Page 47 of Vicious Kitten

“I just need… to be?” It comes out as a question and I know I’m making no sense.

“You want to be left alone?” Garrett asks and I shake my head.

“You want a hug, Kitten?” Shaun asks, and my bottom lip starts to seize while I slowly nod.

“You wanna hug and watch movies or something?” Simon asks, and I nod again, glancing at him as he approaches me. I swipe at my tears, wanting to see his face, which is normally so playful. The clown isn’t here today, but as he cups my face and looks down at me, I feel like I’m seeing the real Simon Hastings for the first time. His eyes are raw with emotion, more green than hazel, as they stare into my soul, revealing the pain and fear that he has kept so well hidden. “We can watch anything you like.”

I reach up, my fingers trembling as I return the favour and brush back his longish ash-blonde hair so I can see his whole face. “You’re a beautiful person, Simon Hastings. Inside and out.”

His face contorts like he’s in pain before his eyes glass over. “Fuck Cherry. You’re breaking down my walls.”

I smile sympathetically, standing on my tiptoes to press my forehead against his. “Just like you’ve done to me. This is me. This is who I am. Messy. Flighty.” I scoff at myself. “Bat shit crazy.”

Simon chuckles, his hands sliding to the back of my head to grip my hair. “Just like me.”

I nod. “Just like you. Maybe a bit more hella crazy, though.”

“You’re perfect. I wouldn’t change anything about you, Cherry.” Simon presses his forehead to mine.

“Good, because I want to watch Charlie and Lola episodes for the rest of the day.”

Chuckles come from behind me, and Simon’s face lights up as he pulls back in surprise. “Charlie and Lola? The cartoon?”

I nod. “Yes. And no one is allowed to speak bogan Aussie until tomorrow. We have to talk just like Charlie and Lola.”

“You want us to talk British?” Simon grins, and I nod. “Deal.” He beams while Shaun laughs, and Garrett mumbles, “Fucking hell.”

Simon kisses me then, ignoring his three mates, claiming my lips in a soft, emotion-filled kiss. I melt into him, wrapping my arms around to grip his back and pull him close to me like I’ll die if we ever part.

“Uh… what the hell is Charlie and Lola?” Marcus’ confusion causes us to laugh mid-kiss, and our teeth clash as the mood lightens.

I used to feel like home was a place. A physical building with four walls and a roof. Now I know different. Now I know that home, for me, is the guys in this room, as well as the one who is missing yet still owns my heart.

Chapter Fifteen

Simon

Torturing my mum brings me a level of satisfaction I didn’t know was possible. When we arrived home earlier, I’d locked the doors to the rumpus room so she couldn’t just stroll in and annoy us. I also knew that Cherry needed some space and didn’t need my mum coming in and being a bitch to her.

Even though I’d ignored my mum's knocks on the door and her calling my phone repeatedly, it was Cherry who insisted I not be a dick and see what my mum wanted. Turns out she’d ordered a heap of pizza for us and had it set up in the dining room. Did I feel bad about treating her like shit? Yeah, but she made up for it when we walked in, and she screwed up her nose at Cherry. She clearly didn’t like the way my girl was dressed, but Cherry didn’t seem to care, giving my mum a finger wave while she walked past, swaying her hips.

“Could you pass me a slice of the margarita pizza, please, Charlie?” The not so well done pommy accent coming from Cherry’s mouth has my mum frowning in confusion as she sits at the table with us.

“Who is Charlie?” She asks, but we ignore her.

“Here you go, Lola. I’ve got you covered.” Shaun’s attempted accent is worse, and Marcus snickers as my mum’s eyes bulge.

Cherry accepts the slice from Shaun and then looks to Garrett. “Excuse me, Charlie. Would you mind pouring me a glass of Chardy?”

I smother my laugh as my mum looks down the table to see who Cherry is talking to.

“Sure,” Garrett mutters, and Cherry frowns.

“Excuse me, Charlie… Are you speaking a foreign language? I couldn’t quite understand what you just said.”

I laugh out loud now, no longer able to contain myself as Garrett rolls his eyes at our girl. He’d used his normal voice instead of trying to sound like Charlie off the cartoon.

“Sure Lola. Here’s your Chardy.” Garrett mutters unhappily, but probably with the best pommy accent of the lot of us, and he hands Cherry a glass of lemonade, which for some reason, she is calling Chardy today.

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