Hail Mary, Forgive Me (Kellic, boyxboy)

Chapter 24

The next day, Vic left the house before I got out of bed, Tony told me later that he couldn't face seeing me, and planned to stay away until I'd left the house for dinner with Juliet, Andy and Jaime, who were taking me out to minimise the amount of time I would be stuck in the same room as Vic. Or rather, that he would be stuck in a room with me. It was him desperately staying away from me for the first time, and it weighed heavily on my conscience that I'd driven him out of his own house. 

Even Juliet couldn't make me feel any better, and the whole time we were decorating the ballroom, I couldn't so much as look at Ashton, who was much more subdued after I screamed at him on his arrival. So much so that he barely spoke, except to ask for an opinion on something that he'd done. The hours couldn't have gone any slower if they'd tried, but when they had gone by, Juliet took me upstairs to try my suit on. 

"Kellin, are you okay?" I tried nodding, but my expression probably gave everything away. We'd just gotten up to my room, and Juliet hung the suit on one of the wardrobe doors. "Come here." I walked straight into her arms, feeling protected from the world for the first time since my Grandma had passed. 
"I just hate myself for doing it so much. And I hate Ashton, for seducing me and letting slip to Vic. But mostly myself, for letting it happen in the first place." Juliet hugged me tighter, rubbing my back with one of her hands. 
"Don't beat yourself up over this, sweetie. It happened, there is nothing that can be done about it now. Yes, everything seems a little bit messy now, but Vic still loves you, he wouldn't have reacted like this if he didn't." I felt the tears forming in my eyes then, and went to sob, but yawned loudly instead. "When is the last time that you slept?" 
"Before I found out that Ashton was decorating. Before I saw you last, I guess." 
"You need to sleep. Straight to bed after dinner tonight. And if you can't sleep, then ring me. I'll come over, sing you a lullaby if that's what it takes. You'll feel better after a good night's sleep." I nodded, unable to answer her, now crying quietly into her shoulder. "You really do care about him, Kellin. We can all see it. I just don't know in what way, that is something only you can know. You'll figure that part out by yourself, but you've got to put yourself first. Don't do anything that you don't want to, you'll only make yourself miserable, and then nobody enjoys anything." 

Once I'd finished crying, Juliet made me wash my face, holding my hand and leading me through to the bathroom gently. 
"You'd better try your suit on. Stay here, I'll go and get it for you." I sat on the side of the bath tub while she walked through to get it from where she'd hung it up before. "Now, do want me to help you get it on properly? Or should I let you change by yourself?" I was unashamed to say, that in that moment, I craved the maternal care she was providing me with. And so, like I was a small child, she helped me change. When I was done, she stepped back, checking the fit from every angle. 

"It fits you perfectly. They did a marvellous job, always do. All that's missing now is a smile. You think you can manage that for me?"  gave her a weak attempt at a smile, to receive a much warmer smile in return. "That's it. Now it's perfect. Come on, lets get you changed back, then we can go get some dinner with Andy and Jaime." 

After I was in a set of jeans and a shirt, Juliet took my hand and led me back down the stairs, where we were met by Jaime, holding car keys already. 
"So we are going to go in the minivan, and you and Andy are dropping me and Kellin off on the way home so that you can help us bring people back here tomorrow?" 
"Isn't that the whole reason Mike picked me up earlier?" 
"Pretty much." Juliet grinned, and took the keys that Jaime was holding out to her. "Let's go." 

Juliet's sudden maternal style care over me hadn't ended when we met Jaime. She made sure that I had my seat belt on, and made me sit in the middle so that she could keep an eye on me. When we picked Andy up, I was made to sit up front still, Andy and Jaime being forced into the back together. Then in the booth, she sat me opposite her, with Jaime next to me on the outside of the booth. It was strangely nice, that Juliet, who was one of the best friends I'd ever had, would be stepping into the role I needed so badly that day in such a natural fashion. I was sure that she'd make an excellent mother one day. 

"Kellin, what do you want to eat?" I studied the menu, spotting what seemed to be a posh version of chicken nuggets and chips. If I was going to be a child, I was going to go the whole way. 
"The chicken things with wedges, please." Looking up, I noticed Juliet smirk, and Andy looking between us, a little confused. 
"Okay, would someone please explain what the hell is going on between you two tonight? Juliet, you are acting like you're his mother or something." We both laughed, though my laugh sounded empty. 
"That's exactly what is going on. Kellin needs mothering today, and Jaime sure as hell isn't going to develop a maternal instinct quick enough for it to be of any use." 
"I bet I could! Come here ickle baby Kellin, let me put you in a cot and sing you to sleep." 
"Jaime-" And then he was singing Rock-a-bye Baby in a horrendously of key manner, causing all three of us to laugh, especially when he pulled me onto he knees and tried to rock me the way a mother would rock a new born baby. And even though I was laughing and smiling, I still felt like a part of me was missing, and I couldn't truly be happy until I got it back. 

From that one, brief conversation, suddenly we were playing at families. Juliet was the Mom, Andy the Dad, Jaime the big brother, leaving me to be the baby. It was fun, imagining that we were an actual family, something I'd not really experienced before. Juliet even played at feeding me from across the table, which earned us some strange looks from other people in the restaurant. But even the middle age woman serving us started to join in, using the voice most servers had reserved for young children on me and Jaime, and bringing us a lolly pop at the end of our meal. Getting in the car, Andy actually did my seat belt up for me, and then help Jaime who was playing at not being able to do it himself. 

It got a little bit ridiculous when Juliet and Andy insisted on putting my to bed, making me strip down to my boxers, watching me brush my teeth, then tucking me into bed and singing me to sleep together. It worked though, I fell asleep for the first time in days, and wasn't conscious long enough to register them leaving.