Fixing Her ⇉ Simon Minter [2]

TWENTY-TWO

I let out a satisfied exhale as Simon rolled off me and positioned himself next to me.

I sat up and grabbed the bedsheets before pulling them over the pair of us and leaning into Simon's chest.

"I love you," breathed Simon as he used the hand around under my neck to play with my hair, a small smile on his lips.

"I think I love you too," I replied in a worn-out voice, my eyes begging for me to close them and deliver them to sleep.

I felt Simon's body relax under me and I smiled.

"Go to sleep," was all he said before I closed my eyes.

♕

I woke groggily the next morning, my head spinning and body sore. I didn't even get to wake up properly before I was scared shitless.

"YOU SLEPT WITH HIM?"

I let out a huge scream as a very enthusiastic Vikram Barn jumped on top of me, the small boy, whilst tiny, crushing my stomach.

"Get off!" I groaned as Vik sat on me, his eyes wide with shock.

"No! You slept with Simon!" he hissed, and I pushed him off the bed, glaring at him.

"And? You slept with Cal!" I yapped, Vik sitting up off the floor.

"There's a difference! You have Dan now!" he replied.

"And his crazy friend tried to kill me! Don't you remember?" I yelled, and Vik's face fell, realising maybe Dan wasn't such a good thing for me.

"Being with Dan nearly got me killed, Simon is safe for me," I said quietly. Vik frowned and climbed onto the bed, making sure not to squish me.

"Just be careful with Si. He's my best friend but so are you, please don't make me choose between you," he whispered as tears gathered up in his brown eyes. I felt a pang of guilt as I watched Vik. I knew there'd come a time where Simon and I wouldn't get along, even if it was for a short time, but the knowledge that one day, Vik would have to choose, hurt me so much.

"I won't, I promise," I said, and Vik smiled sadly before wiping away the tears.

"Now," Vik began, cheerier than before, "Tell me what happened!"

♕

"Snow!" I screamed as I raced outside to the cold garden. It was the first snowfall of the year, smack bang in the middle of November!

"Rose! You'll bloody freeze to death!" Vik yelled from the warmth of the house, watching me flail around like a child. I'd always loved Winter, the huge jumpers, the hot chocolates and family and friends.

"Get inside you idiot!" Vik yelled, and I laughed, turning to Vik and grinning. He wasn't wrong, I knew I'd catch a cold if I stayed out any longer. I did one last turn in the white blanket of velvet before racing inside and feeling the goose bumps race up my arms.

"Here," Vik said with a chuckle as he gave me a jumper of Cal's, a white ZRK jumper.

I smiled and we both trekked to the living room where the others were still hungover and sleeping, Cal and Simon making breakfast for everyone.

"Morning," mumbled Vik as he walked up behind Cal and wrapped his arms around him, burying his face in Cal's back.

"Hey," Cal replied as he finished up on some sausages, placing them on a plate.

I stood still by the doorway, unsure about how to act around Simon. Last night we'd both been drunk, I didn't know how he felt without alcohol flooding both our systems.

I pulled Cal's jumpers closer to me as I made my way to the fridge and grabbed a drink of water, my throat dry.

"You feeling good, Rose?" Cal asked as he walked over, Vik still holding onto him with a grin as he stuck his head out from behind Cal.

I nodded and smiled, "Yeah."

Cal raised an eyebrow and looked over at Simon who hadn't moved, his eyes glued to the food he was cooking.

"I think I should speak to Dan today."

That caught Simon's attention. He spun around, and his eyes seemed to be on fire, staring straight at me.

"Why?" Vik squeaked, frowning.

"Find out who that guy way, why he hated me," I said with a shrug, turning to Vik and Cal, "And anyway, I should probably talk to him about 'us'."

My eyes flicked towards Simon and watched as he stormed from the room, his jaw clenched and head down.

"What was that for?" Vik hissed, stepping out from behind Cal. I looked down and sighed.

"I don't even know. I just wanted to see if he cared," I mumbled, and Vik rolled his eyes.

"You can't just fuck with him, Rose," said Cal with a sigh, frowning down at me.

"He ignored me!" I cried, angry my friends couldn't just give me the benefit of the doubt. "We had sex, told each other we loved each other, and he ignored me!"

Cal and Vik stood silently as they watched me become increasingly upset. I didn't want to cry, not again. I'd sobbed and sobbed the first night here, I wasn't going to be weak again. Wasn't I?

"You don't do that to someone! You don't tell them you love them, then ignore them! That's not how love works! Love is when you cherish someone, you can't imagine love without them, you feel like death whenever you're away from them! That's love!"

I took a deep and shaky breath as I doubled over and clutched my chest. I let out a small cry of hurt before looking up at Vik and Cal, who looked genuinely sad for me.

"Why doesn't anybody love me?"

Vik let out a small gasp before rushing towards me, wrapping me in his small arms and holding me to his chest. I couldn't help the tears this time, the boiling stream falling down my cheeks and into Vik's t-shirt.

I gripped Vik's shirt so tight I swear my knuckles turned white, my nails digging into my palms through the fabric. I wish the night before hadn't happened.

I shouldn't have gotten drinks with Simon. I shouldn't have chosen him. I shouldn't have kissed him. I shouldn't have told him I loved him. I shouldn't have come back.

♕