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I woke the next morning, happy in such a way that no one could really give it a single word of description. It was like I was finally in a place that I could call home; and well I didn't have the boundaries and the caged feeling I had in Barcelona, because here I was me…just me. I woke early, and before the girls were even talking coherently I was up and hopping into the shower; taking the time to shampoo and condition my hair, and make sure my legs and underarms were perfectly hair free. I was planning on surprising Arthur with my dress; the red and white polka dots with its blatant retro charm just was something I adored. The back had a cut out panel which showed the skin from under my bra to nearly the bottom of my back. And the little cardigan was just to hoop over my shoulders, something that had no reason to be there except I could resist adding it as it made me feel like Sandy out of Grease!
In the bathroom, I threw my hair up in a towel turban and dried myself off throwing on my favourite, Calvin Klein matching bralette and panties and my robe. The girls were still lounging in their beds, Fran sporting an awesomely wow bedhead situation, that I could help but smirk at.
'Jesus remind us never to holiday with you!' Annie moaned, as I opened the closed curtains and an already bright sun shone in; making them all grimace and shield their eyes.
'Stop being babies!' I laughed as I sat down at the dressing table, and dragged my suitcase to my feet; pulling out my hair dryer, some hair-ties and my big paddle brush.
'Hey K…' Annie yawned from her bed.
'Hmm?' I said pulling the brush through my hair.
'Will you…like if you have time…'
'What?' I said turning around at her stuttering.
'Will you do my hair tonight?' She asked, biting her lip.
'Is this for Shane?' April jeered.
'Shut up…' Annie said, as her cheeks flamed red.
'Yeah sure.' I agreed, turning back around and turning on my hairdryer; marking an end to the conversation before anyone could jibe Annie anymore. My mind was in over drive after all I knew about Shane, but I think a part of me knew that it wasn't my place to tell Annie nor was it my place to try and stop her- I had tried but to my both dismay and amusement both had not ceased in their attraction; which made me question who Shane actually was, and whether he'd grew out of his phase. When my hair was dried, long and wavy down my back; I turned to face the girls with a Cheshire cat grin on my face because I had an idea.
'Girls…'
'What?' April asked with an air of mystery.
'I don't know about you but I feel like Cupid…' I winked at Annie, whose face turned a shade of red.
Dressed with my hair straight and the top section taken back into a braid; and a face of minimal make-up I dressed in my floaty dress and slipped on the matching shoes. Giving the girls a little twirl, they hooted and wolf-whistled at me as I giggled and blushed.
'Okay?' I asked, raising my eyebrows.
'Certainly, more than okay.' Annie smiled.
I left the room with a smile as wide as any on my face; and wandered the still deserted corridor of the hotel down to the end two rooms, where the boys were; the door to Arthur's room was not shut; the catch of the door had caught in the way of the lock, leaving the door just marginally open enough that I could hear their voices when I got close enough. Just before I raised my hand to knock I heard Arthur, and I lowered my hand and listened…
'He shouldn't of.' Arthur snapped.
'Well it's not like you could have stopped him, is it?' Mason reasoned, in a voice that was new to me; it was like he was trying to rationalise with a deranged being. The hour was not yet even nine, most people weren't even stirring but that room was wide awake…
'For fuck sakes, don't you get it?' Arthur raged, his shout echoing out of the room and into the quiet hallway.
'Mate quiet down.' Harvey said, in casual tone but I could sense the forced calm in his voice, I heard it after the business incident.
'So what…what actually went down?' Zak asked.
'My stupid father that's what!' Arthur hissed, making me jump.
'But can they prove it?' Zak pressed.
'Who cares if they can or can't; what we should be worrying about is that fact he did it!'
My mind was whirling, I had no idea what had happened but I knew it wasn't good; my heart was pounding in my chest and my stomach was churning; I was frozen to the spot- not wanting to hear but knowing I couldn't walk away.
'Arthur, we knew this was coming.' Ethan murmured, just loud enough that I could hear it.
'This isn't business…' Arthur sighed, and it broke my heart a little because that singular sigh told me he was hurting.
'What do you mean?' Shane asked quickly, having been silent until then.
Arthur didn't speak, I don't think anyone breathed.
'What does that mean?' Ethan pressed, I could hear the desperation in his voice and I couldn't bear to not know because this was building up to something…something the boys didn't know- which only made it a million times worse.
No one spoke for what felt like forever but if I'm honest it must of only been less than thirty seconds.
'He didn't?' Harvey said in a voice cold enough to cut glass; the statement was twisted into a question.
'Didn't what?' Shane asked; but no-one answered him.
'Arthur, tell me he didn't?' Harvey pushed again.
'Will someone please tell us what the fuck is going on?' Mason snapped.
'Arthur tell me he didn't?' Harvey said again, ignoring Mason like he did Shane.
There was silence, the room was just so quiet; I was beginning to think he wouldn't answer when heard his voice softer than ever before.
'I can't.'
'Fuck!' Harvey shouted, making me gasp as something hit of the wall with a loud crash.
'What the fuck?!' Ethan said loudly.
'What are we going back to?' Harvey fumed, I could hear his heavy tread on the carpeted floor.
'I don't know.'
'Okay, someone please tell me what has changed?' Shane asked.
'Everything.' Harvey hissed.
'We know what happened, but we knew his dad was close…maybe we shouldn't have left…' Ethan tried to reason.
'It wasn't going to help.' Arthur said, his voice purely emotionless.
'What do you mean?' Zak asked.
'We couldn't have stopped him.'
'Was he planning it all along?'
'Mason, it isn't who you think…' Harvey sighed, his anger still alive in his voice.
'Then who?'
'My dad flew out to Sicily yesterday morning after we left.'
'Shit.' Zak hissed.
'He did it then?' Shane said, his voice husky.
'Yeah.'
Arthur's utterance hung in the air, and all I could hear was heavy breathing emancipating itself from the boys; what was silence was now filled with the pounding of my heart that was echoing in my ears. None of their words made any sense to me but their reactions had said it all; whatever had happened was bad news and… if it made Harvey angry then it was pretty catastrophic.
'So he planned it?' Zak pressed.
'Yeah…I think he did…' Arthur said, softly.
'He waited till he knew we were gone.' Harvey spoke in a way as if he was just uttering what he was seeing inside his head. 'And then he knew we wouldn't be able to stop him.'
'That's why he told us to come to this trip…' Mason murmured.
'Had nothing to do with friends, or a break or…'
'Catherine.' Arthur interrupted Ethan, for a second I thought he had saw me but no he was just adding to Ethan's list.
'He used her against me, knew I would go just for a chance to spend some normal time with her…'
'He played us.' Harvey spat, and the anger was back in his voice; it was harsh and cruel. 'The prick fucking played us.' And it was like a roar, it was loud and it was shattering; it was the Harvey I'd never seen before and it scared me more than anything because he was the calm, he was the one of reason…
'Arthur what we going home to?' Zak asked.
'I don't know.' Arthur said. 'I don't think they know it was him.'
'How did you work that out?' Shane asked.
'Well lucky for us, we posted on Facebook and Instagram…'
'And they would expect us to be with him?' Harvey finished.
'Exactly.'
'Arthur this is dangerous.' Harvey spoke softly.
'You don't think I know that?'
'Just saying mate.'
'Not being funny but only your dad would do this!' Ethan laughed, a shudder of laughter went through the room; but I was waiting, waiting for I don't even know what.
'He's an arsehole.' Arthur murmured.
'Please tell me he disposed of it?' Ethan said, suddenly very serious.
'Oh yeah of course, his favourite method.'
'Water?' Mason asked.
'Of course, that thing wont float.'
'Only he would think it a good idea to kill that bastard.' Zak sighed.
And that was it, everything came crashing into the moment, and I let out a little scream; and buried my face into my hands.
'Kate?' His voice was like an echo; coming from a long way off; and then I felt more than saw him.
