Cream's POV
Chocolate is humming in the back, drumming on Mel's head who is too busy reading his book as Ber keeps driving.
Not that I wanted him to, but it tends to relax him when he at least has control of something so I let him.
Which I regret immediately he gets a call.
He hands the phone over to me because we have an unspoken agreement about never letting him call while driving and mutter a thank you then pick the call "Mistress?"
"Berry is driving?"
"Yes" I say, a part of me somehow loving her more that she knows already why I picked it.
"Good. Vanilla is home"
The words seemed to jolt me there, but thankfully, I do not show it as Mistress continues "With Raphael. Now we both know how he is, his reaction with people he seems are beneath him, and of course, the fact that he could tell Vanilla the truth about why you boys could not see her at the hospital"
I shift in my seat, trying to look for the right words to say as my mind begins to race "Do you suppose he has said anything?"
"I do not know. I purposely called Ber because if I had called you, Berry would have asked what I said or asked for the phone to be on speaker. As it is his phone, he would believe it is something I would not want Chocolate or Caramel to hear"
I suddenly feel dizzy "I understand why you did it. It's just... Mistress, what if she..."
"Don't say anything that would make Strawberry drive you all off a cliff as he races home to them. You are the calm one, think of something before you reach the house"
"Mistress"
My voice is pleading now "Where are you?"
There is silence on the other side of the phone as I hear her say softly "I cannot Cream. You boys must fix this on your own"
No, no...
I can already see how this would turn out.
It makes me nauseous.
"This is not how it should turn out. This is not how we wanted it. This is not..."
"She must know the truth, somehow. I know if I forwarned you, you all would have lied to her. We already promised not to do that anymore. I know it is not any of your faults what happened, but we have to fix it now, before it's too late. She has to know about what happened to Court. If not from you boys, from someone"
I slowly breathe in and out, my hand squeezing the ball Mistress had given us as she says "I must leave now. Everything will be alright. I love you all"
And then she hangs up.
I stay quiet, the boys are still playing at the back, Mel now hitting back at Coco who is laughing as Ber says to me "What did she want? Are you okay?"
My face is still the same, though I am breaking inside as I reach out for his hands.
He feels warm so I suspect I am very cold as I say "Can you drive home faster? I don't feel good"
I suppose he knows that I DON'T feel good, but that's not the real reason I want him driving fast.
But he does anyway, fast that is reckless, but not as reckless as he would have if I had mentioned Vanilla was alone with Raphael who would not just tell her about Court but possibly other negative things about us.
And as he does that.
I am praying.
*
Immediately we get home, I am out of the car and so is Ber, he possibly knows something is up and he's heading inside with the same speed as I am.
The twins are behind, possibly confused but I don't turn to tell them.
When Ber and I are in, the whole place is silent except the italian music that Raphael had forced us to bear with and the small scent of cigarettes and..
"Vanilla" Ber says, his eyes widening as he suddenly begins to go around "Vanilla! Vanilla!!"
"She's home?" Mel asks, his face in absolute panic as Coco holds him.
I don't say anything, because my head is spinning, because I don't know what to say.
"Vanilla!"
I hear the laugh first before I see her.
She's coming from below, the section of the theatre room, a small smile on her face "Hello boys"
None of us move.
We just stare.
She's figuratively slimmer, and her hair, longer, even though it's just been three days...
But seeing her as us all in stroke for some reason.
She notices the fact we're not doing anything to welcome her and the smile on her face begins to die as she says "Ar-Are you guys not happy to see me?"
It is only when we see Raphael coming out of the theatre room at the same time that Ber suddenly snatches her to his body, snarling at his brother "Why are you shirtless?!"
Raphael makes a face, staring at him, his head in a tilt "Why should I tell you? Oh wait, maybe I should. I was keeping your little girlfriend company and there was no time for me to wear a shirt. You see, she was persistent and lonely"
"What?" Ber asks.
Vanilla begins to nervously chuckle "That's not what happened. I just wanted to ask him questions about you and...."
Ber suddenly grabs her tightly to face her as he says "Then why do you smell like cigarettes?!"
Raphael seemingly comes closer "I swear to God if you hurt her..."
"Stay away" Ber grits his teeth, still looking at Nilla "This is none of your concern"
"Ber"
I reach out and touch him, thankfully he does not slap my hand away as I say "Please let her go. She just left the hospital and we need to prepare for dinner anyway"
He doesn't at first, just keeps staring daggers at Vanilla before shoving her off, she falls into Raphael's arms, much to my distaste but I say nothing about it as I say instead "Mel, please clean up and go make dinner. Coco, take Vanilla up with you, you've been preparing for this all week, and Ber, you're coming with me"
Coco happily skips off and rips Vanilla out of Raphael's arms, blowing the male a kiss as he and Mel walk up the stairs while I hold Ber's hands, taking him up the stairs before I hear Raphael say "She told me, you know, how you boys treat her like she's a property"
Before I can say anything, Ber is turning "She's ours!"
"Like that toy you used go to have as a kid" Raphael says "Do you remember? You used to take it everywhere with you but you were rough as hell with it. You treat her like that dumb thing, except then, as we were little, I decided to save the toy from you and I took it far away, that's why you never saw it again Strudel. Nothing is stopping me now"
"Fuck you!"
"Ber" I say "Vanilla is home, control yourself"
He pants, grits his teeth but still goes up with me without thankfully fighting.
When we reach his room, I hug him, his heart is beating really wildly at first, but it begins to slow down as he kisses my head "I love you"
I look up at him, my hands still wrapped around his waist "I love you too"
Then he kisses me, it has been a while and I let him, his hands going into my shirt and going up to my nipples, pinching as I gasp, while he moves to my neck and bites.
Hard.
"Ber... Stop"
He does so immediately, pulling away from me as I feel little blood trickling from my neck and the lost look on his face with blood on his lips "Cream, I'm sorry, I.."
I reach out and wipe the blood "I did not stop you because of hurt too much but because we do need to clean up and go down for dinner. I can tell Raphael has not said anything to Vanilla, but he will. For some reason, he is besotted with her, I can tell"
"Who isn't?" Ber asks.
"Reason we cannot let her be alone with him again"
"She's with Coco"
"Coco has a thing for Raphael, and we know that. Let us not make that mistake too"
Ber let's out a sigh, turning around and removing his shirt and though I want to touch his brown skin, feel it, I hold myself as he says "This is what Mistress said, isn't it? Where is she?"
"I don't know Ber. I really do not know"
*
We are all down by six pm, I am wearing a tank top because I see no reason to be shirtless around Raphael, who is seated at Vanilla's seat and Vanilla, at Mistress's.
Coco and Mel are at her two sides.
Mel with Ber.
Me with Coco.
They both are talking to her, saying so many things I cannot really hear, Raphael for some reason is quiet, possibly observing us and everything is going fine.
Before Coco...
It's always Coco "I can't believe you're not mad about Court"
The whole table is quiet as I snap to look at him.
Vanilla let's out a small chuckle, still eating "I can't blame him for what he did, it's partly my fault... I want to apologize to him too"
"Apologize?" Coco asks before anyone can stop him "But he's dead"
Shit.
Vanilla's face suddenly pales as she says "Wh-What?"
Coco looks lost there "You didn't know? Raphael didn't tell you?"
Shit. Shit.