Simone p.o.v
Cat lay on the couch dozing off again since the doctor finished cleaning her wound. It was about 12 and her family was on the way to get her. We had arrived home late last night and Cat was out cold so we waited till the morning, when she was awake enough to remember the information, to call her family.
Lauren and Cassie were in the kitchen talking. I sat down beside Cat and shook her gently.
"Hey wake up." She didn't budge. I pinched her arm and she jerked awake.
"Ouch! Holy shit that hurt." She pouted at me, "Why are you interrupting my nap??"
"Your family is on the way. I wanted to talk to you before they got here." I smiled apologetically.
"What's up?"
"I want to stay in contact with you. It's been a hell of a month and it's going to be weird not being around you 24/7. I've grown a bit more than fond of you."
She lay her hands on mine. "I feel the same. I feel safe around you."
"Just know you can come see me anytime no matter how late or early. Once we get phones we can exchange numbers."
Cat nodded. "Yes definitely."
I rubbed my thumb against her hand searching for words to say what I really wanted to say.
"Cat I--"
Knock knock knock!
The knocks on the door were urgent and I jumped up to open it.
A small lady rushed in and a man followed. They immediately went to Cats side kissing her and talking in what sounded like Spanish. Cassie and Lauren came back into the living room.
"Mama this is Cassie, she sent the people to save me. That's Simone and Lauren is her sister. This is mi mama, Elena. And mi papa Antonio" Cat introduced us. Her mother embraced Cassie thanking her and crying. Her father, a seemingly soft spoken man simply smiled, nodded and held Cats hand as he sat beside her on the couch.
"I'll send the doctor to your house until she heals, free of cost." Cassie smiled as she returned Elenas hug.
"I can't thank you enough." She said again. Cat grinned.
"Mama you're going to break her if you keep squeezing her like that."
She let go and instead hugged Cat.
"Let's get you home so you can rest, everyone's waiting for you."
Cat groaned as she climbed over into her wheelchair, "Elena I don't want to deal with everyone I want to sleep."
"They just want to make sure you're ok, be polite."
I hugged Cat goodbye as they wheeled her past me. I love you I whispered quickly. Her brow furrowed and she mouth what as she tried to turn to look at me but her mother was talking and wheeling her out. Her father lifted her into his van and buckled her in. I stood at the door so that I could wave them off. Cat made eye contact with me and smiled slightly as her father closed the door to the car. I watched as they drove off down the street. My chest felt heavy inside.
Lauren came and stood beside me.
"You ok?" She asked.
I nodded as I stepped back inside and closed the door. I sat down on the couch and sighed. I felt like a part of me was missing.
Cassie went to her room and Lauren sat down beside me. I could tell she wanted to say something.
"What's up Laurie?" I prompted her.
"I know you're physically ok but are you like ok? Where's your head right now?" She looked genuinely concerned.
"I feel a little anxious actually. I was around her 24/7 the whole time so it's going to take me a minute to get used to being apart." I took the scrunchy from around Lauren wrist and pulled my hair back.
"What can I do to help?" She asked.
"I'll be fine, I have Amina right? Wherever she is."
"She's been hanging out with this girl lately. White, kinda tall, tomboyish. Honestly I don't know if it's innocent or not but last night was the first time she hasn't come home from staying with her. I don't like it."
"She's cheating?" I asked.
"I don't know for sure but she's never brought the girl to meet me and Cassie so..."
Amina cheating? I couldn't imagine her doing such a thing.
"I'm gonna go take a nap ok?" I told Lauren. She nodded and gave me a tight hug.
"Love you." She smiled.
"Love you too."
I went to my room and lay in bed staring at the ceiling and trying to ignore the mix of emotions swirling through my mind.
Eva p.o.v.
My phone rang, startling me as I had been focused on a drawing of some flowers I'd spotted growing outside Michelle's house. It was my father. I answered.
"Ciao."
"Ciao are you alright Bella? You can come home if you want I'm here now."
I put down my notepad, knowing this conversation was going to go in circles.
"No Mother does not want me there, I won't be where I'm unwelcome."
"She does want you here," he spoke to my mother in the background, "Tell her you want her here."
There was silence.
"I told you. We do this every few days. I'm not coming home so forget it." I hung up and threw my phone across the yard.
"Whoa honey that costs money." Michelle's mom came and sat beside me on the ground.
"Sorry I'm just frustrated. My father wants me to come home but I know my mother could care less. Their marriage is falling apart and I don't want to be in the middle of it." I sighed as retrieved my phone and sat back down.
"I know it's stressful, big changes can be a shock especially if you're seeing someone in a way you never thought you'd see them. Your father misses you, maybe go to lunch with him or dinner. You don't have to figure things out with your mother till you're ready."
I thought for a moment. Dinner with my father wouldn't be bad, "I could do that."
Angela smiled, "There we go." She stood up and headed back into the house.
"I'm off to work, John's in town so I probably won't be home. Tell Chelly I put money on her card."
"Will do, thank you by the way."
"No problem sweetie." She went on inside.
I finished drawing my flowers then went to wake up Michelle and tell her all her mother had said.
Amina p.o.v
The ride home back to PA was silent, I had pretended to sleep and Kasey was answering messages from people interested in her art studio. She dropped me off in front of the house and drove away with a small wave. I sighed and used my key to enter the house. Nobody was in the living room so I went down the hall to my room. I opened the door and grabbed my phone before throwing my bag down. I was ready to take off my wig and relax. I couldn't wait for my real hair to grow back out.
"Amina."
I jumped as I looked up and saw Simone sitting on the bed. I did a double take and backed against the wall. Was this real?
"Holy shit." I gasped as Simone smiled then stood up and walked over to me. She embraced me.
I stiffened, "How are you here??"
"Cassie's sent some people to come save us. I got home yesterday."
"Us?"
"There was a girl there with me, Catalina."
"I can't -"
"Believe it? Me either." Simone hugged me again. "I missed you like hell Amina."
"I missed you too?"
She pulled me to the bed and sat down beside me, "Was that a question or a statement?"
"I'm thirsty." I got up and went to the kitchen with Simone following me.
"Aren't you happy to see me? I understand shock but you're treating me like a fucking stranger!" Simone was frowning at me with her hands on her hips.
"I'm sorry I just wasn't expecting to see you when I got back--"
"Where were you anyway? Who's this girl you disappeared with??"
"Just a friend I met at a museum. Her name is Kasey."
"You stayed at her house last night?"
"No we went to the beach." I explained.
"Did you fuck her?" Simone squinted at me.
I rubbed my neck debating on whether to lie or not.
"You're pretty energetic for someone who just got out of a hostage situation." I decided to stall instead.
"What is that?" Simone grabbed my hand and pushed up my hair examining my neck. I pushed her away and straightened my wig.
"What are you doing??"
Simone backed me against the refrigerator and pulled the wig clean off my head before I could protest.
"Your neck is covered in damn hickeys! You did fuck her!"
"It's not like that Simone! She's nothing I was lonely--"
"So you admit it you fucked her??"
"Simone.." I was choking up from tears. I had fucked up big time and regret was hitting me like bricks.
"Don't fucking beat around the bush!!" Simone was yelling now, "What did you do?"
"We had sex ok!? She gave me these hickies and ate me out and she fingered me... it meant nothing! I didn't even do anything to her I promise Simone I love youo, only you and I feel awful I swear I'll never talk to her again. She was just someone to distract me, I was so alone without you here." I cried as I tried to reach for her. She pulled away. "Simone please I'm sorry!"
"Every single fucking day I thought about you. I told myself I had to get out of there so I could come back to you. Cause I loved you." Simone's eyes were laced with pain. She threw my wig in my face then turned and walked back to the bedroom. I followed.
"You still love me Simone and I love you, we can work through this! I'll do anything baby, anything! Just don't give up on us!" I pleaded.
"Like you did? Obviously you don't care whether there is an us or not, you weren't thinking about us when you let some chick fuck you.....In fact can you just go? I want to be alone." Simone avoided eye contact with me as she held onto the door knob. I nodded and walked out slowly wiping my tears and trying to decide whether I would actually stay.
"I love you." I said to her softly. She closed the door behind me and locked it without a word.
Simone p.o.v
What do you do when your heart is breaking? Some people cry, others hurt themselves, some people throw things, perhaps to simulate the pain they feel inside. Some people run, run fast and far as though the farther they get from the origin of the pain the less it'll hurt and the faster the heart will heal.
I chose to cry. I stripped down and turned on the shower sinking to the bottom and wallowed in my misery. I cried hard and my body shoke because being melodramatic felt like the only way to drain this pain from my body.
Amina, the woman I loved. The woman I lived for. Who was smart and beautiful, who could sing and knew 2 languages. The first woman I'd been intimate with, who taught me and loved me. Who was their through the all-nighters and midterms and finals and football games. Who listened when I cried because I hated being so far from my sister, who held me when I finally admitted to myself that I wished my parents cared about us more. Amina who had felt like a gift in my life. Amina who I never really argued with and whom I thought was an angel.
Cheated.
So maybe she didn't love me. Because you don't hurt the people you love. You don't betray them that way. And even through the pain I knew I'd take her back again. Even though my heart was shattering I knew. I sat in the shower for an hour or so allowing myself to be swallowed by sadness.
Lauren p.o.v
Cassie and I listened at the door to Simone and Amina arguing.
"I knew it! I knew she cheated!" I whispered to Cassie.
"I tried to tell her I knew this would end badly. Friend my ass." Cassie whispered back.
Shh shhh
Amina walked past our door crying and the shower went on in Simone's room.
"Should we go say something to her?" I asked.
"No she kinda deserves to feel bad for a little while. I'll talk to her later." Cassie sat back down on the fluffy carpet with her notepad. I joined her. This house was going to get pretty awkward and I was not looking forward to it.
~~~~~~~~~~
After hours of being shut off in her room Simone came to the door of Cassie's room and knocked lightly.
"It's open." I called out. Simone entered the room wrapped in a blanket. Her eyes were puffy and her hair wet. I got a towel and brush then had her join me on the bed. Cassie was still on the floor with drawings and designs spread out all around her. I brushed out and braided Simone's hair while she sat in silence.
"I'm going to go get us dinner." Cassie suggested. "What do y'all want?"
"How about wings?" I said. " I want honey hot. Simone likes mild."
Cassie nodded then grabbed her keys and left us alone.
"I'm so hurt Laurie." Simone's voice was raspy.
I hugged her tightly.
"I feel like I should cut her some slack though because I did something kinda fucked up too." She continued.
"What did you do?"
"It's more of what I was forced to do by Janelle."
She fell silent.
"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to." I squeezed her close to me.
"No I'm fine talking about it. Janelle has like some kind of weird fetish. She liked to watch people have sex. She had us trapped in her den, which was kind of like a little house. There was a kitchen a bathroom, a tv but we could only watch movies. Anyway she would tell us what she wanted us to do and give us props and shit and go watch us from some room. She said if we didn't do it she'd leak poison gas through the vents."
"Holy shit." I said. That's some fucked up kinkery.
"Yeah at first it was super awkward but I would just pretend Cat was Amina and that helped. The fucked up part is I actually started to care about Cat. I felt like I had to protect her since it was my fault she got into the situation." Simone sniffled and wiped her eyes.
"I'd never leave Amina for her though. The moment Amina walked in the room all the feelings I felt for her came back 10 times stronger. But now I don't know what to feel or think. I don't want to lose Amina but I can't let her think she can just cheat on me. If she did it once she'll do it again."
"The people you love are gonna hurt you Simone. We're human we make mistakes. I'm not saying condone her cheating but if you feel like y'all can talk it out then do that. You should probably tell her about what Janelle made you do too."
Simone sighed. "I need to think through all this." She hugged me then stood up. "Tell me when the Cassie's back?"
I nodded in agreement.
Cassie p.o.v
Amina was sitting on the couch looking miserable so I invited her to ride along with me to get the wings. She said nothing the whole way there. On the way back I tried to make small talk but she just sighed.
"You were right." She finally said. " I fucked up and Simone is pissed and she's probably never going to talk to me again. What am I supposed to do without her?"
I racked my brain for the right thing to dsay.
"I think I'm going to go home for the rest of the summer." Amina added.
"To Virginia?"
"No home home. Detroit."
I shifted in my seat uncomfortably. Amina never talked much about her upbringing but I knew she had it rough in Detroit. I wasn't even sure if her parents were still there.
"Look if you want to get away go to my place in New York. I don't want you going to Detroit alone. It's dangerous."
Amina nodded then stared out the window silently. We pulled into the driveway and I turned the car off.
"Simone obviously loves you, which is why she's so hurt. You need to try and talk to her. She isn't ready to let you go but you have to prove to her that you aren't bull shitting." I unlocked the doors and we got out.
"Give her a day then try to talk to her." I suggested. Amina nodded. We went inside and Lauren came out into the kitchen to eat. "Food's here Simone!!" She called out. Simone shuffled out of her room grabbed her food and shuffled back. Amina wordlessly got her food and went into the living room.
Lauren and I exchanged a look. It was sad to see a power couple so broken. The tension in the house was so thick you could cut it with a knife. We ate in the kitchen silently then retreated to Laurens room for the rest of the night.
Simone p.o.v
I couldn't sleep. I was used to Cat being by my side and my bed felt empty and lonely. After tossing and turning for hours I finally got up and went to the kitchen to looked through the pantry for snacks. Nothing I wanted was in there. I remembered the 24 hour convenient store nearby. I got some shoes and wallet from my room and car keys from the basket in the kitchen. I headed toward the door.
"Where are you going?" I jumped, I hadn't known Amina was on the couch. She sat up and rubbed her eyes.
"Are you leaving?"
I rolled my eyes, "I'm going to the convenience store."
"I'll come with you."
"I'm not a fucking child Amina, fuck off."
"Last time you left the house alone you got kidnapped. I'm not chancing it."
She stood up and wrapped the blanket around her. I breezed past her and out the door. She followed me to the car. I got in and locked the doors.
"Don't be fucking childish Simone it's almost 6 in the fucking morning and I'm not wearing shoes, open the fucking door." Amina looked pissed.
I unlocked the door and she got in.
"I don't want to talk to you." I said bluntly.
She nodded and leaned on the window and closed her eyes.
The convenient store was not very far. Once we got there I got out while Amina stayed in the car. I got some Honey Bbq chips and some coffee. When I came back out Amina was still slumped against the window snoring. Shaking my head I cranked the car back up. I didn't feel like going home. I decided to drive around a bit. I ended up outside the city in a more nature-ish area. I parked beside a field of grass and drank my coffee as I watched the sunrise.
Amina woke up and looked around in confusion.
"Where are we?" She asked sleepily.
"Near Jasper falls."
"I'm not from here, I have no idea where that is."
"It's about 20 minutes out of Allentown."
"Oh." Amina wrapped her blanket tighter around her and looked out the window.
We sat in silence for a few minutes while I ate my chips.
"Why?" I asked.
Amina looked at me and raised an eyebrow.
"Why did you fuck her." I clarified.
"Technically she fucked me-"
"Not helping!"
"Sorry." She sighed and played with her hair. "I don't know Simone, I was lonely. Being in the house without you sucked especially when I could hear Cassie and Lauren fucking pretty often. One day I drove to Philly and met Kasey in a museum. We hit it off. Honestly I never saw her in a sexual way she was just a distraction. Then we went to the beach house and it just kinda happened.... Look I know nothing I say will let me go back and undo this but I promise I'll never do it again Simone. I love you more than anything. I'll do anything to prove it to you."
I took a few deep breaths to keep myself calm. Amina looked out the window and bit her lip. I knew she was crying.
"I guess I should tell you what happened with the whole Janelle situation." I said after a moment.
"Sure." Amina mumbled.
"Well remember when we went to the beach house. You and I played hide and seek and you couldn't find me for a little while?"
"Yeah? What does that have to do with anything?"
"That's where I first met Janelle I fell down a small heel and she took me to her Beachhouse and cleaned up my scrapes. We had a little wine and talked and she tried to come on to me but I shut that down. She got all sad so I left her my number and told her we could be like friends and if she were in Allentown we could go for lunch or something."
"The person named J who texted you! Why would you lie!" Amina scowled at me.
"Yeah I know I know, you were being moody so I went to the park for a little while to give you space. Anyway Janelle was there and we went and got wings then came back to the park. She tried to kiss me and I was like 'back the fuck up and don't hit me up if you're going to try stuff like this' she got pissed and knocked me out. When I woke up I was tied to a table with Cat. Then she told me how she and Cassie's were engaged etc."
"She's fucking crazy." Amina said under her breath.
"Yeah, psycho. She flew us to this island near Florida and trapped us in the basement. She uh... umm well..."
Amina put her hand on mine. "You can tell me Simone."
I took a deep breath. "She forced me and Cat to fuck almost every day while she watched from another room and she said if we didn't do it she'd leak poisonous gas through the vents." I said all in one breath.
Amina took her hand off mine, "What the actual fuck."
I peaked over at her, her face was unreadable mix of emotions. She opened the car door and got out. I followed her.
"You're not wearing shoes!" I reminded her. She ignored me.
"Are you seriously mad about this?? It's not like I had a choice!"
Amina stalked across the field. "Yeah but you made me feel bad when some chick has been finger banging you for the past month. Do you have feelings for her?"
"It was either have sex or die sorry I care so much about my life, what's your excuse? You were lonely? Wow how sad." I said sarcastically still following Amina across the field.
"I asked you a question. Do you have feelings for her?"
"No! I care about her, I feel protective of her. But I fucking love you in case you haven't noticed. You obviously don't feel the same though since your legs are open to anyone if you're feeling a little alone."
Amina spun around and faced me, "That's not fair Simone and you know it! I fucked up! I admit it ok? I'm fucking sorry. But if you can't look in my eyes and see how sorry I am then you don't know me. You can't keep holding this over my head! Don't make this fuck up what we have, you mean way more to me than some random girl. Simone honestly I want to put this behind us."
I bit my lip as I tried to keep the tears from falling down my face. They came anyway. Amina opened the blanket up and pulled me in, kissing me. I could taste the saltiness of our tears in the kiss and wrapped my arms around her too, remembering how it felt to hold her. Familiar.
"I don't want to lose you Amina." I told her.
"You don't have to."
She kissed me again. "Can we go back now? My feet are wet and I hate it."
I nodded and we walked back to the car. We drove back to the house in silence. To my surprise the lights were on when we got to the house. Lauren opened the door as soon as we pulled up.
"Where the hell have you been?" Her eyes were puffy and her face red.
"We went for a ride- why are you up??" I asked.
"I got up to pee and you weren't in your room and you don't have a phone and Amina you never answer your phone I thought, oh I don't know but ugh Simone don't do that to me!!"
I squeezed her in a bear hug,
"I'm sorry Laurie I didn't mean to worry you I just wanted some chips and coffee."
Cassie came to the door looking weary,
"Ok today everyone gets new phones." She mumbled, "Now back to bed."
I nodded in agreement. We all followed her inside. Amina flopped back on the couch. Cassie and Lauren went back to their rooms. I returned the keys to the kitchen and went to my room. I lay in bed and stared at the ceiling replying my conversation with Amina in my head. Things will get better I repeated until I finally fell asleep.
Authors note: omg a chapter so soon? Yepp. I feel like everything happens fast in this chapter. But I'm pretty content with it. Uhh if you're actually reading this props to you. What a trooper.
More Michelle and Eva soon :)