Kate's POV
The ride back home was silent but the whole time I still just couldn't get over the fact that everything was fine. Rick for the most part just rested against his hand as I drove, snoozing as I kept the radio low. The feeling in my chest was getting more and more extreme the closer we got to the house. Finally he was gonna be home and sleep in our bed again. Maybe he didn't realize it, but it had been so long since he was in an actual bed, and in the comfort of his own home no less. Maybe I was going a bit too far though. Before everything happened he hadn't exactly gotten used to moving in with us. I felt as long as I was there though, he felt safe, or at least at home. My mother had tried all that she could and Rick certainly appreciated it, but I and everybody else knew that he still missed his family and his own house. It still hurt that there was nothing that I could do to help other than tell him that everything was gonna be alright, but those problems were of course replaced with new ones.
I pulled into my driveway and behind Rick's truck which I had totally forgotten about. Of course I knew it was there but it had just been sitting there for so long that it was weird to think it would be used again. I turned to Rick who was still snoozing next to me. I had offered to pick up some food on the way over but he said he was fine. What he told me was sweet even though I wasn't sure if he actually meant it fully. It's alright Kate. I just wanna go home. At first I was happy to hear that he thought of this place as his home, but then I thought that maybe he was thinking of his old place without realizing it. Since the last time I took him home from the hospital was that old place, where his sister was eagerly waiting for him. If I remember correctly we all played cards and I stayed for dinner which his mother was kind enough to cook for me even after I pretty much abandoned him that night. I hoped that she would forgive me for doing it a second time.
I looked up at his truck again and thought to myself that I would probably go with him everywhere. I just couldn't bear the idea of Humphrey showing up covered in blood again. That memory still haunted me. I winced and then looked over at Rick again, taking a moment to watch the poor pup snooze before gently shaking his leg. He stirred and then lifted his head and looked back over to me.
"Come on, we're here" I said gently with a pat on his leg. I then turned to get out as Rick mirrored me. He stood up and then closed the door on his side, meanwhile I was locking the car as I approached the house. He followed me up to the door and waited for me to unlock it. It only took moment and then we were both inside. I locked up behind us and then turned back to him to see him looking around. "What's wrong?" I asked. He took a moment to answer.
"Nothing I just… I never thought I would see this place again" he said before turning to me. "Do you mind if I take a shower?" he asked. I shook my head.
"No, not at all. I was actually gonna take one too" I said. Rick nodded as he looked down at the floor.
"Thank you" he said and then turned to go up the stairs. I pulled out my phone to check the time which read ten AM. It was still early. I sighed as I slid my phone into my pocket and walked over to the kitchen. Once there I grabbed two water bottles and went up the stairs where I saw the bag that Rick was carrying was in front of my bed. Rick himself was in the bathroom, already the shower was running. I placed the water on my dresser and then cleaned up a bit. Not just the dirty clothes and stuff from the bag, but the stuff I had neglected while Rick was in the hospital. It only took around four minutes until I sat down on the bed after putting my shoes away to wait for him to come out.
Once I heard the door open from the bathroom I looked over to see Rick come in with a towel wrapped around his waist. I then stopped at the sight, Rick doing the same as he noticed me looking at his body. He was just so much more skinny and it was a painful sight to see him in such a state.
"I know… it's ugly" he said sadly, almost trying to hide himself.
"No it's not… look, it won't take long for you to get back to how you were. You just… you just need a few happy meals'' I joked, earning a snicker from Rick. I missed it so much. I reached up, cupping his cheek with my hand. "It won't take long," I repeated.
"I hope so" he replied. I sighed and gave him a quick peck on the lips before going into the bathroom myself. I only took about a five minute shower and then did the usual routine of drying off and going back to my room. I shut the door behind me, noticing Rick already in the bed, snuggled up under the blankets and practically already asleep. I smiled at the sight before dropping my towel. I then picked out the usual loose T shirt and panties before crawling into bed myself. Curious, I checked to see what Rick was wearing as I lifted the covers and saw he was just wearing boxers. Couldn't say I blamed him.
I crawled into the bed, lifting the covers over me and crawled over to my lover who opened his eyes lightly as he felt me grow near. The bed felt so good as it hugged my body, making me sink into its warm comfort. But more than anything it had something else, the final and biggest part of what made the bed so warm and cozy. I snuggled and nuzzled into Rick's neck, exhaling blissfully as I got comfy. Rick nuzzled me back and smiled. I giggled, taking a moment to wrap our legs together, trying to get as close to him as I could. I felt his arms wrap around me, pulling me in close as we both nuzzled each other. Finally I gave his nose a long lick, earning a chuckle from him.
"Miss me?" he teased. Again I sighed.
"You have no idea," I said. Rick's face went from an expression of happiness to sympathy before he gave my nose a small lick. I closed my eyes and smiled as I felt his tongue lick my nose, giggling again and giving his lips another peck. "Never… I never thought you would be in this bed with me again" I said. Rick scratched my ear gently, making me relax and shiver.
"I told you, I'm not going anywhere… I just feel really bad" Rick explained, making me grow noticeably confused.
"Why?" I asked.
"I wasn't able to pick up on much, but I heard how much pain you were in all that time. The whole time I just wanted to wake up and tell you I was fine, make you smile… I'm just so sorry for what I put you through" Rick said softly. It made me feel bad, mostly because he blamed himself when none of it was his fault, and no matter how much people told me that it wasn't me either I still felt responsible. I looked into Rick's eyes for a moment before reaching up and connecting our lips again. I felt him kiss me back and relax before I broke it to offer a warm smile.
"Rick… it wasn't your fault… I just… I just missed you so much, and I never in a million years thought that we would be in bed together again. I'm not exaggerating when I say that it was so cold, and so scary… I had… so many nightmares. After what happened…" I explained vaguely before catching myself. Rick was finally back home and I wanted him to enjoy it, not worry about what happened. Of course though I said too much.
"What happened Kate?" he asked, rubbing my chin with his finger and thumb and keeping me close. I could easily just pucker my lips to kiss him again but didn't.
"Rick… I don't want you to worry about that right now. You're finally home" I said.
"Kate please… I want to know what happened, and I want to know what you were talking about last night" Rick pleaded. I felt my heart drop as I knew this would come up and was scared to tell him. The next thing I knew I buried my muzzle in his neck again and whimpered as I clung to him. Rick sighed as he patted my back and then moved his muzzle to kiss along my cheek. "Alright… but as soon as we're up I want to know everything, '' Rick said.
"Okay" I whispered, knowing that I couldn't tell him everything yet. But the time would come and that's what scared me the most. "I'm so happy your back" I said into his shoulder.
"I'm glad to be back" he replied before presumably shutting his eyes. I couldn't see as we were buried into each other, but I could feel his soft breaths as he prepared to fall asleep. I had one more thing to ask though.
"Hey Rick?" I asked.
"Yes?" he replied.
"What mom said last night… I understand if you're not up for it and just want to rest" I explained. I felt and heard him sigh in response.
"Are you sure? Your family has done so much, I don't wanna be rude" Rick said.
"You're not being rude. She'll understand. I'll talk to her okay? Just rest, you still have some healing to do" I explained. I felt Rick's tail wag slightly as he kept me close.
"Thank you," he said.
"Of course… I love you Rick" I said, nuzzling him again. He chuckled and nuzzled me again.
"I love you too Kate, more than you'll ever know" Rick replied, making my heart flutter and a smile spread across my face as I nuzzled him back. We continued our little routine until we were asleep once more, finally at peace again.
Later that day when I woke up again it was to the smell of something familiar. Mom was definitely cooking something and it smelled great. As great as it smelled though it made me wonder what time it was. The sleep, however… It had been months since I had slept so well, and since this bed had felt warm again. Not only did it feel warm and cozy once more but it felt like something I wanted to do rather than something I dreaded. Before it seemed as though I was sleeping because I had to but dreaded it because of what it represented, which was nothing more than a cold and lonely cell where I would be tortured once I slipped off into dreams. Such. horrible. Dreams.
I squeezed my eyes shut at the thought and memories of everything and then opened my eyes once more. I was still buried into my lover. The sight of which made me smile and nuzzle into him before giving his neck a lick. I didn't want to move, but the light sweat and smell of the cooking was enough to make me get moving, every other feeling was of course better but I couldn't spend all day in bed. At least not yet. I felt as though there was still some healing to do before we got to that point.
I pulled my muzzle out of Rick's neck and sat up, turning to my side of the bed and then sliding out from under the sheets. My blankets were so fluffy and thick that if I wanted to use them then I would most certainly have to get the air conditioner in here soon, but for now I had bigger problems. I turned back to Rick once I was out of his grasp and I saw him sleepily reach for me as he continued to sleep. I guess even his body was used to me and was probably missing me. I missed him too. I smiled warmly at the sight and then turned to find a pair of pants before deciding against it. I was in my own home and my oversized shirt covered my panties anyway.
I made sure my shirt was pulled all the way down and then walked over to Rick's side of the bed before planting a kiss on his forehead. Since he was turned away from me however I had to partially climb back on the bed. One wet peck though and I was off, walking over to the door and then opening it, only then did the smell get stronger. I stepped out into the hall and shut the door behind me, slowly and quietly before going to a normal pace. I heard the sound of laughing and clicking from Lilly's room and decided to head over since the door was open. I took a peek inside to see Lilly and Humphrey playing what looked like call of duty. Lilly was laying on her bed on her stomach as Humphrey sat on the small seating by the foot of the bed. He rested his back against it as Lilly was to his left, the two stayed close as they played and didn't even notice me until I said something.
"Hey guys" I greeted, making them turn to me. The pair smiled at the sight of me.
"Hey Kate. everything alright?" Humphrey asked. I sighed and then walked over to the bed to take a seat on the edge of it. Had I known Humphrey was here I would have put some pants on.
"That was the best night's sleep I had in a long time" I said happily. Lilly snickered.
"Are you sure? I don't smell anything on ya" she said. Humphrey turned to Lilly for a moment and then back to the screen as if he wanted to say something but didn't have the courage.
"It doesn't have to be anything sexual… I just really missed him" I said. Lilly took a moment to pat my leg before quickly putting her hand back on the controller.
"Oh I know Kate, I was just teasing. Any plans with that though?" she asked.
"Um… well it's clear that he's not in the best shape. Most likely when he gets better then yes. For now though I'm just so happy he's home" I explained.
"We all are Kate. when I saw him yesterday I just… broke. Sorry about that" Lilly apologized, making me shrug.
"It's okay. Honestly I just didn't expect Rick and Humphrey to hug it out" I teased, nudging Humphrey's back with my foot. Humphrey chuckled nervously.
"Yeah… I guess we just had a moment…" he said.
"I know why that happened though. You were almost the last person Rick saw, and the fact that you were willing to let him see Kate one last time meant a lot to him. I'm just glad it's all over" Lilly said, even though we all knew it wasn't.
"You know I promised him I would tell him everything when we got here this morning" I said.
"Oh, about that. Dad thought you two were already going at it because you had the door shut but he calmed down once he opened it and just saw you two sleeping, you should have seen him and mom. He looked ashamed of himself and mom was just cartoonishly mad at him" Lilly explained. I giggled at the thought but it was quickly replaced with the feelings of sadness and just a tad bit of anger.
"Yeah, even before we were together dad thought all I wanted to do was fuck him… I just can't shake the feeling that he looks at me like some sort of slut" I said. Lilly scoffed and turned to me.
"I don't know about all that. I mean I'll never forget what he said to us around Christmas but I really don't think he thinks of us like that" she explained.
"It's weird, he says he's gotten over it but gets mad every time. I guess it's just something he tells himself. It doesn't help that he knows how you two hang on each other" Humphrey added. I smirked for a moment as I thought of something.
"What about the relationship between you and my mom? How's that going?" I asked smugly. I saw Humphrey tense up.
"He's been avoiding her," Lilly answered.
"I want to talk to her, I really do. I'm just scared that what we had isn't a thing anymore. The way she trusted me that day and… I just can't help but not look at her" Humphrey explained.
"I hope you know that she's gonna want to talk to you before you leave" Lilly said. Humphrey sighed and just continued playing the game silently. The sounds and clicking of the controller filling his space. "Oh Kate, I forgot to mention. Mom asked if we wanted to invite any of our friends over or anything, and she wants to go over to our grandparents soon so that they can finally meet Rick. I still can't believe they haven't met him" Lilly laughed, but all I could think of was the fact that I forgot to talk to my mom about letting Rick rest.
"Shit, I forgot to tell mom… Rick wanted to just rest, he didn't want a big thing" I said, putting my hand to my head and closing my eyes.
"I mean… so far it's just us. But I'm sure Shaky would love to be here too" Lilly said. I took a moment to think about it but then remembered what I promised Rick.
"Well I'm sure Rick would love to see him too, but just not right now. He told me he really just wanted some quiet and to spend time with me" I said. Humphrey turned to me slightly.
"Uh… should I leave?" he asked.
"No, I never said that," I answered, even though it was implied. Now I felt bad again.
"How about this, why don't you ask him if only Shaky comes over and then we can help you tell him about everything" Lilly explained.
"I don't know, I don't wanna pressure him… besides I wasn't gonna tell him everything just yet" I admitted. Lilly turned to me again, visibly confused.
"What were ya gonna leave out?" she asked. I felt a bit frightened when I heard my sister's words, mostly because it meant I had to bring up what almost happened between Humphrey and I. but that wasn't all.
"I was gonna wait to tell him about Angel'' I answered simply. Lilly's ears flattened at the mention of Angel with a hint of sadness in her eyes and then finally paused the game. Humphrey turned to Lilly as if to ask why she paused it but Lilly quickly turned around to fully face me. Humphrey took a moment to turn to me as well, partially being on his knees and stomach to get in a comfy position.
"Is that all?" she asked.
"No" I hesitated. I struggled to look her in the eye, and only then did she realize what I was referring to. At least as much as I could tell.
"Anything else?" she asked. I shook my head sadly. Lilly turned to Humphrey and the two made eye contact for a moment before she turned back to me. "How long do you plan on keeping these things from him?" she asked.
"Until he's better" I answered, not hesitating at all to give that specific answer.
"I've actually been giving that some thought. There's him eating, a haircut, maybe getting his fur fixed up a bit and then… that's pretty much it right?" Humphrey asked. I nodded.
"Yes, only then do I want to tell him about the major things… I'm just so scared to tell him" I said.
"Is he still sleeping?" Lilly asked. Again I nodded.
"I didn't want to wake him, he deserves to sleep in a bed" I explained. Now it was Lilly's turn to nod.
"Well mom isn't gonna be that long with the food, so unless you want him to eat later" she said.
"What is she cooking anyway? It smells amazing" I asked.
"Little fried steaks. Some mashed potatoes too, probably corn. You know the drill" Lilly answered. I felt my mouth start to water at the sound of it all, but then remembered that Rick was supposed to be on a liquid diet for a bit.
"I don't know about Rick, he's supposed to be on a liquid diet" I replied.
"I think the doctor just recommended it, I don't think it's a must," Humphrey said. I turned to Lilly for her input.
"I'm sure he'll be happy with it" she said.
"So uh… are we inviting Shaky?" Humphrey asked. I thought again for a moment and then finally made up my mind. Like I said before I was sure Rick would love to see him again, just not that many people.
"Sure, but just him," I said.
"We'll give him a call right now. Why don't you go wake him?" Lilly said, nudging to my room. I sighed and got up.
"Thanks" I said before getting on my feet.
"M-hm" Lilly hummed happily as she pulled out her phone. I walked over to my room and opened up the door where sure enough Rick was still sleeping. I felt bad for waking him but I guess depending on his reaction I could just let him sleep.
I walked over to my side and crawled on the bed before making my way over to Rick who was still sound asleep. Once I got there I felt a small wave of guilt and thought about not waking him, maybe even lying and saying he didn't wake up but again I could just let him sleep if he was really that tired. Besides, he slept for three months straight he would be fine. I nuzzled his face with mine before whispering quietly.
"Rick, Rick wake up" I whispered gently before giving his face a lick. I heard my saliva as it spread across his face smoothly before he smiled and opened his eyes weakly. I smiled back and giggled. "Hey, you okay?" I asked, bringing my hand to his face and scratching behind his ear. He closed his eyes and nuzzled my hand.
"Never better" he said. He then rested back into the pillow and opened his eyes again. "What about you?' he asked. If his muzzle wasn't halfway buried in the pillow I would've made out with him, but because it was I had to answer with words.
"I'm so glad you're home," I said. Rick smiled again. "You tired?" I asked.
"That depends, what time is it?" Rick asked, making me realize that I never checked the clock. I looked over to my side of the bed where my phone sat under my pillow. I reached for it and took it out only to see that it was almost five.
"Five" I answered.
"Nope, not tired at all" Rick replied tiredly as he stretched. I giggled again as he sat up, rubbing his eyes. He then sniffed the air a few times. "What is that smell?" he asked.
"My mom is frying up a few steaks, is that okay?" I asked. Rick nodded as he finished stretching.
"Yeah, sounds great," he said.
"Are you sure? Stevens said you should be on a liquid diet" I warned. Rick shrugged.
"But steaks," he said. I laughed and then laid down on the bed next to him. I then rubbed the spot next to me as I stared into his eyes.
"Come here for a second, '' I said. Rick chuckled and then crawled over to me, laying on his stomach as I laid on my back. He came close and our lips met, making wet smooching sounds each time. As always the taste of his wet lips was so sweet and turned me on, leaving me wanting more. Of course though that couldn't happen now, no for now I would just have to settle with pecking his lips and licking his tongue. We kissed for about a minute before Rick pulled away ever so slightly, we both traded bedroom eyes and breathed heavily on each other. I lifted my head to give him one last peck before rubbing his face.
"What's wrong?" he asked, tilting his head a little.
"Sorry, I know I said I would talk to mom but we slept in and… well Humphrey was over when I woke up and Shaky is coming over too" I explained, feeling bad about not keeping my promise. Rick pecked my lips again and rubbed my cheek.
"It's okay, as long as we don't do anything too crazy," he said.
"No ,no… we're just gonna catch you up on everything" I said, feeling scared again. Rick said nothing and simply looked into my eyes for a few moments. I could tell that he knew something was off.
"Kate, you know you can tell me anything," he said.
"Yeah, I know," I replied as I kept my eyes on his. He went to kiss me again but was stopped once we both heard Lilly at the door.
"Hey gu- woah" she said. We both looked at her and waited for what she was going to say. "Sorry to interrupt but mom just texted me that dinner was almost done" she said.
"Okay, be right down," I replied. Lilly nodded with a smile and then shut the door which I had forgotten to do once I came back in. I turned Rick's face to me again gently with my hand and smiled. "You sure you're okay with this?" I asked.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" he asked. I shrugged.
"I don't know… can I get another kiss?" I asked. Rick chuckled and leaned in again, scooping up my tongue with his own and closing his mouth around mine. We both closed our eyes and took in each other's comfort, rubbing up and down on each other and enjoying the sweet taste. I moaned a bit as we kissed, feeling myself grow wet which reminded me that I had to put on some pants before heading downstairs. I twisted my mouth to break our little make out session and brushed my hand down Rick's chest. "Thank you," I said. Rick chuckled and pecked my lips again.
"Anytime" he teased. I shivered as he nuzzled my neck.
"God I missed you" I whispered. He kissed my neck and then sat up.
"I missed you too. I'm… I'm glad I'm still here" he said, making me think whether or not I was still worth it again. I guess to him though I was. But it was best not to think about it.
"I wouldn't know what I would do if you weren't" I said. We both smiled at each other as I fought the urge to kiss him again and then slid off the bed, walking over to my dresser to grab some pants. Rick walked over to the closet and picked out some simple black sweatpants with a black T-shirt and then came over to the dresser to grab some socks. I on the other hand only grabbed gray sweatpants and was putting them on as Rick picked out his socks which didn't take very long. Like most people, me and him only had to choose between black or white. I opened the door to my room and stepped into the hall just as Humphrey was about to descend the stairs. I gave him a smile as I passed him, realizing that he didn't go down the stairs first because he wanted to greet Rick.
"Hey man, what's goin on?" Humphrey said as he patted his shoulder and walked with him.
"Finally slept in a bed, it was great" Rick answered.
"I'm sure man, I'm sure," Humphrey replied. Once I got to the bottom of the stairs I saw that the table was set and that my mom was still in the kitchen grabbing things. She turned to me as I walked in as Lilly was grabbing sodas out of the fridge and smiled.
"Hey Kate, is Rick coming down?" she asked. I smiled and pointed my thumb behind me. Mom looked around to see Humphrey still walking with him but he let go as my mom approached them. "Oh you're awake" she said, spreading her arms and then wrapping them around him. Rick looked surprised as his muzzle was placed on her shoulder, of course as he slightly bent down given the height difference. "Welcome home" she said muffled before giving him a kiss on the cheek which even caught him off guard.
"Th-thanks" Rick said awkwardly. I guess she really missed him too.
"Shaky's on his way by the way" Lilly said to my right which made me turn to her and away from my mom and Rick.
"Oh, good. Just him right?" I asked. Lilly nodded.
"M-hm, apparently he was just hanging around his house when we called him. Nowhere near Stephanie" Lilly explained. I nodded but before I could say anything Lilly held out four cans of soda to me. "Take these?" she said. I did as I was asked and then Lilly went to grab more. Looking at the soda she chose I saw it was two cokes, an orange soda, and a root beer. I had no idea why they were so different or who was getting what so I simply put them on the table. As I did mom passed me, telling Rick that she had things under control and to just take a seat at the table. I guess he offered to help. Of course he did.
I pulled out a chair for him as he poached the table and then slid him the root beer since I knew it was his favorite soda. He thanked me and took a seat as Humphrey reached over and grabbed the orange soda. I guess I would have some coke since it was my favorite anyway… wow Lilly's good. Just then I looked over to see her with a beer and another coke. I guess dad was here somewhere. I took a peek around the corner to look down the hall and in the living room but he wasn't there.
"Is dad here?" I asked as I took a seat next to Rick.
"Yeah, he's in the backyard cleaning around the pool I think" Lilly answered. I nodded to myself just as mom brought the food out. A large plate with what looked like around ten pan fried steaks which was placed in the middle of the table.
"Lilly honey, since you're up could you help me grab the sides?" mom asked.
"Yeah," Lilly said. Suddenly I regretted sitting down so soon.
"I'll go grab dad" I said, getting back up.
"Thanks" Mom called. I placed my hand over Rick's for a second as I stood up and then walked down the hall. Once out on the porch I called out to dad who as Lilly said was cleaning up around the pool.
"Dad! Dinners ready!" I called. He looked over and then dropped the pool net to walk over. He was wearing the typical summer dad outfit. Navy shorts, white T-shirt and flip flops. It was warm out with a cool breeze but I guess if I was out here working like that I would be in shorts too. I waited for him to come up the porch steps where he greeted me just before going inside.
"Thanks baby, everything alright?" he asked.
"Yeah, everything's great, '' I smiled. Dad chuckled as I followed him inside where once again I picked up the strong smell of home cooking which was about to bring me to salivate all over the floor. When dad and I got back in the dining room, everyone was already sitting around the table for a nice meal, filling up their plates and looking happy. It was something I thought I would never see or feel again. If only the two people who were missing were here, but at least one was on the way. I took my seat and noticed Rick's plate had a steak, mashed potatoes, corn, and green beans. I hoped it wasn't too much but he deserved to eat well, plus it was a start to getting his full body back. He ate every last bite.
Around halfway through dinner there was a knock at the door which was answered when Humphrey simply leaned over from the table to open it. As expected it was Shaky which I already knew when Humphrey smiled at the sight through the crack in the door. He greeted us all and my mother offered him to eat which he accepted although he didn't grab much. Just a steak, potatoes and gravy. Sadly there wasn't a seat for him but I ended up standing so that he could sit. At first he didn't want to take it but once he saw I was up and wasn't sitting back down he took a seat. He thanked me as I took my plate into the kitchen, I had enough for now and if I was honest with myself I didn't really want to finish my coke. It was still about half way full so I offered it to Shaky or I would've gotten him another one but he ended up taking mine.
I saw Rick going for seconds which made me happy and Humphrey finished up his food. He had a couple bites left and laughed about not wanting to waste them but in reality it was about one bite of steak and some green beans. I made a spoon-like motion to tell him to get it all in one bite which he did and then I held my hand out to him for the plate. He handed it to me and then I took it to the sink. Afterwards I motioned for him to follow me which he did, getting up from the table and following me outside on the back porch. I made sure to grab a bottle of water and then head out, leaving the door open for him to walk through. He shut it just as I took a seat and a sip from my water, he sat next to me and rested his elbows on his legs as he leaned forward.
"What's up?" he asked. I felt my heart race as I knew my time was running short, and I just needed to talk with someone who knew what I was scared over.
"My time is running out, Humphrey. In a few minutes Rick is gonna finish eating and come out here to meet up with us. I told him that I invited Shaky to explain everything, he still doesn't know that I'm leaving stuff out and honestly… none of it's gonna be easy to talk to him about but the stuff that I'm leaving out… like I said I'm gonna tell him once he's better but I still don't want to do it alone" I explained.
"I mean I already made you a promise, I intend to keep it" Humphrey replied which made me feel just a bit better.
"His sister I know I can do on my own but… what almost happened between us… I guess I'm just afraid of what he'll do, how he'll react" I said.
"Kate I'm gonna be truthful, maybe uncomfortably so. I don't know what you think is gonna happen but if it's something physical then you should know that Rick would never in a million years lay a finger on you" Humphrey explained, not getting to his next point before I quickly turned to him.
"I know that, that's not what I'm afraid of. It's… what if we lose something. Like our trust or… each other. I don't know if I can go through everything I've been through, everything I've put him through and have it all be for nothing" I explained.
"Well… thankfully you two haven't lost your purity. You still belong to each other" Humphrey replied, giving me an idea which I would save for later. My ears visibly perked up, making him turn his head to me fully before going back to where it was originally. "So… what I was getting at was uh… when me and Angel had sex and he found out… he forgave me pretty quickly. Add the fact that because of that stunt I was her first and I'm surprised he didn't even lay a hand on me. Given how close they were I… I don't know if I would be strong enough to handle things the way he did. When he brought it up that day on the side of the road I could see that he wanted to kill me but… well you know Rick, relationships come first" Humphrey explained which honestly made a pretty good point.
"So…" I started but didn't say anything else, wanting him to continue.
"So he already thinks of us as brothers which I guess will become more than official once we marry our partners in a way, but what I'm getting at is that we were close, you two are way closer and we didn't even do anything. Sure what almost happened is still there but in all honesty if he was willing to look past what did happen with Angel and me, then he'll for sure look past what didn't happen between us" Humphrey explained.
"Look past huh?" I Asked.
"For lack of a better word" Humphrey replied as he turned to me with a slight smile, and because of it I couldn't help but feel my own lip curl up. Suddenly the door slid open and I saw Rick and Lilly step out, not shutting the door behind them. I didn't hear much but they seemed to be talking about how Rick probably felt better after eating real food. The two were laughing and then took a seat, Lilly turning to me to let me know that Shaky would be right out. She sat across from me and presumably next to Rick, but Rick slid one of the chairs over to sit next to me, placing his hand on my knee. I placed my hand over his as I felt my heart race again. So much to tell him. Shaky stepped out and slid the door shut before walking over to the chair next to Lilly and grabbing a seat.
"Alright, so we're all here. Kate I believe that you made Rick a promise" Lilly started. I felt Rick look at me but looked away embarrassingly as he waited.
"Kate" I heard him say, grabbing my attention. I turned my head slowly to him as he held my hand and looked into his kind blue eyes. "It's okay" he added. I gave his hand a light squeeze along with a deep breath.
"So… I guess we'll just start from the beginning?" I suggested. The others all seemed to agree. "Okay… Well after you went out to pick Humphrey up I got ready for everything and was waiting for you two to come back. When the doorbell rang I answered it excitedly to get to see you back but it wasn't you… it was Humphrey" I began, feeling sick at the thought of the memory. All that pain I felt in that moment, it was hard to look back at it all. I stayed silent as the sound of crickets and other bugs filled the backyard with the afternoon sun setting and making the sky a beautiful dark blue. It wouldn't be long until we needed to turn the back porch light on but for now it was still relatively light.
"I can't say I blame her for freezing up. Humphrey was covered in blood and Kate put it all together pretty quickly. It was a mess, I hope I never have to see her like that again. Just remembering those screams… still disturbs me" Lilly explained.
"I… I'm so sorry I put you through that" Rick said sympathetically.
"Please Rick, don't apologize, it wasn't you" I replied, leaning on him and nuzzling him to comfort myself. I felt him nuzzle me back and then pull away. When I opened my eyes he gestured with them for me to keep going. "We all thought you were dead. Apparently Humphrey was being questioned by police as they loaded you up into the back of the ambulance which if that wasn't there then you wouldn't have made it according to the doctors. The hospital tried calling me but I was so devastated and broken that I never answered the phone. And since I was the only person they had as a contact I never knew that you were still alive. This went on for days until… one night I was home alone… and uh…" I started and looked over at the others who were urging me to go on.
"Just tell him Kate," Shaky said. I bit my lip before continuing.
"Someone had broken in. Thankfully I still had your gun so I went downstairs and refused to leave without taking this person down or trying. My thought process was that it was a win win. If they won I would be with you again, but if I won then I would avenge you. Honestly though I didn't even know it was the person who tried to kill you, I was just going off by chance" I explained, looking away from Rick again and down at the board to the porch. It hadn't been long and already it was getting really dark. I guess I was still surprised by how short some sunsets could be.
"Humphrey, could you turn on the light?" Lilly asked him.
"Oh yeah, sure" he said as he got up and went inside for a moment to turn the light on. I continued as he completed his small task.
"I knew someone was in the house because I heard the glass of this door smash. When I came down stairs I didn't turn any lights on because I didn't want to give away my position. I had the win-win thought in my mind but still I was terrified to push forward because I knew that most likely he was in the living room" I explained. I took a moment to study Rick's face and he looked really intrigued, almost in disbelief that this even happened.
"I guess I never thought of how scared you must've been," Lilly said. The crickets and sound of the light breeze through the trees continued their music as I continued my story.
"Yeah… I was terrified. I was gonna make it to the living room but just then I heard the doorbell ring. You see Shaky had just heard about what happened and came to see me because he thought that he could help since he knew what I was going through. He came at the wrong time though" I said.
"I disagree, if I didn't show up, who knows what would have happened," Shaky said. We all stared at him but I offered a small smile as if saying a small thank you for helping me out that night. He smiled back just before I continued.
"So he rings the doorbell and it distracts me. I turn to the door and your killer gets away. I heard him go through the window which freaked the hell out of me at the time. Anyway I go to the door and Shaky's there so I answer it and just when I'm about to pull him in he gets jumped by this guy and I don't have a clear shot because he's blocking the door and so all I can do is watch" I explained.
"Shaky was blocking the door?" Rick asked.
"Yeah… Shaky Blocked my shot. He got stabbed twice in the stomach before he turned to me" I explained. Rick turned to Shaky who simply waved at him.
"It hurts," he said, making Rick chuckle.
"Yeah… yeah I know" he said, his smile disappearing quickly. I rubbed his hand a bit before proceeding.
"So I backed up so that this guy could get into that hallway between the living room and the front door. I figured once this guy knows I have a gun he'll have nowhere to go" I explained, confusing Rick again I guess.
"Wait so he didn't know you had a gun? And where were your parents?" he asked.
"Well I think my mom was out doing something, dad was at work, and Lilly was at Humphrey's.I guess they were just waiting for me to be alone before they made a move. As for the gun I put it in my pants once the doorbell rang so it was hidden" I answered. Rick nodded.
"Sorry, go on," he said.
"It's fine. So I get him where I want him and I pull the gun out and he realizes he has nowhere to go so I demand him to take off his mask… he doesn't do it so… I kinda… shot him" I explained nervously.
"Really?" Rick asked.
"Yeah… and now that I'm thinking about it I just realized I've been calling her and him all this time… it wasn't a guy" I explained.
"Really? Who was it?" Rick asked.
"Do you remember Mindy?" I asked, feeling angry at even the mention of her fucking name.
"Mindy? Not really" Rick answered. I hesitated, hoping I wouldn't have to bring up Angel and risk upsetting him.
"Mindy… Garth's cousin. The one that jumped your sister" I explained.
"Oh… yeah… wait a minute she did that?" Rick asked, surprised. I nodded. Rick took a moment to process everything and leaned back in the chair. "Wow, so she did that… she went that far… why?" he asked.
"So… there's something I didn't tell you. The last day we were cleaning out your house and I went to the school for something, Garth was there picking up his work after the fight. He told me that he got kicked off of the football team and that his dad practically disowned him. He made me an offer. He would take every bit of money his dad had and run away with me to start a life. He said that everything he did was just an act to keep his image up and to be fair it was a side of him I never saw before. Obviously though I declined him, told him he deserved what was happening to him and that hopefully one day he would learn to forgive himself, even though we would never forgive him. I left him in front of the school that day on his knees so I guess he… went home, loaded up a shotgun and killed his dad… and himself" I explained. Rick seemed frozen at the news.
"Garth is dead?" he asked, surprised. Everyone nodded.
"Fucker finally offed himself" Humphrey said with a hint of frustration. Rick on the other hand seemed more surprised than anything. Not that he felt bad, but was in utter disbelief.
"You okay?" I asked, leaning forward to meet Rick's gaze ever so slightly. Rick placed his fingers over his eyes to rub them, squeezing them shut before replying.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Go ahead" he said.
"So she's sitting there with a hole in her leg, taking lunges at me every once in a while but I wasn't stupid enough to get close to her. Blood is everywhere and…" I hesitated for a moment because at this point is where she told me everything including Angel. Not now Kate, just not right now. But why? Because he just got out of the hospital and has barely spent a single day at home after being in a coma for three months. That's why.
"Kate?" Rick said.
"Oh" I replied, shaking my head to snap out of it. "Um, she told me what I just told you and then… and then…" I looked over at the others who were just waiting for me to choose whether or not I was gonna tell him about it or not. "And then… she mocked you… and I… I kinda freaked out… Rick, you love me right?" I asked, changing the subject for a moment. This was the first of many parts that made me nervous.
"Yes, of course. More than you'll ever know, remember?" he said, making me smile for only a moment.
"You don't think of me as psychotic do you?" I asked. Rick shook his head as he leaned forward once more.
"No, you're the sweetest girl I know," Rick answered. Again I looked over at the others and felt a hand on my back which made me turn to my right. It was Humphrey.
"You had to do it Kate," he said. I felt tears well up in my eyes as I looked at him and then over at Rick.
"You… you killed her didn't you?" he asked. I couldn't believe we were having this conversation. My vision started to blur as tears filled my eyes even more and I felt one escape and roll down my cheek. I nodded slowly as I tried not to cry but it was clear that point had passed.
"I… I thought she killed you" I whimpered. Rick then grabbed my hands and held them, looking me in the eyes.
"My opinion of you hasn't changed Kate. I still think you're the sweetest, cutest, most beautiful girl alive who wouldn't hurt a fly if she didn't have to" Rick explained. I sniffed before replying.
"Th-thats the th-thing… I don't think I had to" I said, most likely in denial about it all. I wanted to believe that I had to, but thinking about it I could have called the cops and held her at gunpoint. But after what she said… I was so angry and wanted her gone. She didn't deserve to live when others had died. At the point I thought it was more than it was. Rick, Shaky, Angel… too many, all by her disgusting hands.
"I honestly think you two are made for each other. Rick would have done the same, thinking back on what he did to Lyle. yeah if the tables were turned Rick may have even done worse" Lilly said. Everyone stared at her as she made a pretty good point. I turned back to Rick who chuckled nervously.
"She's… not wrong ya know" he said. He then looked up at me as he continued holding my hands. I wanted to kiss him again. I wanted him to hold me and tell me that everything would be okay but now isn't the time. I still had more to tell.
"I… I finally found out you were alive the next day. I was so happy and just… just… I didn't leave your side for over a week. I just couldn't bear the thought of being away from you, after everything I went through I thought it was all a dream, but when I woke up everyday next to you it was a reminder that not only was it real but you had hung on for me… just as you promised" I said.
"She really wouldn't leave ya, I had to basically drag her away" Shaky added.
"I'm still grateful for that," I said as I turned to him. Shaky smiled kindly at me and nodded. I turned back to Rick and tried to stop the tears from flowing. "I was there whenever I could be but… thanks to everyone I was still able to get some fresh air every now and again," I explained.
"Kate… I'm so sorry I hurt you" Rick said, reaching for my cheek.
"You didn't. It was her, and now we don't have to deal with them anymore" I explained. Rick nodded slowly before turning to the others.
"Is that everything?" he asked.
"Uh… there's more, '' Humphrey said. At first my heart dropped as I thought he was talking about us but then Shaky spoke up.
"Kate, why don't you sit back for a moment. I'll give ya a break while I break this bit of news to him" Shaky said, which confused me at first, but I soon realized he was talking about Stephanie. I nodded and then wiped the tears from my eyes before sitting back and taking a sip from my water again.
"What did you get into?" Rick asked jokingly. Shaky laughed nervously as he rubbed the back of his neck.
"So… I don't know exactly how you're gonna take this but… I wanted to be the one to tell you that uh… Stephanie and I kinda… sorta… started having sex" Shaky explained with a nervous smile. Rick's eyes lit up before he let out a laugh.
"That's awesome man, why would I be upset about that?" he asked. Humphrey chuckled as well as Lilly put on a smile. Sadly the conversation shifted gears quickly.
"Well I guess I didn't want you to think that I forgot or moved on from Angel… we're not dating we just kinda… have our benefits" Shaky explained. Rick's smile faded and then he rubbed his forehead in thought.
"Oh… no I didn't think of it like that. I mean what were you not gonna date again? You're only seventeen" Rick said. Shaky shrugged.
"I might be on the younger side but I know that Angel was the one for me and I'm not moving on from her. I'm not using Stephanie but she wont move on from you and as people we have our needs" Shaky explained which made sense.
"Yeah, I know she was the one for you and vice versa… everything would have been so perfect with our little circle" Rick explained sadly, moving his finger around to point at us all. I thought again about telling him and took a moment to look over at Lilly. We made eye contact for a moment before breaking it. I decided to wait again. "I miss her," Rick cracked.
"We all do Rick… we all do" Lilly said as softly as she could. We stayed silent for a few awkward moments, not knowing how to pick up the conversation when Rick of all people said something.
"I'm happy for you, Shaky. I just wish you didn't have to make that choice. I'm sure it wasn't easy" he said.
"It wasn't," Shaky replied. Other than everything else there was only one thing left to tell Rick that was perhaps the hardest of all. I guess I should get it over with. My heart pounded and my voice shook as I spoke up.
"So… not long before you started showing signs the hospital called me when I wasn't there and told me that your life insurance was almost up and that I had to make a choice whether or not to pull your plug or not" I began to explain. Rick seemed caught off by that.
"They made you choose that?" he asked, seeming a bit scared at the possibility of what almost happened. I nodded.
"Yeah… and I was in such bad condition that I thought I would have to lose you all over again and I couldn't do that. I guess part of me knew that the money in your account was there, and mom would help but I knew that couldn't last forever and you were already in there for three months so in my mind all hope was lost. I just… after hearing that news and thinking of what might happen I couldn't accept it so… I uh… I tried to kill myself" I said.
"What?" Rick asked, sounding shocked as the others remained quiet. I nodded sadly as I kept my eyes away from so much as a soul.
"I… broke the bathroom mirror and slit my wrist. If mom didn't walk in right when I did it I would be dead" I explained, feeling the tears begin to return as I began to feel almost as humiliated when it actually happened.
"But… why would you-"
"I don't know! Rick, I don't know" I said as I began to cry again, looking over at him finally and trying to hold back tears.
"Rick I… I think it's worth mentioning that I was here that night when I got the news. She told me to leave and I Was upset by it too so I did. I didn't think she would make an attempt on her life though" Shaky admitted.
"But you knew the condition she was in. why would you leave her?" Rick asked angrily.
"Rick, it wasn't his fault. It was mine, it was all mine" I sobbed. We stared into each other's eyes quietly for a moment when I noticed a tear roll down his own face. "Are… are you mad at me?" I asked through tears. I saw Rick's lip quiver as he reached for me.
"Come here," he said. Immediately I went into his arms and began to sob loudly. He rocked me gently, kissing the top of my head as he held me close. He sobbed with me although much quieter as we held each other. "Why Kate? Why would you do that?" he asked.
"I just… I missed you so much" I replied. I sobbed a bit more before I spoke again. "Please don't hate me," I said.
"Never Kate, I never would. But we are gonna talk about it when we're alone. I just can't believe you would…" he began, never finishing. I shifted my head and opened my eyes, noticing Lilly staring sadly. I closed my eyes and tried to pretend I was surrounded by everyone I cared about and tried to keep it together. That didn't happen for a while though and the mood didn't calm until we did, finally going in about fifteen minutes later. All I could think of the whole time was how it was good I didn't tell him everything yet. If things got this bad with just that I couldn't imagine how things would go when… All I could do was hope.