NINE: Kitten

Dove's POV

I braided my brown locks and dressed up in white cargo pants, a white tank top and a denim jacket. I put on a pair of white sneakers and went downstairs. I saw my parents and sister having breakfast together. I sighed as I approached them.

"Good morning mom, dad..." I greeted. "And Rylee!"

Ever since what happened in the past, my relationship with my parents got more distorted since they didn't believe me at that time and now, I don't believe in this relationship or family. The only reason I'm living in this house is the cause of Rylee. I will move out once Rylee's high school ends, I don't want her to have any family issues during her last years of school.

"Good morning," Rylee greeted while both my parents just nodded. I rolled my eyes.

"The breakfast is ready...."

"It's okay, mom. I have plans for breakfast," I said. "I will be taking my leave now."

"We heard your soulmate has a girlfriend and it's none other than Nina Robbins," my father finally spoke. I let out a dry laugh. Oh! It's going to happen again, the same old bullshit.

"And?" I asked. As I coldly stared at both my parents.

"If you are going to do the thing which you did back then during your high school just know I won't be helping you with anything this time," my father said.

"I never asked for your help and never will," I said.

"Dove! Your father helped you get out of the juvenile center, even when you were sentenced to more years of imprisonment! Show some gratitude," my mother scolded me.

"He was just trying to save his reputation; he wasn't helping me. You guys didn't even believe the fact that I wasn't trying to kill Robbins. So much of help I had," I retorted. "I'll be leaving now."

I left not waiting there any longer to listen to any of their shit talks. It would have been better if my parents would have kicked me out of the house after what happened. But they didn't cause they wanted to protect the fame and respect my father earned through his unfair ways of winning court cases.

My father, Advocate Theodore Stanley, is quite famous for his advocacy. He has never lost any of the cases he has taken, it didn't matter to him what means he uses to win a particular case. Winning was the only thing that mattered to him.

And my mother, Fiona Stanley instead of stopping my father. She keeps supporting him. Not that either of my parents matters to me, but Rylee does. Once her high school ends, I will have my own house and will take Rylee with me to someplace where I neither have to face my soulmate, nor my parents.

As I walked towards the café where I told Twilight to meet me, my phone buzzed as I looked at the caller ID.

"Hey Micah," I greeted my old friend.

"Bitch! Don't 'hey' me! You are late!" She said. I laughed.

"You are just too early. I'll be there in a few minutes, till then you can order whatever you want. The bill is on me," I said.

"I'll order a lot of food then."

I giggled. "Sure!"

"Also, Micah. Please, do order 2 cheesecakes and a vanilla latte," I said.

"Why? You don't drink a latte," she questioned.

"It's for someone else," I said.

"Who?"

"I'll introduce you to the person soon, Micah~" I sang.

"Fine fine, anything you want?" She asked.

"Nope, nothing. See you soon," I said. She hummed and hung up the call.

I dialed Twilight's number as it ranged, I could see I was getting closer to the café.

"Hello," he said picking up the call.

"Is it just me or your voice just got sexier?" I asked.

"I...uh... what?" He asked with a nervous chuckle. I can imagine a very obvious pink blush covering his face.

"I'm just teasing, bunny. Good morning," I greeted.

"Good morning," he said. "I just reached the café."

I looked around and saw him parking his bike in the parking area of the café. His back was facing me so he doesn't know that I'm there. I picked up my pace to reach him and once I reached him, I tapped on his back.

"Me too," I said as he turned around to look at me and his surprised face turned into a cute smiling face. He got a new haircut and he looks less intimidating. He is again wearing all black, but that doesn't matter cause it is just his color.

"Hi," he spoke softly.

"Hey... and you look as handsome as ever especially with that new haircut of yours," I said with a smile. It's funny how I cannot stop smiling around him. It's something way out of usual for me to give genuine smiles.

He blushed deeper as he said a small "thank you."

"Hope you don't mind, but I called a friend of mine over too as we'll be needing her help," I said. He shook his head.

"I don't mind at all, I'm glad you called me to help you as well," he replied.

"Shall we get going then?" I asked and he nodded.

We reached inside the café and I saw Micah sitting there. I walked up to her, Twilight following me closely behind.

"Yo!" I said. She glared at me.

"I have been waiting for you forever... and Oh my! Who is this sexy man?!" Micah asked as she almost drooled over Twilight. Making the man uncomfortable as he shifted more behind me, not that I was anywhere tall to cover him up or anything. But I can always use another method.

"Hey, Micah," I said sweetly making the woman look at me. "Back off."

I tilted my head and gave her my calmest scariest smile. She knows what that means as she gulped in fear.

"Oh... sorry," she said, more like whispered. I turned to look at Twilight.

"Twilight, this is Micah Hall," I said. "And Micah, this is Twilight Harris."

"Nice to meet you, Twilight," Micah said stretching her hand out for Twilight to shake it. "Sorry to make you uncomfortable earlier."

"That's okay and nice to meet you too," Twilight said with a smile as he gladly took Micah's hand.

"I got our ordered food. It's your treat, Doe," Micah said. I raised my hands in surrender.

"I know... I know~" I said. Micah likes calling me 'Doe', she says because I have doe eyes, the name suits me.

"Woah! That's a lot of food," Twilight said eyeing the food.

"The cheesecakes and vanilla latte are all yours," I told him.

"Okay, but first I'll go and pay for the food," he said as he proceeds to walk towards the counter.

"Bunny no! I'll pay," I said.

"No one can do that! Yesterday you told me next time we meet, I can pay," Twilight argued. I rolled my eyes.

"Only if it was just two of us," I reasoned. But I know he wasn't going to listen.

"Then you should have specified that... now you can't stop me from paying," he leaned in. "What would you like to eat, kitten? I saw your hot chocolate isn't there, so want me to get you one? And along with that how about a pastry? Since I think you have a sweet tooth."

He was too close, and the nickname he just gave me. My heart felt warm, this man is too good. His beautiful gunmetal eyes and his minty breath mixed up with his pleasant cologne scent mixed up. My cheeks felt warm, it's not an everyday thing that someone can make me blush.

"I... me... I mean..." I stuttered cause of his closeness. I could see him smirk, he was doing this on purpose.

"Ah! I get it now! You got me there, bunny. And also... kitten? That's the best nickname you can come up with?" I asked raising an eyebrow as I got my confidence back. He straightened up and chuckled.

"It suits you," he said. I hummed.

"I'll go and pay now," he said as he ran away immediately before I could stop him again. I turned back to look at Micah who was staring at me in amusement. Ah! I forgot she is here too.

"I can feel your bubbling love for each other~" she teased.

"Shut up!" I smacked her.

"He seems like a nice guy though. But, he's Harris, right? Is he related to your soulmate?" Micah asked. We both took a seat as Micah started to munch on her food.

"Yeah... call it destiny or coincidence but they are half-siblings. Vinter and Twilight," I said. She stared at me with a mouth full of food and wide eyes.

"Heard Vinter is dating Nina. Is it true?" She asked.

"Yeah... it is," I sighed.

How does Micah know about Nina? Funny story, but I met Micah when I was in the juvenile center. We shared the same room. She was in the juvenile center because she used to sell illegal drugs, while I was there because of the false accusation framed against me. Despite the illegal work Micah did, she is still a far better person than the people I call my family. She believed that I was innocent without any proof.

"Why don't you get your revenge on her, Doe?" She asked. "Ask the seven..."

"Micah! No! Not them! I promised them that I won't take their help unless it's an absolute need," I said. She thinks those seven guys would help me in something as petty as revenge, knowing their leader well. He would never agree to this.

"Fine, keep being stubborn and what about this new sexy fella Twilight? Is he part of your revenge plan to get Vinter back or something?" She asked.

"No! I like Twilight," I said. Before she could ask anything, further Twilight came back.

"Here's your hot chocolate," he said placing the cup in front of me on the table.

"Thank you, bunny," I thanked him.

"I didn't know what pastry you liked, so I got you a red velvet pastry. Hope that's okay with you," he said.

"I would love to eat anything you buy for me, bunny. So, don't worry about it," I said. He took a seat and took a sip of his vanilla latte.

"So, what is it that you wanted to talk about Doe?" Micah asked.

"Yeah right, about that..." I paused. "I need to tell Twilight something before that."

"I know what you want to tell me," he said. I tilted my head in confusion.

"Vinter told me about what happened between you and Nina," he said.

"Oh... then why are you here? Don't you hate me?" I asked.

"I don't trust Nina, kitten. So, you can tell me your side of the story... I would trust my brother's soulmate. Because trusting you is like trusting Vinter," he said. Micah gasped.

"He's a literal angel, Doe! Marry this man!" She exclaimed making Twilight blush. I internally facepalmed myself.

"Fine, Twilight. It might sound completely ridiculous. But, here goes nothing," I said.

And just like that, I told Twilight about what happened. How Nina framed me to how her boyfriend died in an accident. Twilight's face showed many emotions and one of them was anger.

"So, that is what happened. She lied to Vinter about almost everything," Twilight said. That was expected.

"Help me, Dove," Twilight said.

"In what?"

"Nina is bad for Vinter. I want her out of his life. Please, he won't listen to me. But, you two share the same soul, he got to listen to you," he said.

"About that... the reason why I called you two here, is because..." I took a deep breath. "I want to break my soulmate bond with Vinter and for that, I will be needing your mother's help, Micah."

They went silent for a moment and then exclaimed a very loud "what?!"

Was I expecting this reaction?

Absolutely!

Do I fear such a reaction?

Again. Absolutely!

A 'what' is neither a 'yes' nor a 'no'. So, I cannot predict if they will help me or not. And when I cannot predict something, it makes me anxious in a worse way.