Dark Paradise

chapter eighteen

( this gif got me feeling all sorts of things 🤤 )

C H A P T E R E I G H T E E N

DINNER RESERVATION WENT FROM SIX TO FIFTEEN PEOPLE. Neither Celia nor Connie were aware that Brody's girlfriend and her family along with the rest of their siblings with their spouses were joining them.

"Well this is a party." Celia commented to her sister as she held the baby carrier with a sleeping Olivia inside. "We never met Brody's girlfriend did we?"

"No we were in Colombia and when we came to visit that one year he'd gone with her on some trip." Connie answered as they began to follow the hostess to a table out on the patio. "I wonder why Mom or Dad didn't say anything."

"It was probably a surprise." Celia replied as she thanked one of the hostess for bringing a high chair to place the baby carrier on top of.

Steve sat at one end of the table by the baby carrier while Connie sat beside him. Celia had wanted to sit beside Brody, but of course his girlfriend, Ashley, had beat her to it. Sitting across from him and next to Connie was the next best thing. Connie, Steve, Celia and Javier really stuck by each other before getting to the dinner reservation so Celia had expected Javier to sit by her. He did the opposite as she watched Ashley's older sister wave him over to sit next to her. Celia felt her blood boil a little upon seeing Javier flash one of his panty dropping smiles as he chatted with her. She then realized she who she was getting mad over and rolled her eyes at herself. To take her mind off them, Celia directed her attention to the empty chair beside her. How embarrassing that no one else wanted to sit by her.

"Who's the empty chair for? Are we missing someone?" Celia asked aloud and everyone turned their attention to her. "Who are we missing?"

"He's coming." Diana replied to her sister with a smug smile.

Celia gave her older sister a look of confusion in which Diana simply shrugged in response. She then directed her eyes to Diana's husband, Matthew, who shook his head. He couldn't say anything. Celia then turned her gaze to her older brother, Andrew, who was sitting with his wife, Taylor. They too shook their heads at her. She slumped back in her chair, racking her brain to figure out who else could possibly join them.

"You look down. Missed me that much?" A male voice came from behind Celia.

She whipped around and her jaw slackened as her eyes rested on the person who spoke. It was her best friend Nicholas.

"Oh my fucking God." Celia breathed out before she got on her feet and jumped into her best friend's embrace. "I can't believe it you're here! I missed you, damnit."

"I missed you more." Nicholas chuckled out as he wrapped his arms around his best friend and spun her in a circle. He set her back down on her feet as he held her at arms length. "You look amazing, Cece. Amazingly the same."