Easy to Regret, Harder to Forget

Chapter 26

~that's what happens when you're dumb enough to hold out hope~

A knock at the door and Edmund, Lucie, James, Gabriel, and Gideon walked in when I opened the door.
"Oh, hey there, sissy!" Edmund hugs me before skipping towards the kitchen. I laugh and follow them, James looks at the picture I had put on the kitchen island. Crap. I forgot to hide it.
"Oh uh, it was in my room," I tell him and he smiles handing it back, I quickly put it into a random draw to hide it.
"This place is so nice," Gabriel tells me.
"Haven't you been here?" I ask him and he shakes his head, "thought you have." Edmund goes around opening all windows and doors.
"Before we bring things back and set it up, we have to get rid of this wallpaper," Edmund touched the lined wallpaper. "And paint all walls white."
"And light green!" Lucie says as she goes to the lounge room.
"Well, the theatre room has to be black," I tell him.
"Right," Edmund grabs his keys. "I will go get some paint with Lucie."
"Okay, see you soon," I say as Gideon goes to one wall.
"Can I start peeling it off?" He asks and Gabriel joins him.
"Sure," I smile. James is just standing there staring at me, "what?" I smile.
"Nothing. I just love that smile," he flirts. When I lived here I always allowed him to just come over, he used to have his own key. I got this house when I was 19, but that was after him and I had broken up. He got "drunk" when he came over, but I knew he just wanted to stay.
"Thanks," I smile wider without even noticing.
"See, that smile," he pushes hair from my face. I look at him for a moment but peel my gaze away. "It's my favourite."
"Do you want to start with the wallpaper up stairs with me?" I ask and he nods so we go up. The theatre room was still the same; black walls, lounge chairs, a projector and screen. I tie my hair back up and roll up my sleeves.
"You know," he starts, "this might take a while."
"I know, hey, but I didn't ask you all to of me and help." I smile at him for the hundredth time.
"It was my idea to come over," he brags. "That picture..."
"It was on my wall in my room, I didn't mean for you to see it," I tell him.
"I know," he says.