Claude's POV

'Dominic...' I suddenly find myself saying when Raven and Nancy had left the car to look at a dress or something.

'Hmn?' He gave me his attention but still had his eyes focused towards the windshield.

'Am I...' I paused, not finding the right words to use, the settling for 'Am I a bad person?'

'Are you?' He replied sarcasticly with a chuckle.

'I'm serious!' I yelp suddenly and my voice shamefully sounds like a puppy being stepped on. The grip he had on his steering wheel loosened.

'What's this about, Claude?' He suddenly sighed, yet still didn't face me.

'I don't know,' I whisper 'Last night you said-'

'Listen, man,' He suddenly stops me 'Last night I said some pretty harsh things to you. And I regret it now,'

'But they're all true! I am a selfish prick... What you said is all true!'

He goes silent, knowing himself that what I was saying was right, even if he didn't want to directly admit it in case it hurt me.

Then he spoke 'Why don't you just tell her?'

'Tell her what?'

'You know...That you guys can go home.'

'I can't,' I say 'She'll hate me for keeping it from her for this long.'

'Maybe she'll understand why you did it-'

'What is she doesn't?!' My voice shakes 'What if she's like you, and all she sees is some sad, overpossessive selfish prick that won't leave her alone! She'll be disgusted! And she'll leave me...and she'll...she'll leave me! And I'll be all alone again! I don't... I don't want to be alone again!' I heave heavily, realising that my eyes were watering. I cover my mouth.

No no no.

I can't be crying. Not here. Not in front of Dominic of all people.

I sniff but it doesn't work; I'm still sort of whimpering and the water pouring from my eyes is far from stopping. All I can do is cover my face but obviously a hand over you eyes isn't gonna make you invisible. I hoped so badly that Dominic wouldn't turn around.

Dominic turned around.

'Claude!' He seemed startled 'Dude, are you okay?!' He undid his seatbelt and fully turned his attention to me, making me sob even more to the point where I looked like two year old throwing a tantrum.

'Claude.' He repeats, softer. I don't stop. I can't stop. I can't. 'Breath...' He says slowly, reaching his arm out towards me 'Claude, you just gotta breath...'

'N-no!' I flinch way from his outstretched arm.

'The girls can come back any moment now,' He reminds me 'You don't want Raven seeing you like this, do you?'

I shake my head, panting.

'Then you have to listen to me,' he continues 'You're not a bad person, Claude.'

'No...' I moan, my hands still over my mouth.

'Claude!' He snaps ' Are you still listening?' I didn't respond. 'You aren't a bad person. You know how I know that? I know because if you were a bad person, I wouldn't be helping you right now...'.

'I'm a monster and you fucking know it!!' I suddenly scream, my hands uncovering my face which was all red and wet and basically just one big mess.

He doesn't answer me. Or responds with anything that related to my question 'Clean up,' He simply told me, handing the tissue box that he kept on the dashboard of the car 'Raven and Nancy are gonna be back in any minute.' I quickly wipe my nose with the sleeve of my hoodie and accept the tissue box he hands me.

Raven's POV

'What about Claude?' She stops, looking at me with her head tilted.

'Well...' I sigh 'I guess he has been a big part of my life, the luckiest part I'd say.' I run the back of my neck 'Yeah, but it just all seems too good to be true...'

'You shouldn't take him for granted, Raven,' She says, returning the free to the guy, Roy, and continuing ' Claude really does care about you.'

'I know...' I sigh then repeat 'I know. Wow, how selfish an I?!' Nancy gives me a blank expression almost out of confusion but mostly out of surprise 'I can't believe I forgot about him like that. You're right, Nancy, my life doesn't have to be perfect! It's as perfect as it can get and I'm happy! I'm really, really happy...'

Nancy chuckled as we leave the boutique and go walk back to the car. I really am happy. For the first time in almost a month, I've realised how much I've learnt about both myself and everyone around me, I've met so many people both good and bad and most importantly, I feel the most happiest I've felt in a long long time. All because of Claude.

I get back in the car, buckling my seatbelt.

'Burger King before we drop you two home?' Nancy suggested. I nodded, before turning my head to Claude for his approval.

'Y-yeah sure,' he replied, his voice sounding really hoarse for some reason. I glance at him in a concerned way and he responds with a smile. I don't know if it's genuine or not but i reallu don't want to bother him about
it.

Nancy and Dominic had started to talk among themselves as if we weren't even there and all me could really do wass stay quiet and listen to what they were saying.

'So after we drop these two I'm gonna call to see if we still have that venue book just in case,' Nancy told her fiance as he drove.

'Okay then. I still have to buy some paint for the fence though.'

'Really? I kind of like it that beige colour,'

'Honey, please,' Dominic roller his eyes 'That shade of cream is disgusting. It makes our lawn look dead and it wouldn't even match with the flowerbed!'

'Then what colour do you want to paint the fence?'

'Blue,' He simply said, a single hand around the steering wheel.

'Blue? Blue won't go with the Magnolias!' Nancy complained.

'Babe, I thought we agreed on planting Irises there.'

'Irises. Are. Not. In. SEASON!!!'

As much as I'd love to here Dominic and Nancy's facinating gardening discussion, I was getting bored and staring out the windo as the car drive on wasn't enough to satisfy me.

When Dominic finally parked the car in a lot beside a Burger King, I became to nervous to leave. 'You think any of them could recognise us?'

'It'll be fine!' Dominic dismisses my concern 'People here's just kind their own business.'

Claude and I say at a table while Dominic was ordering and Nancy had gone to the restroom to wash her face or something.

'So did you see the wedding dress then?' Claude suddenly said out of the Blue, his head rested on a hand and his gaze sort of lazy like he was tired.

'Yeah,' I reply excitedly 'It looks so pretty! Like seriously, you should see the skirt. There's this ribbon tied to the waist and it adorable!'

'Hmn.' He smiled. He doesn't even say anything, just that noise you make when you breath out of your nose.

'Listen,' I frowned at him 'I don't undestand why you're getting all these moodswings all of a sudden. And you aren't even telling me why! Honestly, Claude if you dont tell me what's wrong then I'll start thinking that it's me that's the problem.'

He shifts arms, titlting his head and chuckles softly before replying 'You know, I've always envied you, Simmons,'

'What does that mean?' I smirk, rolling my eyes.

'The way you are with people,' He says 'That charming smile- You can talk to literally anyone about anything and they'll still listen.'

'It's a gift,' I add, laughing.

'It truly is, Simmons.'

He places his hand gently over mine and slowly leans towards me and I don't know whether he's doing it to kiss me or whisper something in my ear. It's that kind of lean. But nonetheless, I lean towards him even if I'm not certain what he was going to do. But I was certain that I wanted to kiss him.

'Guys, I got the burge-- oh...' Dominic suddenly interrupted and froze awkwardly afterwards, causing us both to repel away from each other. 'Sorry for stopping the train to smoochville guys, but I did get the burgers,' He say down opposite is as if he hasn't interrupted anything. 'Speaking of smoochville, where is my lovely wife-to-be?'

'She's in the restroom,' Claude murmured, fidgetting with a fry.

'I'll go check on her,' I said, getting up from my seat 'And both of you-' I pointed at the two '-DO NOT touch my burger!'

They both nodded as I headed to the toilets.

(A/N So I may or may not be updating heaps of chapters this half term so stay alert but at the same time don't because I'm horrible when it comes to deadlines and scheduled updates)