Loving Jemima

2. The morning after the night before

Jemima

I skipped down the stairs and into the kitchen where I had been summoned to eat by Matty. I hadn't seen max yet and wasn't sure how he would react, or how I would, especially in front of Matty. I'd half expected him to wander into my room this morning first thing, he wasn't in his room when I woke up either, maybe Matty was hanging around. I couldn't help the smile forming on my face as memories of the night before seeped into my thoughts again, I needed to speak to max I needed to tell him everything and today was finally the day that max and I could finally just put everything out in the open, I was a bundle of nerves and excitement as I walked in hoping to see Max's smiling face greeting me, hoping I wasn't going to be met with a we made a huge mistake last night it can't happen again face, I think I know my max well enough to know he was going to be pleased to see me.

I smiled weakly at Ed's new girlfriend who was stood in between his legs, I still hadn't gotten used to her being around after several months of him bringing her over and hadn't yet let her past my guarded walls, I went to sit at the counter stopping dead in my tracks, sat dead opposite me was max, but not just max, Max with a blonde plastic looking bimbo barbie girl in a push up bra, wearing the worlds most minuscule figure hugging short dress showing of her perfect curves and large assets looking like a picture perfect mannequin from a shop window, she was leaning on him casually in an over familiar way, they clearly knew each other well despite the fact I'd never seen her before. I sat down slowly eyeing her up, my previous giddy smile disappearing completely, I didn't like new people to begin with let alone one that had their hands all over the boy who I'd slept with last night, the boy who constantly confessed his secret love for me, the boy who told me I was his soulmate, the boy I had ended my perfectly good relationship with William for, not that he knew that yet. The boy who I was now ready to admit that I was madly in love with.

"This is my friend Candy". Ed's girlfriend Laura informed me after seeing me looking at the new face confused, I know Ed had told her about me and how and why I was cautious of strangers. I wondered why they hadn't told me she was coming, they always told me in advance if someone new was coming to give me the option of being there or not, they never forced me to meet new people, particularly at home which was supposed to be my safe space which all the boys had been drumming into me since we got back. It was in our band family rules! In fact I didn't know Laura was even coming today, which was also in the rules that Ed had to tell me. I didn't say anything in reply, instead slowly moving a plate of food in front of me while eyeballing her and max. Max was looking sheepish and shifty, he was being uncharacteristically quiet for max, maybe he just felt awkward about last night, maybe he was regretting it.

"Laura and I are going on a double date with Ed and Max tonight." Candy happily chirped and I choked on a piece off cut up apple. Once I'd finished choking I looked at max who briefly looked at me then away again quickly. "It's our third date actually isnt it maxey, the four of us went to the movies the other week. We hit it off so well didn't we Maxey? We had real instant connection, we couldn't wait till tonight so we've come to spend the whole day with our boys, I surpose it's technically our fourth date as we bumped into them at the beach the other day." candy's annoying high pitched whiny voice informed me as she stroked the skin on Max's arm tracing his tattoos with her finger.

I remembered max and Ed going to the movies together weeks ago but nobody had mentioned the bimbo was going to be there or Laura. Presumably that's why I wasn't invited despite it being on my want to see list. I remembered Ed and milo taking max surfing to get him out of the house and some fresh air because he'd been reluctant to even step out the front door since the crash, they'd ended up staying out all day despite saying they'd be back by lunch time, but again no one mentioned the bimbo! I looked at all the boys who were watching my reaction closely, I remained quiet, it wasn't unusual when there were new people in the house, Laura had also got the silent treatment, in fact I had barely spoken more than the odd word to the poor girl even though she seemed perfectly nice and had been around since before the accident, Ed had started dating her as soon as we'd got back from tour although I think the flirting badly for months on a dating app and late night phone calls while on tour counted as dating, like I kept telling him.