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“I heard you,” Maggie tells her quietly, and Morgan looks at me before looking at her sister again, shaking her head.
“He’s a… You have no idea the kinds of stories I’ve heard about him,” Morgan tells her, and I feel myself still.
“You’re a druggie, Morgan,” Maggie whispers, and Morgan pales then whispers back, “That’s not fair.”
“It’s not? And why’s that?” Maggie asks, taking a step toward me, reaching back and placing her hand in mine.
“I’m going to get help,” she says, dropping her hands to her sides, standing taller as her hands form fist.
“So you’re going to change?” Maggie asks, studying her.
“Yes,” she states vehemently, and I see it then in her eyes, the will to get clean, the reason Maggie’s put herself on the line time and time again to help her.
“That’s good, Morgan.” Maggie nods taking another step back toward me. “But I hope you remember this moment. I hope that one day, when someone is judging your character by your past, you remember this moment,” she whispers, turning to face me, missing Morgan’s flinch as she does.
Placing her hands against my abs, her head tilts back, and I rest my hand around the side of her neck and dip my face closer to her. “Mom made breakfast, and she made a lot of it. Come eat.”
“Is it tofu?” I ask with a fake grimace.
Smiling, her hands move up my chest and she answers with a quiet, “Yep.”
“Great,” I lie, leaning in, placing a kiss on her forehead, and then standing, and my eyes meet Morgan’s, who is looking between the two of us with an almost startled look on her face before ducking out of the room without another word.
“I’m sorry about that,” Maggie says, bringing my attention back to her.
“Don’t be. She was coming from a place of concern for you.”
“Yeah, well, I’m still peeved at her for doing that,” she grumbles.
“Peeved, huh?” I ask with a smile, and she smacks my chest, rolling her eyes. Kissing her forehead once more, I grab my shoes and take a seat on the side of the bed, putting both on before letting her lead me downstairs to the kitchen, where her mom has made a breakfast for fifty instead of five, and it’s all piled in the middle of a small round table. Taking a seat next to Maggie, I lean over and whisper, “Where’s the tofu?” making her laugh and lean into my side.
“What’s funny?” her dad asks, placing a stack of what looks like whole wheat pancakes on his plate.
“Sven isn’t a fan of tofu,” Maggie tells him, smiling.
“Really?” he asks, looking at me.
“It’s not one of my favorite things to eat,” I tell him, giving Maggie’s inner thigh a squeeze, and her legs trap my hand.
“I miss bacon,” he admits, and Maggie’s mom glares at him. “What? It’s true,” he grumbles.
“I didn’t even know you’ve tried bacon,” Maggie says quietly, looking at him like she’s never seen him before.
“I wasn’t always a vegetarian. Neither was your mom.”
“Really?” Morgan asks as she takes a seat between her parents on a chair that doesn’t match the rest around the table.
“Really,” their mom answers, kissing Morgan’s cheek.
“Did you sleep okay, Sven?” Maisy asks as Maggie piles pancakes and fruit on my plate.
“Slept great. It’s so quiet here.”
“Yeah, one of my favorite things about living out here is the silence,” Monroe says, and then his eyes move between his girls at the table. “But I do miss the house being noisy, like when you girls were home.”
Looking across the table, I see Maisy’s eyes fill with tears then look at Morgan, and notice hers are the same. I feel Maggie’s hand move to mine on her lap and squeeze.
“I miss you, too, Dad. I miss you and Mom both,” Maggie whispers, and her dad reaches over, giving her shoulder a soft squeeze, then his eyes move to me.
“Promise you’ll bring my girl around more?”
“I’ll do that,” I agree softly, and Maggie’s hand spasms in mine. I’m not sure what happened with them, but I can see they all want to be a family; they just got off track at some point.
“Next time you come, I’ll teach you guys some of the Kama Sutra,” Maisy says happily, and my head swings her way. I’m not someone who gets surprised easily, but that comment definitely threw me.
“Mom!” Maggie cries turning red.
“What, MoonPie? A healthy sexual relationship is good for the soul,” Maisy says seriously, and Maggie’s face turns a darker shade of crimson before she covers it with her hands.
Hearing Monroe laugh, I look at him as he mutters, “Welcome to the family,”
Jesus.
Thankfully, the rest of breakfast is somewhat normal, with Maggie and Morgan catching up with their parents. When we’re finished eating, we have a little over two hours to get Morgan to the facility for check-in at twelve, leaving us just enough time to stop on the way there to pick her up some clothes and necessities before getting back on the road.
When we arrive at Guiding Light, the rehab facility, I’m surprised to find a beautiful three-story, adobe-style home, instead of a stale hospital. The house is set on the side of a rocky cliff, with open balconies off all three floors in the back of the house. The landscape is open and done in a way that reminds me of a spa or retreat.
Looking around, I don’t doubt this place costs some serious dough, and I know there is no way in hell Morgan can afford something like this, and I don’t think Magg
ie’s parents can either, meaning this is all coming out of Maggie’s pocket, showing just how much faith she has in her sister’s recovery.
“I’m gonna help Morgan get checked in. Do you want to come?” Maggie asks softly from my side as I put the SUV in park. Turning, I look over at her and shake my head. Morgan doesn’t need me in there; she needs her family.
“No, baby, I’ve got my cell on me. Call if you need me,” I tell her gently, giving her hand a squeeze.
“I won’t be long.” She leans over, kissing my cheek, then opens her door and gets out, followed by her mom, dad, and Morgan from the backseat.
“Morgan,” I call before she shuts the door. Her eyes come to me, but I can tell she’s still got her guard up.
“You got this,” I tell her, and her eyes go soft and she chews on the inside of her cheek before nodding and slamming the door closed.
An hour later, I spot Maggie and her parents pushing through the door, and I get out of the SUV and lean back against it, noticing each of them have varying looks of sadness and hope etched into their features. I know this isn’t going to be easy for Morgan, but this is also going to take a toll on their family. Watching Maggie, she takes her mom’s hand and says something to her dad, who nods before Maggie leads her mom to one of the benches along the path that leads to the front door.
“Everything okay?” I ask Monroe when he’s within earshot.
“It will be. The place is nice, and the doctors inside seem to know what they’re talking about.”
“That’s good,” I say quietly then look back toward Maggie and her mom, who are now hugging.
“She loves you.” Titling my head toward him, I feel my throat get tight. No matter how many times Maggie says those words to me, I don’t feel worthy of them, and don’t know if I ever will.
“I know,” I agree after a moment.
“Are you gonna marry her?”
“Definitely.”
“I want to walk her down the aisle, so don’t go dragging her to some chapel on the strip.”
“I’ll try not to, but I’m not making any promises,” I mutter honestly, and his eyes crinkle.
“I just gave you an idea, didn’t I?” he asks, and I laugh, ‘cause fuck yes, he did.
