Free The Accidental Family by Rowan Coleman

Artemis was clearly not in the mood. So Sophie sat near her and missed her because she loved her cat even if she knew her cat could mostly take her or leave her.
    The girls had gone upstairs to draw some designs for Sophie’s wedding dress, dragging poor old Tango with them just in case they needed a mannequin to model dresses on, and Sophie was glad of a few moments’ peace even though she wasn’t sure about being considered the same body type as a blatantly tubby ginger tom.
    “I’m glad you’re happy here without me,” she told Artemis, who tucked her two gray paws neatly beneath her and blinked in response. “I mean, I wouldn’t want you to miss me, or pine for me,or go off your food just because I gave you a home when no one else wanted a psychotic, antisocial cat and we shared a flat for years and years. I’m glad you’re emotionally independent.”
    Artemis regarded her with a long, flat stare that Sophie was reasonably sure said “If you haven’t got any food with you, you might as well leave.”
    “What do you think about this Wendy woman then?” Sophie asked Artemis. “She fluttered all over Louis today, acting all weird and mysterious, and she was acting that way, I didn’t imagine it. And he …he gave her this funny little look. This wistful look, what was that all about? Who was she to him? I have no idea. That’s the trouble. I haven’t got a clue. I mean, what do I really know about him or his life before he met Carrie? He never talks about it.”
    “About what?” Louis said as he came in carefully carrying two mugs of hot tea. “And why are you talking to that cat?”
    “She understands every word,” Sophie protested weakly.
    “Yes, but she doesn’t give a toss. If you want to talk to a dumb animal, you should try me. I hang on your every word.” He sat on the carpet and leaned his back against the sofa, his shoulder brushing Sophie’s knee. The glow of the fire tinted his complexion a ruddy orange as he passed her her drink.
    “Okay then,” Sophie said, taking a sip of her tea. “I asked Artemis, what do I know about you? I mean, I know that you’re lovely and an excellent kisser and fabulous in bed or on the sofa or whatever and that I love you, but what do I know about you? I know hardly anything about your family—”
    “Because I don’t really have one,” Louis said, exchanging glances with Artemis.
    “Or your past. I mean that Wendy from today, who was she?”
    Louis sipped his tea. “I told you. A girl I used to know at school.”
    “You were more than just friends she said while ignoring me,” Sophie added rather pointedly.
    “Oh god, I was sixteen, she was fifteen—it was that time when you’re going out with one girl at morning registration and she’s chucked you by afternoon break. Technically I was ‘more than just friends’ with half my class. The female half.”
    Louis laughed, but Sophie did not.
    “Come on, Soph,” Louis said, setting his tea down on the coffee table and kneeling to face her. “It’s just someone I used to know, it’s no big deal. I want to kiss you, I haven’t kissed you in at least two hours; I’m going through withdrawal.”
    One hand slid up her thigh as he took her drink from her and moved in to kiss her.
    “No …Louis, wait,” Sophie said. Louis waited, looking mildly surprised.
    “What, you don’t want the cat watching? I have to admit, she’s putting me off a bit too,” Louis said, glancing over his shoulder at Artemis who, if she’d had lips, would have been pursing them in matronly disapproval.
    “No, listen.” Sophie put her palms on either side of his cheeks and made him look at her. “You and I are engaged. To be married and stuff.”
    “Yes.” Louis smiled. “It’s great, isn’t it? Especially the stuff bit.”
    “Yes, it’s lovely, but I don’t know anything about you. Your life before you met Carrie is a complete mystery to me. And I want to know, I want to know all about you, every little