Caged Birds ✔️

Chapter Eleven

Sam's P.O.V

February marked the last few months of high school. I had big plans for after school ended. They were to run away in early July to NYC without telling a soul. There was just one small complication that I didn't anticipate - Matt. I didn't want to leave town without him. I couldn't.

"But you did" Brody interrupts.

I nod "yeah...I did"

Jenna softens her gaze "go on"

I wasn't allowed to celebrate New years with Matt, Afterall, my parents didn't even know about him. So instead, I went to his home for dinner to meet his mother.

Matt picked me up in his Range Rover than took me to his home. Matty lived in an apartment complex, to my surprise. It was far from what I was used too.

"Is that why you left him?" Brody retorts.

"Will you cut it out" Angie begs her brother before looking over to me, "go on Sam"

We stood in front of the front door for a few minutes. Matt wasn't worried, he was as cool as a cucumber, however, I could tell that he was hesitant about letting me in. I didn't know why at the time. I knew soon enough.

"You'll be meeting my mum" he reminded me.

I grinned. "I'm sure we'll get along"

"Oh yeah, I'm not worried about that" he admitted, "it's just...."

My heart fluttered. Fears coursed its way through my veins. What was on the other side of that door?

"What?" I asked cautiously.

"Nothing" he shook his head, kissing my lips.

His kisses still made me feel weak at the knees. They were sweet and gentle.

Matt made me feel like a feather drifting through the wind and not a bird trapped in its cage.

I felt safe when I was around him, so safe that I felt like I could tell him anything and he wouldn't run.

"So why didn't you?" Tori lowers her voice, "if you felt like you could tell him anything then why didn't you?"

"Because my brain was conditioned from when I was a little girl to lie about what happened to me" I admit.

"So how do we know you're not lying now?" Tori asks.

I shrug "I guess you don't"

"So what happened next?" Jenna asks me.

"Let's go in" Matt smiled while twisting the doorknob.

My first thought was that something smelt amazing.

"What's cooking?" I asked him.

"Presto pasta with grilled chicken," he said proudly.

"Did your mum make it?" I assumed as we walked to the kitchen.

"I wish" a young voice admitted from the kitchen table. "Matt's the cook of the family"

The woman wore a light blue woolly Bennie, a navy blue wool knitted sweater and faded denim skinny jeans. She looked and sounded young. My guess was late 20s or early 30s.

"Oh, really?" I smiled, looking behind me to Matt than back at the woman, "I did not know that"

"Sam, this is my mum" Matt announced.

My eyes widen in surprise.

"I'm Evelyn...Evie is fine," she smiled, "I've heard a lot of good things about you"