25. morgan

I sit against a wall and dig my head into my legs, sobbing quietly. I flinch suddenly at a knock at the door.

"Morgan?" Matthews voice floods from the door and into the room.

"Go away! I never want to see you again." I yell, crying louder.

"She's just stunned. She will get over it."

"This was a terrible idea, starting something with you! I knew I shouldn't have ever kissed you."

A silence draws and I hear Matthew breathing loudly.

"Look all I'm trying to do is comfort you. You're the one who wanted me in the first place."

I rush to the door and open it. I'm so mad I could slap him across the face.

"Don't act like you never wanted me." I say, feeling my face turning red, but I don't care.

"Not everything's always my fault."

"You're right, the world doesn't revolve around you."

"It doesn't revolve around you either!" He snaps back.

"I hate you."

"Fuck you."

I slap him across the face. He looks at me in disbelief and walks away to his room, slamming the door. The tears rush back to my eyes and I call my mom.

"Hello? Morgan?" She says on the phone.

"Hi mom." I reply, my voice breaking.

"Woah is everything okay?"

I wipe my eyes and take a deep breath. "Can you come get me please?"

"Honey, you're only a few weeks into staying at the Graham's. What happened?"

"Hailey and I got into a huge fight and she doesn't want me here anymore." I break down into tears.

I stay on the phone with my mom for the next hour or so. She tells me that she can't come get me until tomorrow afternoon so I'll have to wait until then. I'll admit that it was annoying and I wish I could've left sooner, but I'm glad that she even understood that this was a big fight and I had to leave.

The first thought that came to my mind was I had to pack my stuff up. I was grabbing everything around the room that was mine and I stuffed it all in my suitcase.

I hadn't checked my phone in a while, so when I turned it on, I noticed I was removed from the lake house group chat. I didn't cry much over that, since it was kind of obvious that it was going to happen. I look in the mirror and fix my makeup, but my eyes are still red and my face is as puffy as a marshmallow.

I didn't see Hailey for the rest of the day. I assumed she was out with friends and I didn't bother texting her anymore than I already did.

"Kids dinner!" I hear Ms. Graham yell from downstairs. I face Matthew and turn away quickly, getting downstairs as fast as possible.

Dinner was awkward enough. Hailey didn't show up until we were all almost done eating. I didn't look up once until she showed up, but she refused to look at me.

"So Ms. Graham, what did you do today?" I clear my throat, trying to break the awkward silence.

"Oh, I went for a nice paddle board and then sat on the dock." She smiles, "And where were you, Hails?" She turns to the late dinner guest.

"I was just with Alexis. Ive noticed that she's a true friend lately and I only want to surround myself around those kinds of people."

That one stung. Nobody spoke for the rest of dinner. Hailey left again shortly after she finished eating and I helped Ms. Graham clean the kitchen.

"Um, I'm leaving tonight by the way." I mumble to her.

"Oh, sweetie, why?" She turns to me, concerned.

"I just um, I forgot I had to go to this thing for my brother."

"It's because of Hailey isn't it?" She says.

I've grown up with Ms. Graham. She's basically a second mother to me at this point. She knows everything about me and she definitely knows when somethings wrong.

"Yeah." I reply, staring at the pots and pans in the sink.

She brings me to the couch and asks for me to tell her everything. After many tears and hugs she gives me some advice.

"Not every friendship is going to be smooth. You cannot control your feelings, hon. It's just, weird for her, you know?" She says in a calm voice.

"Yeah, but what if we never talk again? I mean I'm leaving tomorrow anyways."

"I think you should stay. Look, this sounds like a very serious argument you two had, but she has no choice but to come around and talk to you."

"I lied to her though."

"And she hasn't lied to you? I love Hailey, she's my daughter. But she does have tendencies to act out at things that maybe aren't that big of a deal."

"I guess you have a point." I say, thinking.

"You have to stay the night anyways. I suggest you tell your mom to have you stay the whole day tomorrow. If she's still mad then I'll drive you home."

I hug her again and thank her for the advice. I go up to mine and Hailey's room and I text my mom. She agreed and let me stay.

I hear another knock on my door. I open it and It's the same person who I slapped hours ago.

"Hey." He says.

"Hi." I reply.

"Uh, I'm not doing anything tonight and I assume you aren't either, so do you want to like watch a movie?" He asks nervously.

"Not in your room."

"No, no. Like in the living room or something."

"Fine." Okay It didn't take much convincing from him, but it's true. I didn't have anything else to do tonight.

I sit on the couch and he searches through the pile of DVDs next to the television.

"The Breakfast Club?" He asks, holding up the box.

"Sure."

With that he shifts over to the DVD player and puts it in. He doesn't sit beside me but he isn't far away.

We watch in silence for the first thirty minutes until I the guilt in my body builds up and I basically puke up an apology.

"I'm sorry. For everything. And I'm really sorry for slapping you." I turn to him. He doesn't look back at me and keeps his eyes on the screen.

"It's all good. You were upset."

"No, but you were upset too. And you were supporting me and I didn't support you."

"It's over now."

"I don't ever want to be the reason you have that expression on your face again."

"Don't slap me again." He smiles, turning to me.

"Okay, I'm really sorry about that." I smile back.

"I know you are." He says, giving me a little shove.

We didn't talk to each other for the rest of the movie, but I felt half of the weight lift off of my chest. I've won one sibling over now I just need to win the other.

It's late when the movie is over, yet no sign of Hailey.

"If Hailey does come back, I think it would be better if I just slept on the couch." I say, pulling my blanket closer towards me.

"You sure? You can sleep in my room. I mean she already knows now." Matthew offers.

"Yeah, but, I think she would prefer it if I just stayed on the couch."

"Yeah that makes sense." He says, before saying goodnight and heading upstairs.

As I'm just starting to fall asleep, I wake back up to the sound of the door opening. Must be Hailey.

I shut my eyes closed when I hear her walk into the living room. I hear her stop when she sees me sleeping on the couch, and then continuing upstairs.

She must have ran into Matthew cause I could hear the two arguing quietly upstairs.

"Could you just not keep it in your pants?" She hisses.

"This is why I didn't want to tell you." Matthew replies.

"Well that's something you and your little secret lover could agree on."

"She wanted to tell you. I'm the reason we didn't."

"You two are a we now?"

"No, Hailey, listen to me. I made her lie. And you can bitch at me all you want but something you can't do is bother her. Because all she's done today is feel like shit for something you overreacted at."

"I overreacted? Put yourself in my shoes. I saw you guys undressing." I hear her gag at the thought of it.

"Is it really that big of a deal that she likes me and is it such a pain that I really like her back? You know everything I've been through with dad. Did you know she's the only one I ever opened up to about it?"

THREE YEARS AGO:

"Hey are you okay?" I asked when I came downstairs to see Matthew crying on the couch.

"Huh? Oh, yeah." He said, wiping his eyes.

Matthew and I had hung out a few times. For only short periods of time when Hailey was out. We sort of clicked though, like we could see each other mutually as like close friends.

"What's wrong." I reply, unconvinced.

"I just, I'm freaking out. My dad called my mom last night. I heard it all. He was probably drunk or something. He threatened to come here and beat me and Hailey, and then beat her if she didn't send him some money. I guess he's going into debt or something?" He says, his voice shaking uncontrollably.

"Matthew. That's completely out of your control. Your mom will keep you safe from him. I promise." I say, wiping the tear from his cheek.

"Thanks, but it's happened before."

"But that's when they were still together. They're split up now. And he doesn't know where you guys live now."

He hugs me and I hug back.

"Thank you Morgan." He says.

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- Author's note

I just wanted to start by thanking you all so much for 5k reads! I never expected to have this much support and it means everything to me!

I took a quick break from writing but I'm now really motivated to come back and finish up this book so I don't keep you guys waiting, and trust me there will be plenty of Morgan and Matthew so I don't keep you guys waiting!

Xoxo <3