Facetime, Travelling, and The Vamps

Chapter 9

I wake up the next morning to sunlight streaming in through the window. My clock reads 7:30. I get up and take a quick shower. Ten minutes later, I'm putting on a navy songbird bikini, putting yoga Capri pants and a 3/4 length tank top over it. I leave my hair down and pad downstairs. No one else is up yet, so I pour a bowl of cereal, fill a glass with apple juice, then curl up in the window seat in the living room. I eat in silence, watching the wind ruffle the grasses. I put my dishes in the sink then pad back upstairs. No one else is up yet, so I decide to let them sleep until 8:30. I brush my teeth and grab my phone and a book. I open the book and start reading. Several pages in, my phone chimes with a message. I unlock my phone and see it's a video, and the caption tells me that it's of my cats. I move to one of the armchairs so the sun doesn't glare off the screen, and click play.

Tiger appears first, mewing. Then Riley and Cheshire, side by side, playing with a pink mouse. Magnus pounces on the mouse, and a chase ensues.

"Look at the camera," my friend says. They all turn and look at her. "Say hi to Mommy." They all mew and run up to my friend, who brings her phone down and they crowd around it.

"Hi babies," I whisper. "Mommy misses you so, so much." Tiger mews and sniffs at the camera, making me smile. "I love you all so much and I'll be home soon, okay? Bye, babies." The video ends, and I clutch my phone to my chest.

"You know they can't hear you, right?" a voice says behind me. I look up to see Connor, resting his arms on the back of the chair.

"I know," I say. "I just miss them."

"They'll be waiting when you get back," Connor says. "Meanwhile, I won't wait."

"Mmm, really? Maybe I should make you wait," I tease.

"That, my dear, is very mean."

"I know." I reach for him, and he walks around the chair. I stand up to meet him and he closes the distance between us, our lips moving in sync. I clutch his shirt and he tangles his fingers in my hair.

"Ewww! PDA!" someone screams. I pull back to see a shock of red hair fly from the room.

"Who was it?" Connor asks.

"Just Kat, being weird as always," I say. "Now, where were we?"

"I know," he says, grinning, before kissing me again. We're interrupted by the sound of feet pounding downstairs.

"PDA!" Kat screams again.

"Oh, like I haven't walked in on plenty of your moments with Thomas," I say.

"Yeah, but this is different," she says. "This is a public place."

"And the middle of a coffee shop isn't?" chimes in Alli. I smile and bury my face in Connor's chest. I can feel him chuckling. Kat sputters.

"Well, that's, that's different!" she says. I peer over Connor's shoulder, grinning.

"Yeah. It's only okay when you and Thomas have moments," I tease. Alli laughs.

"You guys suck," Kat says, and plops down into a chair. I kiss Connor on the cheek before heading towards the kitchen.

"Breakfast, anyone?" I ask.

"Yes please!" Brad says.

"I'm starving," says Tristan. I laugh.

"Well come on," I say. "Pick out what you want. Then you have to go get ready. We're going hiking today, and we'll be stopping at a waterfall, so put on something to swim in." They follow me into the kitchen, picking out cereals. I scan the group. "Where's James?"