14. Chapter 14

Chapter fourteen

T he sound of the doorbell ringing incessantly was not pleasant to wake up to.

Especially since LA and Cass didn't get home until after midnight and it was eight o'clock in the morning.

LA bolted up with a growl, cursing as pain shot down his spine and into his leg. "What the fuck?"

Cass rubbed his eyes as he sat up. "Expecting someone?"

"Fuck no." LA grunted as he pulled himself out of bed. "Shit. Can you, uh—"

"Yes, sweetheart. Going to see who it is."

"Thank you!" LA limped to the bathroom. He tried to listen out for Cass or any other sound that might serve as a clue to who was at the door, but he didn't hear squat. Although he'd been woken up so abruptly, he was actually in a good mood.

Last night had been amazing.

Not only had he sold all of his paintings and one was destined for a spot in a museum, but he even had a new job lined up that would value his experience in the funeral industry. He'd also told off Gavin and damn had that been satisfying. And just when he'd thought the night couldn't get any better, Cass had agreed to be his boyfriend.

LA was confident, reinvigorated, and for the first time in months, he was truly excited about the future.

He felt fucking strong .

LA finished up in the bathroom, came out, and stopped at his dresser to get a T-shirt before heading downstairs. He hadn't really paid attention to see what shirt he'd grabbed, but he glanced over the front as he unfolded it.

It said An Embalmer's Day Is Draining .

LA chuckled.

No matter who was at the door, today was going to be a good day.

Cass was hovering around the door and his eyes were comically wide. His wings were tucked up tight and his long tail was lashing around like a very perturbed kitty cat. He looked downright spooked.

"What's wrong?" LA snorted as he pulled the T-shirt over his head. "Did a fucking ghost come to the door?"

Judging by the knocking still banging away, Cass hadn't actually answered it.

"I could be mistaken," Cass said slowly, "but I peeked through the little peeky hole and…"

"And?"

"I believe it's your mother."

"What?" LA rushed to the door to take a look through the peephole.

It was indeed his mother, Deborah.

LA wanted to throw up.

So much for having a good day.

"What the fucking fuck is she doing here?" LA snarled.

"Well, you have been ignoring her phone calls," Cass said quietly. "Maybe she was worried."

"Yeah, because she hasn't been able to bitch at me." LA scrubbed his hands over his face. "I haven't had my drugs yet. Or coffee ."

"You don't have to open the door," Cass soothed. "You've had quite the week already and you don't need to tackle this particular, hmm… Issue! Yes, you don't need to tackle this issue right now."

LA flinched as the knocking continued. "No, it's fine. It's great," he grumbled. "Can you, uh, make some coffee, please?"

"Do you want me to be a monster, a human, or invisible? Or some combination?"

"How about a monster who's only visible to me?" LA stood up on his toes to kiss Cass. "I'll let you know if I need backup."

"Done." Cass gave him a quick hug. "Good luck. I'll be right back."

LA smiled, watching Cass lumber off into the kitchen. He glared when Deborah banged on the door hard enough to rattle the frame, but he took a deep breath to calm himself. He could do this. He was the one in control. He had the power here. It was going to be fine.

He unlocked the door and then opened it just enough to poke his head out. "Hi, Mom."

"That's it?" Deborah scowled. "Just hi, Mom ? No apology? No explanation? I was worried sick! You haven't been picking up when I call and now you wouldn't answer the door—"

"I was asleep." LA just smiled.

Deborah scoffed and stared expectantly.

LA kept his teeth together and said nothing else. He fought the urge to explain that he was tired from the art show because she didn't deserve to know that.

He was going to do this.

He would be strong.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" Deborah smiled politely.

"Yeah. Sure." LA still didn't move, and he glanced over to his mother's car parked out on the street. His heart froze in his chest and he fought not to scream. He kept his face as neutral as possible as he said firmly, "She's not coming inside."

Deborah pretended to look confused and smiled innocently. "Who?"

"Mom, I can see Katie sitting in your car. I'm not stupid. I know exactly what she looks like." LA snorted. "She's not coming inside my house."

"Sweetie, it'll just be for a few minutes and you two can finally work out this childish drama and—"

LA slammed the door in her face.

Holy shit.

He turned around to find Cass right behind him with coffee.

Cass cheered and rainbow confetti exploded everywhere. "Yay!"

LA gasped and then hissed between clenched teeth. He couldn't believe what he'd done. "I just shut the door!"

"I know!"

"In her face!"

"I know." Cass sighed as he handed LA the coffee. "Oh, it was great."

"Thank you, thank you." LA grinned, holding the coffee up in a little toast.

There was a knock.

Judging by how hard it was, Deborah was not happy.

LA took a deep breath, put on a big grin, and then opened the door. "Yes?"

"Did you just shut the door in my face?" Deborah snapped.

"Yes. Yes, I did."

"Why in the world—"

"Because you're not listening to me." LA sipped his coffee. "You're just waiting for your turn to speak."

Deborah huffed. "That is not true."

"Oh really? So, you understand that Katie is not coming inside my house?"

"Sweetie, you two really need to—"

LA started to shut the door again.

"Okay, okay!" Deborah grimaced. "She won't come in! I'll just leave her in the car like a darn pet. Ugh, this is just disgraceful. She's been so worried about you since you lost your job, you know—"

"You told her that?"

"Yes! Lord, I don't know what has gotten into you!"

"You came to my house uninvited, woke me up very early, and then tried to convince me to let Katie , the girl who tortured me for years, into my home."

Deborah laughed and waved her hand. "Oh, she didn't torture you. Please, sweetie. You're so dramatic—"

"And now this is me, dramatically shutting the door."

"Lawrence!" Deborah barked. "Why are you acting like this?"

"I could explain it to you, but I can't understand it for you." LA swallowed hard. "I'm sorry, Mom, but I don't really have anything to say to you."

"What are you talking about?" Deborah chuckled and it sounded cruel. "You always have plenty to say. You're always whining and complaining and—"

"You can leave." LA took a deep breath. "Have fun at the wedding. Hope Carter and Katie have a lifetime of happiness and I never see either of them ever again."

"You're going."

"No, I'm not."

"Yes, of course you are." Deborah frowned. "I've told everyone you're coming. I don't understand why you're being so hostile."

"Right." LA's temper bubbled up. "No idea at all why I might be upset. No fucking clue—"

"Language!"

"—why I might be bothered." LA drank more coffee. "Not a single thought. Not a one."

Deborah pursed her lips. "I know you two had your little spat in school. It's childish of you to still hold a grudge. She wants to apologize! I thought you'd be happy."

LA's heart ached. "I'd be a lot happier to have a mother who was more concerned about my comfort and fucking sanity—"

" Language !"

"—than some stupid fucking wedding!" LA raised his voice to make sure Deborah heard him. "It's like you don't even care, just as long as I show up!"

Deborah looked as if she'd been physically struck and she took a step back. "You don't think I care about you…?"

"No." LA squeezed the handle of his coffee mug so hard that he was afraid it was going to crack. "I know you don't. You might think you do, but right now you're more worried about the damn wedding than my feelings. I have had enough—"

"After everything I've done for you?" Deborah's eyes filled with tears. "After how hard I worked to take care of you and raise you? This is how you're going to repay me? I loved you. I treasured you! I—"

LA tensed. "You mean until I stopped being perfect."

"I sacrificed so much for you—"

"Until I wasn't your perfect little kid like Carter!" LA shouted, a lifetime of grief raising his voice to a shout. He threw his coffee mug on the floor and it instantly shattered. "Until I wasn't what you fucking wanted! Because I had my own ideas about what to do with my life! Because I didn't want the shit you wanted! Because I didn't want to be you !"

"Right! You'd rather be an ungrateful brat with no respectable future." Deborah's eyes flashed and she bared her teeth as she seethed. "You'd rather be a disappointment !"

"Oh, there she is!" LA snarled right back. "That's the woman who treasured me, right? Come on. Admit it. Just fucking admit it. You care more about this stupid fucking wedding than me. You care more about what your friends think, what people at church are going to say, what you can post on fucking Facebook to get some likes because you're just that pathetic. I'm not the disappointment. You are ."

Deborah slapped him.

LA fumed silently, his cheek throbbing.

Cass growled from behind him, a furious rumble that LA felt trembling beneath his feet and rattled the broken pieces of the coffee mug. He grabbed LA's hips, as if he meant to pull LA out of the way and perhaps chomp Deborah into bits.

As much as it would have been immensely satisfying to see his mother become imp kibble, LA calmly raised his hand, silently asking Cass to wait.

Cass snarled but stood fast.

Deborah almost crumbled, as if perhaps she regretted hitting him, but she revved right back up to snap, "You're going to that wedding, young man. I am your mother, and you will do what I say. I need this. I need it, Lawrence. I need something pure and beautiful and perfect and—"

"Goodbye, Mom. I love you." LA shut the door and locked it firmly.

He breathed.

In.

Out.

In.

And then he turned to collapse in Cass's arms.

LA wasn't sure if he cried so much as he howled . He was angry and hurt, and he had no idea what to do with the sea of emotions threatening to drown him. He twisted his fingers into Cass's fur, trying to bury himself there in Cass's chest. If he heard more knocking, he was sure he'd scream.

Luckily, none came.

Still, he sobbed into Cass's chest, not even caring when Cass picked him up like a baby and cradled him close. Now that the dam had been broken, he didn't know if he'd ever stop crying.

"Here, come on." Cass carried him over to the couch. "I got the mug all cleaned up and I can get you more coffee. Whatever you need." He sat down, holding LA in his lap and hugging him tight. "Is this all right for your back, sweetheart?"

"No," LA mumbled tearfully. "But I don't want you to let go yet."

"Then I won't." Cass kissed his hair.

LA sniffled and rubbed his eyes. He blinked when he found a box of tissue between them and he smiled weakly. It was covered in rainbows. "Thank you." He grabbed a handful to dry his tears and then blow his nose.

He was raw and unhinged, but Cass's warm embrace was comforting.

"What can I do, Elly?" Cass asked softly.

"You're doing it." LA threw the tissues at the table, but they dinged off the edge and hit the floor. "Goddammit."

"It's okay," Cass soothed. "I'll get it later."

LA nodded and closed his eyes, sniffing still. "I thought she'd listen to me. I thought… I don't know. I really don't know. I guess that I could stand up to her and tell her off like I did with Gavin. That I could fix it."

"Some situations are not fixable. Some people are not fixable." Cass frowned. "What your mother did was wrong. She didn't want you to reconcile with your bully for anyone's benefit except her own. Even if Katie did want to apologize, she has no right to ask that of you. I can't imagine what her true intentions are, but you have no obligation to hear her out."

"Thank you." LA petted Cass's chest. "I… I can't believe my mother told her I'd lost my job. Then I start wondering what else she's told her."

"Your mother sharing details of your personal life without your consent is deplorable, especially to someone who hurt you so much."

"Oh, but didn't you hear?" LA rolled his eyes. "Katie's worried about me."

"While there is a tiny, miniscule chance that's true, it's more likely that it's another attempt to manipulate you," Cass mused. "After all, if she was truly concerned or wanted to make amends, she should have tried to do that on her own."

"And not with the fucking wedding right around the corner," LA mumbled. "It just feels like bullshit. It all feels like absolute bullshit."

"If it walks like a duck, talks like a duck…"

"Then yeah, it's bullshit."

Cass blinked. "No. Then it's a duck. Which in this case… Oh. I see what you did there."

LA managed a little smile and then sighed. "I wish I hadn't lost my temper. I shouldn't have let her get to me. I thought I was getting better."

"Sweetheart, you are!" Cass purred. "Be kind to yourself. It's not even been a week and you've already made incredible progress."

"I know, I know. I just…" LA groaned. "I want to be stronger. I know it takes time, but—"

"But so does healing," Cass cut in gently. "It can be a messy process. It may hurt. It may not always come easily. It's a journey, and you're just at the start. You're not going to be able to solve every problem right away and that's okay. You are strong, sweetheart."

"Don't feel like it right now." LA curled up tighter.

"You are ." Cass smiled. "You stood up to your mother. You set boundaries and didn't allow her or Katie to cross them. You may never be able to get her to break out of her narcissistic shell and actually listen to you, but you grew today. You had restraint. You were vigilant. You showed your strength by refusing to let her keep hurting you. That's why it's still a victory."

LA smiled a bit and nodded.

Cass pouted. "Too much like a Hallmark card?"

"No." LA shook his head. "It was perfect. Heh, as usual. I'm just thinking."

"Hmm?"

"About all of this being a journey." LA slid out of Cass's lap but stayed close, leaning his head against Cass's shoulder. "For some reason, I kept thinking it was going to be like flipping a switch."

Cass wrapped his arm around LA. "What do you mean?"

"Like when we first met and you said you were gonna get my strength back." LA sighed. "I thought it would be like flipping a switch. Easy. Quick. I'd get my job back and get Gavin back and then everything would be so great, like it was before. But… it wasn't great before. I was too afraid of having to face some new reality than to actually see how shitty everything was. And now I know it's not that simple.

"I'm still gonna have bad days. I'm still gonna lose my temper over dumb shit and fight with my mom until she either wakes up and stops being a bitch, or more likely, I finally cut her off. I'm gonna miss my old job, even if this new one sounds like it's gonna be something I'll be good at. I'm gonna fuck up. A lot. Probably piss you off and hurt your feelings, even though I don't mean to, but I… I want to be better. I want to try."

Cass smiled sweetly and pressed a soft kiss to LA's lips. "And that's all I would ever ask of you, sweetheart. We're on this journey together now."

"Thank you." LA petted Cass's face. "You saved me, you know."

Cass shook his head. "No, Elly. I just showed you the way. You saved you."

LA smiled and went quiet for a few moments, enjoying the closeness and wishing the lingering burn in his eyes would fuck off. The ache in his spine wasn't a welcome feeling either. "Shit. I forgot to take my meds."

Cass tapped the coffee table and a small plate with all the medication appeared.

"Fuck, you're awesome." LA smiled. "I just need—"

Another tap summoned a new cup of coffee.

"Thank you." LA took his meds with a big swig of coffee.

"Need anything else, sweetheart?"

LA snorted. "A giant bubble bath and a nap?"

"Would you like one really?" Cass purred happily. "I'd be happy to run one for you and then we can nap and cuddle."

"Thanks, but no, I can't actually take a bath. Not comfortably." LA snorted. "Tall people problems. I can't stretch all the way out 'cause the tub is too small, so I just end up sitting there with my knees bent."

Cass had a funny look on his face and he grinned shyly. "But what if… you could?"

"Huh?"

"What if you could? Take a bath in a large tub?" Cass fidgeted. "Would you?"

"Yeah, I guess." LA quirked his brows.

"Would you like to… come over?" Cass's tail twitched. "You can absolutely say no, but I do have a large tub. Well, it's not large for me , but it would be for you."

LA cracked a grin. "You want me to come over for a bubble bath?"

"And snuggles. If you'd like." Cass fidgeted. "I thought, maybe, you'd like to get out for a little bit and I could show you my home and… stuff."

"I would love to." LA smiled. "Am I gonna be staying the night? I don't want to assume—"

"Yes!" Cass squeaked. "If, if you'd like."

"I would." LA kissed him. "Just give me a second to pack a bag, okay?"

"Okay!" Cass practically trembled with excitement and then he appeared mildly horrified. "How about you go pack and I'll come pick you up in, like, ten—no, uh, twenty minutes?"

LA smirked. "Gotta clean?"

"Oh, so very, very badly."

LA chuckled and kissed him again. "Go on. I'll be waitin' for you."

"Be back soon!" Cass hugged LA and then disappeared in a poof of confetti.

LA headed upstairs to find a small duffle bag and pack a few changes of clothes. He didn't want to assume what exactly they might do over in monster land, but he wanted to have some options. He got his toiletries and meds packed, and he almost threw in the bottle of rum.

He smiled to himself and then set it back down.

Nah, he didn't need it.

Just as he left the kitchen to return to the living room, Cass reappeared in a flurry of rainbow sparkles. He was out of breath and panting, but he was smiling and seemed pleased with himself.

"Ready to go?" Cass asked.

"Yeah, are you okay?" LA teased. "Did you run a marathon on the way here?"

"What? No. I'm a little winded from cleaning and… Oh right!" Cass giggled and reached for LA's hand. "Okie dokie, here we go!"

Only as the living room exploded in a sea of rainbow confetti did LA realize he probably should have asked more questions about traveling to a monster world.

His vision blurred and then went dark, and he was falling. He tried to climb up Cass, terrified of hitting whatever inevitable bottom was coming his way, but then his feet were suddenly on solid ground once more and…

He was standing in a living room.

The furniture was simple but plush, there were shelves full of books, and the curtains had tiny rainbows on them. It was colorful, warm, and felt incredibly homey. He might need a step stool to climb up on the couch, as everything was scaled to someone of Cass's size, but it did look really comfortable.

LA was drawn to the window to peek outside, curious what monster land was like.

It looked…

Huh. Pretty normal actually.

The sky was a warm shade of pinkish-orange and the clouds were yellow, but other than that it looked like any other small neighborhood. Okay, and the trees were magenta with purple leaves, but at least the grass was green, though it looked a bit like shag carpet. There were lots of houses and cars, big ones, no doubt to accommodate large imp bodies, and it was all very similar to any other slice of suburbia LA had ever seen.

Although, obviously, there were monsters everywhere.

LA saw two imps gardening in their yard, some sort of skull-headed beast checking their mail, and a lizard creature walking a small critter covered in big spikes.

"Wow." LA laughed. "Uh, so, this is a monster neighborhood, huh?"

"Yes, but of course, we just say it's a neighborhood." Cass chuckled as he gave LA a gentle hug from behind. "Are you ready for your bath?"

"Fuck yeah." LA followed Cass into a large bathroom.

Again, it looked much like his own home except everything was built for beings of Cass's impressive size. It was colorfully decorated with—what else—rainbows, from the shower curtain to the little rug on the floor.

Cass got the water going and poured in a generous amount of bubble bath. He turned to LA with a gentle smile. "Ready to get in?"

"Yeah. Just one sec." LA stripped off his clothes, appreciating how Cass's eyes roamed over him. He smirked as he took Cass's paw to step up over the high side of the tub. It was like wading into a small pool and as he sat down, he realized the water would easily come up to his chest. "Ohhh, fuck, this is nice."

"Good?" Cass purred.

"Uh-huh." LA groaned, leaning back and stretching out his legs. The hot water felt fantastic and the bubbles smelled like oranges and vanilla. "This is fucking awesome."

"You can stay in here as long as you'd like." Cass leaned over to pet LA's hair.

"Thank you." LA groaned again, realizing he could actually float a little and it alleviated some of the pressure in his back and hips. "How about forever? Can we do forever?"

Cass chuckled. "I'm afraid you'd be quite wrinkly, but I think we could make it work."

LA's heart thumped and he took Cass's paw. "Yeah?"

"I could bring you your meals in here, change the water out whenever it gets cold…" Cass blinked. "Wait, or were you talking about a different kind of forever? Like, uh, the being together forever kind of forever?"

LA smiled warmly, certain that his face mirrored the hopeful look on Cass's. "I think that's something we can work on. I mean, we are on a big journey together, right?"

"That we are."

"Working on rebuilding my strength, my confidence, and all that."

"Indeed."

"Might take a while." LA squeezed Cass's paw. "Maybe even forever. So, uh, you're gonna have to stick around and date me. Like, so hard."

Cass purred and lifted LA's hand to kiss it. "I cannot wait."

LA grinned. "You're pretty amazing, Cassander Imp."

"So are you, LA Holmes." Cass chuckled softly. "You do know that's not my last name, right?"

LA laughed. "Shit, that's right. You tried to tell me that day with Brandon, but I couldn't hear you. What was it? Yucky? Lucky? Something like that?"

"Duckey."

"Your last name is Duckey?" LA snickered. "You know, somehow that's fucking perfect for you."

"Is it?"

"You're really cute and you squeak." LA wagged his brows. "Plus, you know there's a rubber duck that vibrates."

Cass blinked. "Really? Why?"

LA smirked.

" Oh ." Cass giggled. "That's naughty."

"Just a little bit."

"Well, after your bath, we are going to be extra naughty and take a nap for as long as you want. We can watch TV, we can snuggle, and then I'll cook dinner for us. After that, more snuggling! You need lots of rest for your interview, you know."

LA watched the air fill with bubbles, and he smiled. "Oh definitely. And for all the sex we're gonna be having."

Cass squealed. "Wait, what?"

LA laughed. "I'm joking ." He patted Cass's paw. "I'm not in any hurry, okay? Somebody told me once that things take time. And I gotta agree. Especially good things. The best things. And they're worth waiting for."

"Really, Elly? You don't mind if we still take things a little slow?"

"I don't care where we take 'em as long as you're with me."

Cass kissed him sweetly. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." LA rubbed Cass's cheek, his heart doing delighted somersaults in his chest. Even after having such a wretched start to the day, he was in good spirits. Life wasn't going to be perfect and that was all right. He knew he could pick himself up and keep moving forward, and though the future ahead of him wasn't what he'd been planning on, he was happy.

After all, it wasn't just different.

It was better .

"Now." LA cleared his throat and looked serious. "I have to ask you the most important question of all. Pay attention. This is fucking vital, okay?"

Cass tilted his head curiously. "What is it?"

"Can you get Resident Alien here?"

"Oh, absolutely."