Jasper at a distance.

My eyes follow hers and they linger on him as I speak, "Are you okay, Lil?" I turn my head to look at her. "You seem down?"

She lets out a defeated sigh before gazing down at Lumi, "I'm okay. I guess I don't like the thought of being lied to for so long," her eyes flick up to mine. "You all lied to me."

I swallow hard before gently sitting up, "Lil, I'm…"

"I look up to you, Wren." She cuts through my words, and I pause, guilt settling in my stomach. "Even though I never followed in your footsteps of being the good girl and I went down the road of being a tyrant, I still looked up to you and admired how you kept it all together, never made our parents disappointed. It was something I couldn't grasp for a long time."

My eyes ease, "I'm sorry, Lil. You know this life wasn't mine until I met.." I glance off at Arlo with Cree on his shoulders, still playing soccer. "I didn't know, but I fell in love with my total opposite." I look at her again, sheepishly. "And I didn't try to resist it. He's my soul mate, despite the things he does for work."

She inhales deeply before nodding, lowering her head.

"If it's any reassurance, Jasper hasn't been doing it for long. He helped out when Arlo was away. He helped me. I highly doubt he wanted this life for himself to begin with." I try to comfort her.

She stays silent, eyes down, lost in thought and I continue, "He's a good man. I know he will look after you and I know you're strong enough to be beside him during all of this."

"Just like you are with Arlo?" She asks, her gaze meeting mine and I give a small nod in response.

"I don't want this life for you, Lil, I won't lie. Despite me being involved with it all, I hate the thought of my baby sister having this kind of life." We lock in a silent stare for a moment before I carry on, "but you're not a baby anymore. You're a woman and you're strong. Besides, we will always have each other. We're one big crazy family. We always will be."

She gives another small nod, drifting off in thought and I reach out, sweeping my hand down her upper arm, "You will get used to it, Lil. Jasper's a really good guy."

"He wants me to meet his Mom next weekend."

"I know, Arlo said he invited me and him as well."

Her mood suddenly shifts with excitement, "Oh, yes, please come! I am so nervous." She asks, her brown eyes pleading.

I let out a big breath, peering over at Arlo again. "I don't think, Arlo wants to," I admit before looking at her. "But even if he doesn't, I'll make sure I'm there."

A big smile forms on her pretty face and it's great to see considering how down she's been today.

As the day progresses, Lily ends up in the water with Jasper, Cree continues making sandcastles after him and Arlo built a fort, then Arlo comes to join me and Lumi under the parasol. With Lumi curled up asleep on his chest, his arm is around me, sweeping his hand up and down the curve of my spine. I rest my cheek on his pec, watching the peaceful waves as I lightly touching Lumi's, growing brown curly hair.

"Lil, knows everything, Arlo. Except of course, who Ghost is." I say before lifting my head, my eyes meeting his, hidden beneath his snapback. "I guess she's bound to find out one day, but one thing at a time. She seems to be overwhelmed by it all."

"But she's chosen to stay with him?" Arlo asks, his gaze dropping to my lips.

I glance over at Lil with Jasper, noticing how she is wrapped around him, giggling while they float in the waves.

"It seems so." I murmur.

"Babies soon then." He says casually and I look at him quickly, raising an eyebrow.

"Do you every stop thinking about reproductive activities?"

A small grin tugs at the corner of his lips, his dark gaze moving down to my cleavage as his hand takes a handful of my bikini bottoms.

"You know me better than that." He growls, giving them a swift yank until they're wedged up my ass crack.

A squeak escapes me, accidently waking Lumi and he chuckles as I adjust my briefs. He raises his arm, removing it from around my back and he lifts her, perching her to sit upright on his chest. Her brown eyes sleepily open as she focuses on us both and my insides melt. I collect her summer hat, placing it on her head, shielding her tired eyes and we both stare at her for some time, taking in our little creation as she makes noises and smiles.

"Lil mentions she wants me to go to this meal to meet Jaspers mom next weekend." I say without taking my eyes off Lumi.

Arlo lifts her and positions her in my arm as I'm turned on my side, knowing it's feeding time. He turns on his side, resting on his elbow as well, facing us, I peer down, freeing my breast and she feeds instantly. With her fist clenched tight around my necklace, I lift my eyes to Arlo.

"Will you come? You don't have to, of course."

He shrugs a shoulder, "You have to understand, Wren. Would you want to meet the woman who hurt your Mom?" he asks.

I stay silent, thinking about it and I completely understand what he's saying, how can't I? But this isn't about that, or the past, this is about Lil, and me supporting her as a sister.

"I understand," I say gently.

"But I will if I don't have work. You know what it's like on weekends." He retorts, still trying which I appreciate.

I reach out, placing my hand on his cheek. "Of course." I smile and he leans in, giving me a couple of kisses on my lips before placing one of Lumi's head.

"Time to see how your brother is doing with his fort."

I smile as I watch him get up and stroll toward Cree who is still working hard. When Lumi is fed and had a diaper change, I lift her and take her over to all the sandcastles, and I sit her between my legs as we attempt to make some as well.