~ CHAPTER 16~

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The next morning I wake up with a slight headache. It's probably from the little beer that I drank the night before and the torturess night I had.

I check my phone and I have some messages from Jane, which are just photos and updates of Violet, and there is one from Jax. I frown and open the message. It reads 'hey can we talk maybe?' I sigh and leave the message. First, he ignores me and now he wants to talk.

"Ouch," Scarlett says shielding her face  "Shut the light" she replies and I giggle, light is streaming through the curtains since we forgot to close them the night before. I get up and shut the curtains.

We lay in bed in silence before Scarlett rolls over to me and her eyes are bloodshot and her face is red

"Did I do anything bad?" she asks and yawns

"Well you got super drunk, vomited all night long and you almost told Jax about Violet," I say and she slaps her hand to her mouth

"Oh my god I am so sorry," she says

"Nah it's okay" I reply and shrug her off

"I never would-" she begins

"It's fine Scar, he still doesn't know," I say

"You know I wouldn't" she replies

"Yes, I know you wouldn't ever do something to put us in jeopardy like that," I say and she lets out a sigh of relief

"Now we need to get up and get ready, it is 9 am and mum is having everyone over for a pool party" I reply

"Again," she says

"Yeah, mum can't help herself with celebrating our birthdays" I reply and we chuckle

I finally coax her out of bed and we quickly get ready. I then get Scarlett in the car and we make our way to a drive-through cafe, so we can grab some iced coffee and some breakfast food. We then grab Violet from Jane, so she can have some time getting ready.

Jax and Grayson have been friends since they met at 6 years old. I have grown up with him as another one of or my brothers, this was until I was 16 and i fell in love with him and he fell in love with me- point to the story Jax's family is always with mine and we are always at each others functions, so Jane and the Shepherds are coming.

When we get back mum is in full preparation mode, with food and drinks.

I feed Violet and put her too bed so she can nap as much as possible. The one good thing about her being so young is all she does is eat, sleep, poop and cry.

Scarlett and I then go down and help my mum prepare and we watch as my family starts to arrive. I am cutting watermelon as I see Jax and Ellie enter the side gate.

Jax has a singlet and shorts on and Ellie is in a hot pink bathing suit and a white sarong, which does nothing and I can see right through it. I sigh and look at Scarlet who makes a vomiting face having seen her. She looks stunning.

"That's my cue," I say to my mum who looks up from what's she's doing and she nods. So I take a now awake Violet from Scarlett and bring her upstairs to get her ready.

I dress her in a baby bathing suit and a white sun hat that covers her full head and shoulders before I lather her in sunscreen. I then hand her off to Finn who takes her downstairs. My brothers really are the best and love my bay so much. Scarlett comes up and gets changed before she goes back down to meet her parents. Leaving me alone.

I stare at myself in the mirror, I'm wearing a yellow 2 piece bathing suit. The bottoms are high waisted and they cover my mummy tummy. My body has drastically changed since I had Violet.

My boobs aren't the same from breastfeeding although they do get full from milk, my hips are wider, I have loose skin on my tummy, and stretch marks on my sides and the bottom of my stomach. I look ugly. I don't look like Scarlett or Ellie and I hate it. I squish my tummy and sigh. I guess this is my life and what I am going to look like now.

I pull a t-shirt over my body and walk down the stairs where our family and some of Grayson's friends are. I can see that Alex has a hold of the baby at this point so I walk out to the backyard to be with them, he's standing under the shade. Violet looks so cute. All of my cousins that are girls are cooing over her, so are my family. Surprisingly they have all been supportive.

"You look, gorgeous darling, you have bounced back perfectly," one of my aunts say as I walk past and I smile and thank her

Everytime I see a new family member they always comment on my body after baby

"Hey sweetie," my mum says

"Hi mum," I say and I slump down next to her

"What's the matter," she asks and I motion to where Jax and Ellie are, which is in the pool with Grayson and everyone else, I also touch my stomach and she looks at me confused

"My tummy mum" I say

"Oh baby" she replies "you are perfect, you created the most beautiful girl ever too" she says and I smile, so she thinks I believe her

"It'll be okay darling" she replies and I nod. I grab a towel and a mocktail from her since I don't want to have too much alcohol in my system and my milk and I walk over to a free sun chair and I take a seat. I get a little lost in my own head and I don't notice Jax until I hear him calling out to me

"You are ignoring my texts," Jax says walking up to me, he's wet.

"No I am not," I say and he leans over next to me and picks up a towel, his hair flicks at me and I jump. It is so hot outside that the water burns my skin, but cools me down

"Hey, be careful," I say and he takes a seat on the chair beside me and he flicks his finger at me, wetting my shirt and my arm

"What don't you like the water, I thought you loved your pool- and swimming for that matter," he says and I try to dry the wet spots on my t-shirt

"Yeah, I mean I do like water, and it's a pretty great pool," I say and look at the pool, it is nice. I lean back in the chair and pull the sun hat over my face, but Jax clears his throat

"Well then why aren't you in the pool?" he says and I pull the sun hat from my face and I sit up

"Because I don't want to be," I say to him

"That's not a very confident answer" he replies, and I see Ellie from the corner of my eye. I also look around and spot Violet who is safe now in the arms of Holly.

"Why do care, you've been ignoring me for weeks," I say

"Look I am sorry about that," he says back "But tell me why are you not in the water"

"Because I am just not," I say

"Vic it's me, just tell me" he replies and I look at him embarrassed "Tell me"

"I'm embarrassed Jax, I don't look like Ellie or Scarlett anymore, I am ugly," I say and he scoots over to me and lifts my chin up

"Vic don't ever be embarrassed, you grew you, little baby, that makes you special and that makes your body beautiful," he says and I smile at him and laugh

"You are just saying that"

"No I am not" he replies "Never be ashamed," he says and I feel better. I take off the sunhat and I take off the shit so my body is exposed

"See still beautiful, still the same Vic I know, just a mum now," he says and I smile harder. I spot Ellie again and this time she is staring at me, so hard that I think she could burn my face off. I shrug her off and Jax pulls me to the pool and he pushes me so I fall in and I feel him jumping in beside me. I sink to the bottom and rise to the top and so does Jax. I giggle and he laughs

"See, I knew you would like it," he says

"Thank you Jax," I say and he smiles at me

'Of course Vic, never be afraid of what people think of you" he says but our conversations gets cut short by Ellie calling Jax over

"Erm sorry," he says clearing his throat

"No it's okay, go be with her," I say and he salutes and swims over to her. I swam over to Scarlett and Chloe and some of Grayson's friends from high school to listen to what they were saying.

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