Pieces of Love

Chapter 16 - A decision

"So, you got a cat?"

"No."

"Am I blind or is Cam petting a cat right now?"

Lia snorts.

Maddy clears her throat, "Well, it's Cam's cat."

Brandy frowns. "So you did get a cat."

Cam chews on his lip, one hand scratching at Chickpea's chin as he sits beside him on the couch, oblivious to the conversation around him.

"I didn't get a cat; Cam got a cat."

Brandon groans, walking away from the frustrating conversation.

Lia only smiles. "And I'm guessing you're the one that introduced Cam to the cat."

"Chickpea." Cam pipes up.

Brandon's head pops out from the kitchen. "What?"

"His name's Chickpea."

Brandon begins to laugh, loud guffaws filling the apartment as he comes back into the lounge area to stare down at the black and white cat. "You called it Chickpea? Why on earth would you call a black cat Chickpea?"

"He already came with that name!"

Maddy giggles, turning back to her paper run trolley which was now filled with cat items. A small scratching post, a bed, some food, a collar and a variety of small cat toys. It had been an expensive trip, but thankfully Maddy had helped Cam out with the money aspect and Mrs G had gladly given them a discount on pretty much every item.

"And where is this cat going to be staying?"

Cam bites his lip. "Well, you see, I was hoping he could stay here?"

Lia frowns, looking back at Brandy. Had Oliver talked to him about moving in temporarily already?

Cam sighs. "I don't think my roommates would treat him very well. He's a rescue after all and I don't want to throw him in to a stressful environment. Your place is so much... calmer."

For him and the cat.

Lia sighs, reaching out to rest a hand over Cam's.

"Chickpea is your cat. He should stay with you, not be dumped on someone else, that's not exactly fair."

Maddy pauses, holding the cat bed in her hands. She'd forgotten that Oliver was supposed to talk to Cam about moving out of their place with the awful roommates. She'd kind of just assumed Cam and Chickpea would stay here... with them.

Cam only nods, a soft frown on his face.

"What if you stayed here?" Maddy pipes up, eyes flicking from brandy and Lia and back to Cam. "You're here most of the time anyway so, why not?"

This was not the conversation they had agreed on. It was Oliver's responsibility to have the chat with Cam about all this. To talk to him about the bullying and ease him into the idea of moving.

Brandy frowns at Maddy, slowly shaking his head at her, but understanding where she was coming from at the same time. Maddy only lifts a shoulder in a half shrug, not knowing what else they could do. It was now or never.

Lia sighs scootching a little closer to Cam and his cat. "Cameron, would you want to move in here with us on a more...permanent basis?"

"What do you mean?"

Well," Lia glances at Maddy who continues to unpack. "We know that your roommates aren't the nicest, and now that you're unemployed –"

"I'll get another job."