Night Changes | Unexpected Series Book Two

Chapter 5: Two Cows & Pudding Arse

Beth's POV

"Fuck...ow!" I groan, pushing what I feel to be an offending hand that just smacked me in the face, rudely waking me from my sleep.

I don't even have to open my eyes to know who it belongs to as I've had this happen way too many times to count.

But then another hand touches my face again, this time gently rubbing my cheek, easing the sting from the slap I just received.

"You okay love?" Harry's raspy voice asks.

"Peachy," I reply, turning my head and opening my eyes to see him looking at me with a mixture of concern and amusement.

I look at the offender currently lying between us, curled up and latched onto Harry with what appears to be some sort of death grip.

"She had some sort of nightmare," Harry offers as a way of explanation.

"She is a nightmare," I sigh, before rubbing my eyes with the palms of my hands.

"Heard that," she mumbles.

"Good," I reply, "wasn't sure if I was loud enough or not."

I roll my eyes and decide to get up and get dressed for the day.

"Was it movies or swimming first?" I ask Harry, "what did we decide on?"

"Swimming," Harry replies as he tries to hide a grin that's starting.

I narrow my eyes at him before gathering up my clothes and heading to the bathroom.

"Are you seriously going to shower before we go to the pool?" Harry asks.

Um.

Well, yes?

"I just want to be clean before I go," I reply.

"But you're going to go and swim in a pool?" he counters.

"Well I don't want to turn up looking like..." I fumble for the words, "like I just rolled out of bed."

"Pity," he smirks, "I like the 'just rolled out of bed' look on you."

"Children present!" I remind him, possibly a bit too loudly.

"I'm not a child," Chloe grumbles.

"You aren't?" Harry asks her.

"No," she replies, "I'm just a really young adult."

Of course you are.

"Really?" Harry raises an eyebrow.

"Yep," she says, snuggling under the blankets.

"Well I suppose adults aren't ticklish then are they?" he says and no sooner have the words left his mouth does the room fill with hysterical screaming and laughter between the two of them.

I decide to leave them to it and go ahead with my quick shower.

~~~~~~

Everyone is ready to go as soon as I walk out of the bathroom, which is never usually the case.

It always seems to take forever for my kids to find what they need; bathers, goggles, thongs, initiative.

They're all lined up with their towels slung over their shoulders and a bag each with what I'm hoping is dry clothing.

And then there's Harry.

In his yellow shorts of sunshine.

Glory be.