C6 Baby shopping.

"Emily!" I yell, pushing open the front door. Tobias' Mum enters the hallway, giving me a small smile.

"Hi Honey."

"Hey Myra, how are you?" I smile in return, dropping my bag to the floor. "I'm great honey, thanks for asking." She responds.

"Is Emily in?" I ask, glancing around the living room. It's empty and I frown . . . Emily practically lives in this room. She's permanently sat in front of the television, surrounded by nutella, pizza and Jake. She really does live the dream.

"She's showering. Do you want a cup of tea?" Myra asks me, heading towards the kitchen. I follow close behind, loving how she always makes me feel so comfortable inside her house.

"Yes, please. No sugar." I respond, taking a seat at the dining table. A low voice speaks from behind me and I jump, feeling startled.

"Because you're sweet enough, right?"

I snap my head to the right, meeting eyes with Tobias. He's leaning against the wall, a small smirk on his lips. He's dressed in all black, jogging bottoms hung loosely on his hips. I immediately feel myself sit up straighter, conscious of the way I look. I blush at his pet-name for me and drop my gaze.

"Leave her alone Tobias," Myra chuckles fondly, placing three mugs down next to the kettle. She turns around, shaking her head at her son.

"Look at her. The poor girl won't stop blushing."

I inwardly groan and sink further in my seat, becoming as small as possible. Tobias immediately chuckles, the deep rumble of his laughter filling the room. He walks in and takes a seat opposite me, the grin on his face never altering.

Underneath the table I feel his legs brush against mine and even though we're fully clothed, my body warms up considerably. I blink and look up, meeting Tobias' intense stare. His eyes are a swirl of chocolate and grey, becoming shades darker the longer he looks at me.

Does he feel the same electricity run through his body too?

I can't help feeling like he's staring straight through into my mind. His stare is so intense, head cocked slightly to the side as he studies me. Myra places the cup of tea in front of me and snaps me out of the Tobias induced trance I'm in. I thank her, grateful that's she's here so I don't have to deal with him on my own.

The thought of being alone with Tobias is honestly frightening. . .

"How is Emily doing?" I say, wanting to create conversation between us. Myra pulls a seat back, sitting next to Tobias. She reaches for the biscuit tin before responding.

"She's always tired. The pregnancy is such a strain on her body but she's doing good."

I nod, agreeing with her. Myra offers me a biscuit and I shake my head, refusing the offer. Tobias instead reaches over, grabbing the whole packet. I raise my brow at him and let out a small laugh, watching as he pops two at once inside his mouth. He pauses, giving me a questioning look.

"What?" He mumbles, reaching for another.

"You eat like a pig." I tease him, pushing the biscuit tin towards him. Tobias shrugs and wraps a hand around the tin, acting protective over it.

"I love my food. The way to a mans heart is always through his stomach."

Myra nods, agreeing with her son. She gives me a wink, a twinkle in her eye. "Take notes honey."

"I don't need food to win over a man's heart. I'm an absolute catch." I joke, causing Myra to laugh.

"Is that why you're still single?" Tobias suddenly asks, leaning back in his seat. My eyes widen a little in surprise but I shrug off my insecurities, putting on a confident front.

"Me being single is my choice." I hit back, a small smile playing on my lips. My tone is strong, confident and even I'm impressed with myself. A look of approval flashes through Tobias' eyes, the swirls in his brown eyes shining brightly. He opens his mouth to respond, lips tugged upwards in a smirk.

"Hey Trish, what are you doing here?"

Emily cuts him off and I stand up, reaching out to give her a hug. She's dressed in a baby pink jumper, her bump proudly on display. Her long hair is swept upwards into a messy bun and she wears little makeup, not that she needs it.

"I came to see you. Do you fancy a shopping trip?" I ask, pulling out a chair for her to sit in. She thanks me and takes a seat, cradling her bump as she slowly lowers herself down. God, remind me never to get pregnant.

It looks like such hard work.

"Yes! I've had my eye on a few bits for the baby. I've literally been begging Jake to take me for days, how did you know?" Emily asks me, reaching down to scratch the dog behind her ears. She follows Emily everywhere, it's adorable.

I shrug, a coy smile on my face. "I had a feeling."

*****

"Oh my god, aren't these the most adorable pair of booties you've ever seen?" Emily gushes over a blue pair of little shoes. I grin at her, nodding.

"Yeah, they are pretty adorable. We have to stick to gender neutral though." I tell her firmly, remembering Jake's words. He instructed me to not let her go baby crazy. Emily pouts at me, her eyes widening like two round saucers.

"But they're so cute! Maybe just these?" She questions, trying hard to get her own way. I shake my head, plucking the booties out of her hand and placing them back on the shelf. Emily groans beside me and I take hold of her arm, dragging her towards a different section.

"White is so boring!" She complains, sounding like a whinging toddler. I ignore her and point at an adorable little two piece. It's white with a colourful giraffe at the front, the material fluffy and soft.

"This is not boring. This is adorbs." I smile, choosing the outfit that's 0-3 months. I hold it up, excitement building up inside of me.

"I can't believe my best friend is going to have a baby that is going to be this small!" I squeal, dropping the outfit inside our shopping basket. Emily chuckles beside me, linking her arm in mine.

"Yeah, it's honestly crazy. I don't have long to go now and seeing all this baby stuff is making me so excited."

"Are you going to find out the sex soon?" I ask, trailing my hand over a gorgeous frilly pink outfit. It comes complete with a little tutu and pink booties. Emily pauses beside me, taking a moment to answer.

"'Me and Jake decided to keep it a surprise. He really does believe it's a girl though." She chuckles, grinning like a love struck teenager. Maybe because she is a love struck teenager.

"Do you have a name yet?" I ask, browsing aimlessly at all the clothing. Everything is sweet and small, sorted in sections of blue and pink.

"I have no idea." Emily says quietly, sounding distant. I pause and turn towards her, noticing the look of fear in her eyes. Immediately, my protective side goes into over drive.

"Hey, what's wrong? Is it the baby?" I ask quickly, glancing down worryingly at her stomach. Emily nods, a glossy layer of tears covering her eyes.

"Trish, what if I don't make it?" She says quietly, her voice thick with emotion. She's holding onto my arm tightly and I take the chance to look at her, really look at her. Her usual bright brown eyes are now dull and full of fear. Despite her effort to cover up the dark circles under her eyes, they're still visible through her makeup. Her face is drawn in and pale, rid of any colour to highlight her health. It doesn't take a genius to figure out the baby is damaging her health.

I don't want to admit it.

I can't break down, not in front of her.

"You're going to be fine." I respond, my words a struggle to get out. My throat tightens considerably and I'm now holding tightly onto Emily's arm too.

I cannot lose my best friend. I refuse to.

"Promise me something," Emily whispers, a single tear escaping her eye. She reaches up and brushes it away hastily, standing up straighter.

"Anything," I mumble, unable to tear my eyes away from hers. I know she's scared and full of fear, fear of the unknown. Emily takes a deep breath —

"Promise me you'll look out for my baby and Jake if anything happens to me."

I'm unable control my emotions any longer, her words causing me to choke up completely. My best friend is putting the biggest responsibility on my shoulders but I already know my answer, in a heartbeat.

"Of course but you're going to be fine." I respond, wrapping my arms around her and squeezing her tightly. She doesn't respond but embraces me back, her body trembling under my hold.