Substitute Father (Ross Lynch)

Chapter 12

"Wake up, birthday girl." A voice murmured in my ear. Even with my eyes closed, I could tell who was basically hovering over my body. The voice belonged to the boy I had grown up with, the boy I loved.

"Don't make me get up, Ross." I whined, my eyes still closed. I shifted so I was on my back, the covers covering my entire body except my head.

"But don't you want to get up?" He questioned. "Sky, you're twenty-one! Get up!"

Before I even had the chance to react, the covers were ripped away from me, causing me to shiver from the sudden cold. "What the hell?" I shrieked. I sat up and glared at my boyfriend.

He grinned. "You are not staying in bed all day. It's your birthday, and we are going to celebrate."

"Do we have to?" I whined. I was very whiney today. "Why don't we just celebrate my birthday tomorrow? That way we're celebrating our birthday on the same day."

He shook his head and grabbed my hands, pulling me up. "Not gonna happen, Sky. I want to celebrate your birthday on the day of your birth. Not mine. Now go get ready for an awesome day!" He kissed my forehead and walked out of my room, not letting me get a word in.

Groaning, I made my way to the bathroom and took a quick shower, brushing my teeth afterwards. With a towel wrapped around my body, I hurried back to my room and closed the door behind me. With the towel still wrapped around me, I searched through my closet for a simple outfit to wear. I ended up choosing a pair of skinny jeans and a hoodie.

Once I was dressed, I went back to the bathroom to blow-dry and straighten my hair. I added a bit of makeup after, and when I was finally done, I stepped out of the bathroom and walked into the kitchen to grab something to eat.

About halfway into my bowl of cereal, Ross walked out of his bedroom. He grinned and started making his own bowl of cereal. He plopped down on the seat next to me and kissed my cheek.

"How does it feel to be twenty-one?" He asked, before shoveling a spoonful of cereal into his mouth.

I shrugged. "Same as twenty." I took a sip of my orange juice. "So, what exactly are we doing today? 'Cause I would really like to just stay in bed all day and sleep."

"Not gonna happen, babe." He chuckled. "And as for what we're gonna do, I was thinking that we could go to the zoo. I know how much you love seeing all the animals."

My heart fluttered at his words. "That sounds great." I smiled.

He smiled back. "Better than staying in bed all day?" I nodded. "Good. And I'll take you out for lunch when we're done." He quickly finished off his cereal, before taking our empty bowls and placing them in the sink. "And don't forget that we're going out to dinner with everyone tomorrow night."

I nodded. "I can't believe we invited Matthew and his family." I had only talked to Matthew a few more times after seeing him the first day of his arrival, and since he was leaving in a couple of days, Ross and I invited him, Kelly, and Cooper to dinner. It was going to be a birthday dinner for Ross and I, which meant that all the Lynch's and Ratliff were going to be there. This dinner would be the first time they would meet my brother and his family.

I was so nervous.

"Sky, it looked like you were getting along with him." Ross said. "Please don't tell me you're changing your mind about this."

"No, no." I shook my head. "I want them to come, but won't this be extremely awkward? I mean, your family meeting my brother and his family? I'm still awkward around them."

"And you shouldn't be." He walked over to me and pulled me to a standing position. "I could tell that you felt a little more comfortable around him on his first day here. The more you talk to him, the more comfortable you feel. This dinner will be a great opportunity."