“Did you at least have a good date? Was it as good as you’d thought it would have been? How was Luke, was he angry that you fell asleep?”
Again, she’s firing the questions at me; you’d think she’d take a breath once in a while.
“No, he wasn’t angry; in fact, he carried me in from the limo and put me to bed. He’s so sweet and caring, he made me feel like a princess last night, and I can say with hand on heart that I had the best date ever and it was so much better than I thought.” I think last night made me fall in love with Luke even more than I already had.
“He sounds like your prince charming.” She says with a smile, and I can’t help but return it.
“Did you leave him in bed?” Now she’s just being cheeky.
“No, I didn’t. You woke both of us, and he was going to his dad’s house when I was leaving. It's Sophia’s wedding in two weeks, so they’re getting the last details sorted out. So how did last night go? Did you stay long?” I ask as she hasn’t said a single word about how her night went.
I watch as her eyes sparkle and her mouth curves into a smile, and I know that she had a good night. “I stayed the whole night, it was really good.” She’s being evasive.
“You can’t do that, you’ve been digging for information on how my night went when you're sitting here with something to tell me, so spill it,” I tell her, I want every detail from her.
She rolls her eyes at me but tells me anyway. “Dinner with Claire was good, it was great to just relax and just talk to someone that doesn’t know what you’re actually thinking and feeling like you do. Then we went to Pulse, and I was planning on only staying an hour then leaving, but I got talking to this guy, we spent the entire time in the club dancing and talking.” Her eyes are twinkling as she speaks about this guy.
“Anyway, after we left the club we went back to his house.” She sounds upset, and I’m pretty sure I know why, she always said that she’d never have a one-night stand, that she’d never want that.
“I left this morning and he said goodbye, but I don’t know if I’ll hear from him again. I really liked him, Moy.” She sounds defeated that him not calling her is inevitable.
“You never know, he may call. He might wait as he doesn’t want to come across too eager.” I’m trying to be the optimistic one for a change.
She’s not buying it, she just glares at me. “Yeah, and pigs can really fly. What’s done is done, and there is no changing it. However much I hate that he won’t call, I can’t really be upset as I had a fantastic night.” I watch as a flush creeps upon her face, and I know that she must have had a really good night.
“What are you doing tonight?” She wants to forget about the guy from last night, so she wants ice-cream and wine.
“I’m not sure, let me text Luke to see if he has anything planned for us, although I doubt it as it sounded as though the wedding preparations are going to take ages.” She nods, and I see hope flash through her eyes,
I take my cell out of my jeans pocket to text Luke. “I’m not sure I’ll get a reply straight away, he may be busy.” It’s hard to see what I’m texting because of the cracked screen. I’m going to have to get a new one.
Me: Hey Babe, do we have plans for tonight?
Luke: Dinner tonight, why?
Me: Sabine needs cheering up.
My phone rings in my hand and sees Luke’s calling me, I turn my attention back to Sabine who’s engrossed in her cell with a smirk on her face.
“Sabine, I’ll just be outside, Luke’s calling me. Won’t be too long.” I tell her as I stand and pick up my jacket from the back of my chair.
“Go, I’ll pay up and meet you outside.” Her mood has changed, she’s happy, and I hope that it’s the guy from last night that she is talking to on her cell.
I walk outside and have to call Luke back, he answers on the first ring. “Hey, you okay?” I ask him as soon as he answers.
“Yeah, I’m calling because Dad was wondering if you wanted to come to dinner tonight?” He asks as if it’s a normal everyday question. I’m, however, trying to remember how to breathe. His dad wants me to come to dinner.
“Hello? Morgan are you there?”
I swallow hard and try and talk normally. “Yeah, I’m here.”
He doesn’t buy it, “What’s wrong? Is it because I asked you to come to dinner?”
I decided that honesty is the best policy. “Yes” It’s a feeble attempt at speaking as it comes out as a squeak.
I hear Luke laughing, and I don’t know what is so funny. “Morgan, you have met my whole family already, they’ll all be there tonight. Why are you acting weird?”
“I’ve met them all before, but that was in a professional capacity.” I’m actually shaking just thinking about it.
“Also, the first and last time I saw them, they were angry,” I tell him remembering the day that Winter was kidnapped.
“They weren’t angry at you. My dad likes you and Scott loves you already. So, will you come?” I don’t get why he doesn't think this is a big deal? Meeting the family is something that couples do when they are serious. I know we are serious and all but it’s a big step.
“Morgan, it's fine, don’t worry about it. We can do it another day.” He sounds so disappointed saying it.
It makes me feel bad, this is what I wanted from him a commitment, and when I get it, I get scared.
“No, it’s fine, what time are you thinking for dinner?”
“About eight.” He instantly replies, and it’s got a bite to it. He’s pissed, and I don’t blame him.
“Um, what about Sabine?” I don’t want him to think I don’t want to go but Sabine needs me, and she’s always there for me when I need her.
“Yeah babe, she can come too, that’s what I was calling about.” I hear his name being called, and I hear talking but can’t really make anything out.
“Hey, so there’s been a change. When Soph found out that you were coming to dinner, she has basically invited everyone.”
What?
“Who is everyone exactly?” I feel like a circus freak or something. I really hope that Sabine will come, get a little of the pressure off me. Sabine comes out of the restaurant with a huge smile on her face and stands beside me.
“Well, there will be Dad, Scott, Soph, Nathan, me and you. Then Soph invited Winter and Sam as well as Skye and Hailey, then the guys found out, and they’re all coming, except Oscar, who’s busy.” He rhymes off as if having that many people there is normal.
“They all want to meet you.”
“Okay, we’ll be there.” Sabine raises her eyebrow in question, and I quieten her with a wave of my hand.
“Are you coming home or staying there?”
“I’ll be home soon, I’m already on my way. Do you need me to collect you?” He asks, and I hope that he’s using hands-free or is pulled over while on the call.
“No, it’s fine, I’ll see you at home okay?” I tell him as I start walking to the subway. Sabine is walking beside me still with a smile on her face.
“Yeah baby, I’ll see you at home. Love you.” With that, he hangs up, and I can’t help the smile that comes onto my face.
“What was that about? Where will we be?” Sabine asks being nosey.
“We’ve been invited to dinner at Luke’s dad’s house, and I’ve told him that we’re going,” I inform her, she doesn’t have a choice, I’m making her come with me.
She shrugs her shoulders, “Okay, I don’t mind, there will be free food, and I get to watch you squirm when you ‘officially’ meet the dad as a prospective daughter-in-law. So why do you look as though all your Christmases have come at once?”
I give her a playful shove and watch as she giggles. “Luke told me that he loves me before he hung up.”
“I thought he told you that already?” She asks as she shoves me back.
“He has, he told me on the night we got back together but not since. He said to Alex he loved me but other than the first n
ight he hasn’t told me he loves me. So why do you have a smile on your face?” We must look like the two happiest people in New York right now.
“The guy from last night got in contact.” She’s practically skipping as she tells me.
“He said that he was busy this morning, that a friend of his needed his help. We’re meeting tomorrow.”
“I knew he would contact you.” I’m lying, and Sabine knows damn well that I am as she is shaking her head while laughing.
“Come on, you haven’t said much about him. Hell, I don’t even know his name.”
She glances at me then to the floor, “He’s younger than me, hell of a lot younger than me.”
“Okay, and what exactly does that have to do with anything?” I don’t understand why it would matter how old he is.
“We’re thirty –two, and he’s twenty-five.” She says quietly like she should be ashamed.
“Like I said, what exactly does his age have to do with anything?” He’s only seven years younger than her, when she said that he was younger, I thought he’d be at least ten years younger than her.
“You sound just like him,” She huffs at me, and I stick my tongue out at her.
“I suppose you’re right, age is nothing but a number, and he’s really nice and so cute.”
“Good, now what’s his name?” It’s like trying to get blood from a stone with her.
“His name is Dwayne, and he’s a computer analyst or something, I can’t remember. He’s got blonde hair and blue eyes, he’s a bit preppy looking if that makes any sort of sense at all.” She’s gushing about him, she looks happy.
“It makes perfect sense, you sound and look happy. I’m so glad, I thought that maybe you were getting depressed being away from Detroit? Especially after things ended with Liam.”
I was getting worried lately, as some days she would only leave her house when she had to work or go to the store, we’d only talk every couple of days instead of multiple times a day.
“I wasn’t depressed; I think I was in some sort of funk. Going out last night and doing something fun and different helped. I don’t know, it was like I was in a rut.”
I feel bad, as I was so wrapped up in my own world that I completely let my friend get that bad, I should have done something. I should have helped her. She has no problem dropping everything and coming to my rescue time and time again. The time she needs me, I don’t help instead she’s the one who helps me.
“I’m sorry! I should have realized things had gotten that bad.”
“It’s not your fault. Look, this funk I was in happened since we left Detroit and to be honest, nothing anyone could have said would have made me get out of it. I wasn’t in the right frame of mind to get out of it until recently, and you did help, you’ve been helping since we got here. You're my constant, and I know that if you weren’t, I would have been depressed. Please don’t think that you weren’t there for me because you were there anytime I needed to talk or just get out of the house.”
I think back to the times she came to my house, and we just chilled and watched TV. Or movies, and realize that she got brighter the longer she was in the house.
“Still, you wouldn’t be here if it weren’t for me.”
She shakes her head vehemently. “No, I was lucky enough that you were moving here too. I had decided a long time ago that I needed to leave Detroit; you know that I needed space from Mom and definitely needed the distance away from Liam. I was applying all over the country for jobs, and I received three offers one was here in New York, and you helped me make up my mind.”
I knew she was struggling with her mom being so controlling and wanting her to settle down and give her grandchildren. She was telling her that she was running out of time and her biological clock was ticking. Liam, well he was just a fucker who didn’t know how to keep his dick in his pants.
“New York was definitely a right move for me, and I always thought that you would stay for a while and move back home. Now I know that you are here for you. I’m ecstatic Sim.”
“Wow, how come I wasn’t invited to this powwow?” A voice from behind us says.
“If you’re going to have a meeting with Luke’s exes then I definitely should have been invited. You’re just trying to keep him away from me. That isn’t going to happen.”
“Um, excuse you?” Sabine says full of attitude as she swings around. I don’t have to turn around to know that it’s Alex that’s behind us.
“Who the hell are you?” Before Alex can even answer, Sabine turns to me.
“Let me guess, this is the crazy ex?”
I bite my lip in a bid to stop the smile that’s trying to come through. “Yeah, this is Alex, Luke’s ex.”
“Who the hell are you calling crazy?” Alex shouts, and that just gives Sabine all the information she needs to know that she can get into her head.
“I’m not the crazy one, she is. She thinks she can steal my man from underneath my nose and get away with it. Nope, not going to happen. Luke is mine, and I’m not letting him go. You’re all out to get me, I know you are. You want to destroy me, I won’t let it happen.” Alex says, and I really do think she needs some professional help.
“Listen, Alex. No-one stole Luke from you, and I sure as hell didn’t. He’s so not my type. Now if you don’t mind, we’ve somewhere to be.” Sabine says, and I know by her tone of her voice, that I’m not the only one that thinks she needs help.
“She did steal him. But don’t worry; she won’t be his for very much longer.” With that little piece of information, she leaves, pushing past us as she does.
“Moy! Be extremely careful. That woman has something planned, and it definitely isn’t something good. She has evil and malicious written all over her. She needs professional help; there is something wrong with that woman.”
“I know, I have the same feeling. I really hope that no-one gets hurt because that is what she may end up doing.” I’m going to have to let Luke know about this, I can see this escalating.
“Come on, we’ll get a cab. We’ve missed the subway anyway, and I really don’t want to wait around any longer to see if Alex comes back.” Sabine seems really shaken, and I don’t blame her. It’s because we both know that Alex isnt finished and won’t stop until she gets what she wants.
We hail a cab, and I let Sabine go in and receive a grateful smile, it's New York, there are cabs everywhere, and within thirty seconds I’m in one and on my way home.
***
It’s half six, and we’re on our way to Sabine’s to collect her and go to Luke’s dad’s house for dinner, I hadn't told him about meeting Alex as he had plans for me when he came home. I can’t complain as it was fun. But knowing Luke, he’s going to hit the roof, when I tell him. He’ll want to know why I didn’t tell him earlier.
I turn in my seat and face him, “Luke, I have something to tell you. I don’t want you to get mad that I didn’t tell you earlier.” He turns his head towards me quickly before turning his head back and focusing on the road.
“When I went for breakfast with Sabine, we bumped into Alex.”
He slams down on the breaks and pulls over. Before he can even say a word, his phone ringing fills the car. He answers through the Bluetooth and Scott’s voice comes through the speakers.
“Hey bro, any chance you can give me a lift to Dad’s? If not, I’ll call Soph and see if she can.”
Luke hasn’t said anything to me at this point, but he hasn’t stopped staring at me. “Yeah Scott that is fine, I’m ten minutes away from yours now, we’ve to get Morgan’s friend before we go to dad’s.” His voice is deep, angry even and I know that I’m in deep trouble for not saying anything.
“That’s cool. Gives me time to talk to Morgan.” Scott says jokingly.
It is the wrong thing to do it as Luke is like a bull in a china shop. “Bro now isn’t the time. You know what, you can help me talk sense into her when we get you. See you in ten.” Luke is cryptic before he hangs up, leaving
Scott probably wondering what the hell is going on.
Luke pulls away from the curb and starts driving again.
“Why Morgan, why didn’t you tell me? She’s unstable. I don’t want her anywhere near you.”
“Look, when I got home you distracted me, I’m sorry okay, and it completely slipped my mind. I’m telling you now when I’ve just remembered.” I genuinely did forget.
He slams his hand against the steering wheel, causing me to jump. “Damn it, Morgan.” He shouts at me.
“Don’t! Don’t you dare shout at me! I haven’t done anything wrong!” I’m shouting back at him.
“What the hell is your problem anyway?”
“My problem? My problem is that you saw Alex, who is extremely unstable.” He isn’t shouting anymore, but his tone is scathing. Ah, that’s his problem, that she could have hurt me.
“Um, yeah I was there! I know exactly how unstable she is. Anyway, it wasn’t as if I went looking for her. She found us.” I’m so angry right now, my hands are shaking, and my eyes are glossy. My angry tears are present, and I’m about to cry. I’m thankful that I decided against wearing makeup tonight.
“What did she say?” I don’t answer him; he’s being extremely rude for no apparent reason.
“Morgan, I asked you a question. What did she say to you?” His tone is still scathing, and I don’t answer him. I know that he really isn’t angry at me, he’s angry that Alex got that close to me, but there’s no need to talk to me the way he is.
We reach Luke and Scott’s apartment, and Scott is waiting outside for us. Scott gets in, and Luke doesn't waste any time in filling him in.
“Alex ‘bumped’ into Morgan this morning.”
Scott is instantly on edge, “What, how the hell did that happen? It sure as fuck isn’t a coincidence, New York is over three hundred square miles. No way am I buying that. So, what did the bitch say this time?”
Great, so they have been talking about last night.
“I don’t know Morgan won’t tell me,” Luke says through clenched teeth, his hands are red from gripping the steering wheel so tightly.
“Morgan, please will you tell us what she said to you?” Scott asks gently.
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