I've just posted a Cheryl and Liam fic, so if you're interested go over and check it out! It would be very much appreciated
Cheryl flicked her eyes downwards towards where her phone had proceeded to blare out a tune to signal that she had an incoming call, she lifted her hand and hastily pressed the reject button as she read Simon's name flash up on the screen. Unsure if she could bear to speak to him, to hear his voice and to listen to his heartfelt apologies and careful explanations as she passed Caden another sheet of plain A4 paper across the table they were perched at.
Caden shot his head up from where he was scrawling across pieces of paper and pointed at Cheryl's phone that was lying on the table next to her, 'Mammy phone!' He shouted across, a beaming smile gripping his face as she flashed him an effort at a smile back as she raised a hand to her aching head.
'It's ok, they stopped ringing.' She reassured him, sighing as her text tone beeped and she reached out for her phone to read the text message that was no doubt from Simon as Caden began scribbling again with a green felt tip pen. It had been the same routine for the previous two days, he'd ring her and she'd cut it off, not yet feeling strong enough to answer his call just in case the nagging voice in the back of her head telling her that he had left her forever was proven correct. He'd then proceed to send her a text that she'd simply skim read but didn't have the energy to reply to. She exhaled deeply before clicking the button to read the text,
<<Simon – 14:58>>
Cheryl please stop ignoring me. We need to talk before tomorrows rehearsals, please. Xx
She knew he was right, her avoidance tactic wasn't going to be able to hold out throughout rehearsals and two lives shows, but she was willing to try. She replaced her phone on the table after exiting his message and passed an orange pen to Caden as he eagerly stretched out across the table to reach for it. She heard the front door slam and a series of muttering that she assumed belonged to Ashley, after he hadn't been home since he left the previous day, something that she was thankful for and felt she would never complain about.
Cheryl twisted her body around in her chair as the door to the room that she was positioned in opened and Ashley came into view, a young girl with evident blonde extensions trailing down her body stood to the side of him, eagerly clinging to his arm as she stared at Cheryl in shock. Cheryl struggled to hide a smirk as Caden waved at Ashley before continuing with his drawing, his tongue poking out the side of his mouth slightly in concentration. Ashley stared back towards Cheryl, his smug expression firmly in place as he addressed Cheryl,
'Cheryl this is Naomi, we're gonna head upstairs...' He informed her, a smirk crossing his lips as Cheryl nodded and shrugged before studying the woman standing next to him,
'How old is she?' Cheryl questioned, nodding her head towards his new companion as she looked visibly scared and bit down on her lower lip nervously,
Ashley glimpsed quickly towards her before averting his eyes back to Cheryl, 'she's eighteen.' He told her, frowning as Cheryl emitted a loud and sarcastic laugh.
'Oh aye, is that what she's told you?' Ashley nodded defiantly and Cheryl rose from her chair and stood in front of them before smiling towards Naomi. 'Can I have a word with Ashley alone please?' She asked and Naomi quickly agreed and sat back where Cheryl was sitting before and half-heartedly smiled towards Caden who grinned across the table at her. Cheryl closed the door behind them and stepped through into the kitchen, checking behind her briefly to ensure Ashley was following her,
'I'd have asked her to watch Caden but I don't think she's even old enough to do that.' Cheryl taunted with an amused expression as she waved her hand flippantly towards the room that they had just come out of. A deep frown appeared across Ashley's forehead as he decreased the distance between him and Cheryl,
'What are you trying to say?' He hissed, his smugness vanishing in an instant as she licked her tongue across her lips nervously,
'I'm not trying to say anything, I just think she looks a little young for you to be bringing her home.' She replied quietly, casting a worried glance towards the door that they had shut behind them,
Ashley shrugged his shoulders, 'so? What's it got to do with you anyway?' He snapped, glancing her up and down with a distasteful look upon his face.
Cheryl self-consciously looked herself up and down quickly before setting her eyes back on his, 'nothing. I just don't think it's a very good example for you to be setting to your son. Bringing some teenage girl back here just to have sex with.' She told him clearly, her voice remaining suspiciously low so as to keep the peace, not having the energy to have yet another blazing row with him. Ashley gritted his teeth and muttered under his breath before shooting another angry stare at her,
'Are you jealous? Is that what this is?' He shouted, resulting in her flinching backwards slightly away from him as she shook her head,
'No.' Cheryl stated. Ashley raised his hands and rested them on her shoulders, pushing her firmly backwards into the hardness of the wall behind her, forcing her to pout involuntarily as he backed her against the wall further and locked on to her gaze. Silently disallowing her to look anywhere else due to his sheer close proximity to her. She felt the room spin slightly, as though attempting to strongly tip her over. She rested her hand against the wall she was leaning back on and closed her eyes momentarily as she took a deep breath before regaining her stature and realising Ashley was still staring at her, giving her a questioning look.
'I'm not jealous Ashley; I just think it's disrespectful.' She explained calmly, raising a soft hand to her throbbing head,
'Don't *Ducking* lie to me. You think I don't hear you and him going at it sometimes? What the fuck makes you think you're better than me?' He demanded his tone low with a daring edge and she swallowed an anxiously formed lump in her throat as she focused on him and shrugged her shoulders slightly. She attempted to brush past him but he firmly kept her locked in his reach as he shoved her backwards, ensuring that she was going nowhere.
'Ashley!' She shouted as she tried to push him away from her to increase the distance between them, 'Ashley, leave me alone. Just take your whore upstairs okay? I don't care.' She continued before escaping his grasp and making her way back through to where she had left Caden with Naomi.
'Oh yeah? And where's Simon now?' Cheryl heard Ashley call from somewhere behind her but chose to ignore him as she re-entered the room, pushing the door almost closed as she walked around the side of the table to Caden. Caden looked up from his drawing and held it up to show her with a proud smile as Cheryl forced a smile back to him and turning her attention to Naomi who had remained seated at the table and Cheryl nodded towards the door to signal that she should leave,
'Shut the door behind you.' Cheryl ordered as she watched Naomi disappear through the door as she slipped into a chair next to Caden and sighed heavily.
* * *
Simon glanced nervously down the corridor before pressing a key into a lock and pushing the large wooden door open that was labelled as Cheryl's dressing room. He bent down and retrieved a large bouquet of assorted flowers that he had placed by his feet whilst opening the door and cradled them in his arms as he stepped inside her dressing room, knowing that she would probably hide away in there for the foreseeable next few days. He laid the extravagant bunch of flowers across her empty dressing table in front of the mirror and leafed inside them to reach the card he'd written out earlier before settling it in front of the flowers.
Cheryl, please talk to me, I love you
Simon.
He re-read it and sighed as he sank into a chair and looked around the room, smiling at the simple signs that signalled to him that it was her dressing room. He knew he said he wanted some space, but he had never considered this much.
