Page 75 of Falling With You

Runway, however, flicked her tail as she passed all of them, ignoring them as she walked to the bathroom. Then she slammed the door in front of us, and Aiden blinked.

“Well, I’m going to have to pay for that later,” I said, shaking my head.

“Did she just throw a tantrum and slam the door?”

“She does that when she wants space. However, Baby knows how to open the door, so it’s a whole thing. It’s why she had food and water and her litter box in there. Sometimes, she just wants her space.”

“They’re like people. With personalities.”

“Well, yes, they tend to do that.”

Okay, I think the cats are doing fine, but let’s hang out in the living room with them for a bit.”

“Okay, but I still fear for your cats’ lives.”

“I don’t know, Baby can probably take them all.”

“I’m going to put my money on Diego.” And then he kissed me hard, and I leaned into him. This felt good. Right. Like I wasn’t making mistake after mistake.

So, I sat with my boyfriend on the couch and just cuddled into him, kissing him every once in a while, letting his hands roam over me as our cats wore themselves out before falling into a puddle—at least the four of them with Runway still in the bathroom—and I figured that was a good sign. If the cats could get along, and Aiden and I could talk to each other, maybe that meant this was the next step. Perhaps this could be a sign of the future. But I didn’t want to think too big, so I let Aiden’s lips trail along my neck, and I arched into him, just wanting to hold him. Just wanting to be with him.

Because this was a step, one I had to treasure. And I remembered that not everyone had these steps. Not everybody made it this long.

So, I wasn’t going to forget how blessed I was.

Wasn’t going to forget everything that had happened.

But I would try to forget for just a moment. And just be.

Because it was time.

Finally.

Chapter Seventeen

Aiden

I woke up,finding myself unable to breathe. I tried to inhale and then coughed, fur in my throat. I tried to shake my head a bit, but whatever was on top of me rolled slightly so it was now on my eye. Oh, great. I was dying. Smothered by a cat.

There was a giggle beside me, and I reached out and tried to grab Sienna, only to come up with very soft flesh. So, I gave it a squeeze.

“Really? That’s how you’re going to wake me up?” Sienna asked, laughing.

“Well, can’t help it, you’re nice and soft and all plump and ready. But the cat is on my face. Which cat is it?”

“Well, if it was any cat other than Diego, you probably wouldn’t be able to breathe at all right now. But you guys are so cute. Look at my boys,” she sing-songed. I heard the click of her phone camera.

“Are you taking a photo right now?”

“Yep. And I know that since you’re not actually forcing the cat off you, you like him just as much as I do.”

“I’m afraid if I push him off me, he’s going to claw my eye out or something. Sienna, get him off me.”

“Aw, look how you whine.” But she did reach out and grab the kitten, pulling him up to her very naked chest.

“Okay, you have a kitten on your boobs.”

She glared at me. “He’s on my shoulder, not actually on my boobs. But I was naked. But then so are you, and then the cat was here. I don’t usually sleep naked, so I’m not used to having the cats try to sleep on me. They usually just take over the end of the bed.” She gestured towards the foot of the bed, and I looked at the fact that there were indeed four cats in various napping positions lying on the comforter.