15. morgan

When we got to the lake house. I grabbed my bags and headed inside. I insisted I helped Ms. Graham with her bags but she told me she had it. I went into Hailey's room. She has a pullout bed underneath her bed. I put the sheets on and started unpacking my clothes into the drawers.

"Hey, Morgan, you know you can tell me anything right?" Hailey asked me.

"Yeah for sure" I replied.

"Okay good." She returns to her suitcase and opens it.

"Wait, why? You know I tell you everything." I say.

"Oh nothing. You just seem off recently."

Most people would find that offensive, but I didn't. Partially since I felt guilty because I have been off recently. I have been keeping something from her. I just don't know how to tell her yet.

I look at her, before our silence is interrupted by the sound of footsteps and the door opening. Matthew is in his swimsuit, his abs defined in the light.

"Hey, Hailey. Are you ready?" He asks.

"Oh, shit. No. Hold on." She rummages through her suitcase and pulls out a pink bikini.

"Are you coming, Morgan?" He asks me.

I look over at him and his eyes are basically begging for me to go with them. I think about it for a second and decide to go. I'm here for Hailey anyways, not Matthew.

"Okay." I reply.

I open the drawers I just closed and pick out a blue halter bikini top with matching bottoms. He closes the door for us to get changed. When we get out we speed walk to the dock. We drop our towels.

"Okay, 3, 2.." Matthew says, before Hailey pushes him in.

We both jump in once he comes up for air. Once we wipe the water away from our eyes, he's back up to jump in again. We get up.

"After you." Matthew says to his sister.

Before he has the chance to push her in the water. I catch him off guard and push him into the lake.

"Good one, Morgan." Hailey says, flipping off her brother.

Matthew looks at me and I feel bad before he starts to smile. I don't want him to smile at me in front of her. I don't want him to smile at me if he just wants me to be there whenever he wants me to be.

He gets up and runs into me, pushing us both into the water. He grabs onto my hips and pulls me up with him. When we open our eyes, we are right in front of each other's faces.

"Deja vu?" He asks me.

I push away from him and swim back to the dock. Hailey looks at me funny and I roll my eyes at her. She giggles and we hold hands before jumping into the lake again. We swim around for a while before Ms. Graham calls us up to the lake house for dinner. I grab my towel and wrap it around my body. Hailey runs up since she's starving. I decide to walk since I'm a little tired.

"Hey, wait up!" I hear him behind me.

I turn around and see him running up to me. I face the lake house again and continue to walk.

"Are you mad at me?" He asks, catching up.

"No. Why do you think that?" I reply.

"I don't know. Ever since our conversation you've been acting off."

"Why does everyone think I'm acting off? I'm just being me. If you don't like that I don't know what to tell you."

There's a short silence. I look over at him to see him already staring into my eyes, observing my thoughts.

"I'm here when you're ready." He says.

I look at him, getting annoyed.

"Do you really think you're the one waiting for me?" I ask, "I've been the one waiting. I've been waiting for you since I was a kid. When we finally start things you're not even emotionally available." I cry out.

"I am emotionally available. I never said I wasn't. I just don't think you understand that we can just be boyfriend and girlfriend." He replies firmly.

"Why. Why's that Matthew."

"Because of Hailey. Because I'm leaving for college in the fall. Because I asked for us to take things slow."

I stare at him, his serious look on his face. We're having a stare down before I storm away from him. I don't look back and he doesn't try to follow me.

I get into the lake house and go upstairs. I grab a pair of grey sweat shorts and a black tank top. I dry my hair off and head downstairs as fast as I could. I see my best friend setting the table and I help her. Ms. Graham is putting the food on plates and looks around.

"Hey, Morgan. Where's Matt?" She asks.

"Down by the dock I'm guessing." I reply.

"Okay sweetie could you please tell him dinner is right now."

I open the door and head back down to the dock, but he's not there.

"Hailey is that you?" I hear someone yell from above me. I look up and see a guy who doesn't look too much older than me.

"No, it's her friend." I reply.

"Ohh shit, is that her?" He asks someone behind him, pointing at me. There's voices in the distance and he calls me to walk over to their lake house. I head into the Graham's lake house and tell them what's going on.

"Oh, Matt must be there. Could you get him please?" Ms. Graham asks me.

"For sure." I reply.

I walk over to the guy's lake house and knock on the door. He opens it and I get a much better look at him. He's at least 6 feet tall. He has blonde messy hair and blue eyes which are currently red. He's wearing a black muscle shirt and swim bottoms. He's clearly trying to show off his body. He directs me to his back porch. He opens the door and it smells like weed and cotton candy. I look over to see Matthew with a vape in his hand.

"Ms. Graham wants you back for dinner." I say.

"I'm staying here." He replies.

"I think she would want you back at the lake house and she would want," I turn around to the guy, "what's your name?"

"Luka." He replies.

"She would want Luka to get back to whatever he's up to."

"Nah, I'm not doing anything. My parents aren't up the whole summer. I have this place to myself." Luka says.

Matthew turns over his shoulder and looks at me. He sighs and turns back to the view, taking a hit from the vape in his hand.

"So, Morgan. Do you have any plans after your family dinner?" Luka asks.

"No, but we need to get back for dinner like now." I say, signalling to Matthew that it's time to leave.

"Well my buddy Leo is having a get together with some people. I can send you his address. I just need your number." He says, pointing to my phone.

"Okay, we're leaving." Matthew says, getting out of his chair, putting the vape down.

"Wait. I'm interested in this." I say.

"Since when are you interested in stuff like this?" He says.

"I want to make the most of my summer, thank you very much." I reply, handing Luka my phone.

"Maybe you and I could hang after?" He asks me.

Before I can reply Matthew Interrupts.

"That's fine. She'll come home with us." He says.

"Aren't things not working out with you two?" Luka asks.

He turns over his shoulder to look at me. I look up at him in disbelief.

"Yeah, but whatever. Let's go Morgan." He says, before leaving. I follow behind him and catch up.

We walk in silence and I look down at the ground. When we get into the lake house, it still smells like pasta. I rush to the kitchen and sit down. They haven't even started to eat. I apologize for taking a long time and Ms. Graham assures me that it's okay.

"So Hailey, there's this party tonight." I say.

"Ooh, a party. Where?"

"Uh, Luka's friend Leo I think. Luka is sending me the address."

"Oh, Matt are you going to this?" Ms. Graham.

"I guess I have to now." He says, annoyed.

"I thought you were going anyways." I say.

He looks up at me and give me a look which is screaming "we know" and I give him a look back.

"I met Leo last summer. Him and his parents are nice. Just be careful if you kids do end up going." Ms. Graham says

"I don't think many people will be there. I think it would only be like fifteen, twenty people." I say.

"It's a big lake, Morgan. The parties here typically have more than fifteen, twenty people." Matthew replies, looking up from his plate.

When we're done eating, I grab everyone's plates and put them in the dishwasher while Hailey washes the pots and pans. Once the task is complete, we head upstairs and I decide to just wear what I'm wearing now. Hailey decides to wear jean shorts with a white halter crop top.

"I'm going to do my makeup." I announce to Hailey before heading to the bathroom. As soon as I open the door, I notice Matthew in his boxers, getting changed. He looks over at me.

"Like what you see?" He asks, smirking at me.

"Sorry I didn't mean to intrude." I say, slamming the door shut.

I wait for him to finish changing. Once he announces he's got clothes on I open the door again. I look at him and he smiles at me. I give him a blank stare before facing the mirror to get started on my makeup.

"Come on Morgan. We're stuck with each other the whole summer you can't stay pissed off at me forever." He says.

"You're right. I can't." I reply, grabbing my primer.

He doesn't reply. I look up at him.

"I don't want to hurt you." He says.

"You can't hurt me more than when you bodychecked me into the lake earlier."

"Yeah, sorry about that."

I smile at him and then continue my makeup with my tinted moisturizer.

"I want to be with you, Morgan."

I stop what I'm doing. I put down my hairbrush. I turn to look at him and I observe him. My heart begins to beat faster as he puts my hair behind my ears. I put my hands around his neck and the only sound to be heard is both of us breathing. He steps closer to the point where our bodies are pressing against each other.

"What are we?" I ask again.

"Together. You're mine." He was vulnerable in this moment. I could push away and tell him it could never happen. I could slap him across the face and tell him I would never do that to my best friend.

But I don't.

I bring him down and put our lips together. He picks me up and puts me on the counter, not pulling away. I pull him into me and his chest crashes into mine. He moves down and starts kissing my neck. I brush his hair back with my hands before his face comes back to mine. When we pull away I put my head on his chest before getting off the counter. I grab my concealer before looking in the mirror and noticing a hickey. I put my concealer to the side and get my colour corrector instead. I turn to look at him and he laughs. As I'm applying it to my neck, he puts his chin on my head and wraps his arms around me.