Her // Joe Goldberg (COMPLETED)

16

By 8:30am, you were asleep in a foetal position outside your hotel room. You were shaking and freezing, the goosebumps all over your body told me all I needed to know and you were still in the clothes you went swimming in. What the hell happened to you last night ? Did you have too much red wine and couldn't be bothered to sleep in a bed ? I ruled this out quickly because I knew this was very unlike you so I found myself leaving my hotel room to shake you awake. This was never my intention Kelsey, if I had it my way I'd let you sleep for an eternity if that's what you wanted but I couldn't, not when you were seconds away from catching pneumonia.

"Kelsey ?" I whispered, I tried to be as quiet as I could, I was trying as hard as I could not to startle you but also to shake you awake. It took you a couple of seconds to wake up, you weren't startled, you didn't show any emotion, you just let out a loud yawn. "I need a shower" you mumbled through a stretch as your eyes fluttered open. Then, you sat up and realised where you were and instantly let out a sigh. "I'd better start doing laps of the hallway" you said, it came out as a joke but you were genuinely about to stand up so I pulled you back down. I resorted to sitting on the floor next to you. Our talking brought Jen out of her hotel room. "Kels ? Oh my god. Did you sleep out here ? Look at your arms" she said, her hand was over her mouth to emphasise her shock, Carl followed behind her. "You were banging down the door most of the night" he said , shaking his head in annoyance. He had enough and within seconds was banging down the door himself. Bianca emerged, stepped over the both of us and presented a package with "From Kelsey and Cody x" plastered across the front. She couldn't even pretend that it was from her. "See KJ, all you had to do was knock. I'm a good mom but not a mind reader" she said through an effortless shrug about to hand over the package which you snatched from her. You asked me to take Cody to breakfast and then barricaded yourself inside the room that was rightfully yours. I couldn't blame you so did exactly as you said.

You came down forty minutes later dressed casually, it was new to only me. It was new, it was minimal but you were beautiful, stunning and left me speechless for a couple of seconds. You tried to slip in quietly but it didn't work. You took your seat between Justin and I and awkwardly smiled at everyone. "Happy birthday mom" you announced since I'd already gotten your bowl of fruit. She smiled and thanked you as she held your package to her heart. You were the first person to acknowledge her birthday at the table and she was evidently grateful which Bianca couldn't stand, she was staring intensely. "KJ, room key please sweetheart" she said while tapping the table infront of you as you shook your head. "I'd like to sleep in the bed I paid for tonight so that'll be a no" you said awkwardly. You were beginning to confront people and I was so proud of you but from the look on her face, she wasn't. "I don't think you heard me correctly, I said, room key. Please" she said, she was annoyed but you stayed silent. You closed your eyes and looked down, Reece was becoming tense, afraid of any repercussions, ready to fight for you. She saw the two of you and threw her hands in the air. "Oh, I see. You'd rather me sleep on the floor, live in the hallway. You'd do that to your mother" she shouted, she wanted to cause a scene and you hated it because everyone around us put their conversations to a cease to listen to this. "Did you not do that to your own daughter last night ?" Reece spat back as the woman's face became cold. "What have I always told you Reece. There's no need to be smart, it never got anybody anywhere" she spat back, she didn't look happy. "He's telling it like it is, of course, you never liked people doing that unless it benefitted you" Charlie interjected which made her mad. "Blame me, blame me like you always have. Make me look horrible to our children. Bianca, the villian" she shouted which brought Justin in telling them to stop fighting. There was a child-like innocent in the way he said that. "If you listened to me-" Charlie began which made her slam her plate. "If I stopped listening to you, I'd have my kids, I'd have my business" she cried out which made the man who always seemed so calm burst out in anger. "You'd never have your kids, you beat the shit out of them" he roared. It all stopped then. Your eyes were squeezed shut and you were counting to ten over and over again.