Just a Pucking Kiss [COMPLETED]

Chapter 44 - With friends like these... (Kat's POV)

!! Kat !!

I leave Brick asleep in his bed and head into the kitchen. It's early on a Tuesday morning, but I know the house will wake up soon.

As I grab some cereal, I can hear faint sounds from upstairs. I check my phone. Morgan hasn't been herself since it happened. I shudder at the thought of what she went through. It's no wonder she's been skittish and scared.

Being assaulted must have been so hard on her, even though she pretends to not be affected by it. I've been hesitant to leave her alone, but I think she noticed.

Last night, she insisted I didn't have to stay and babysit her. Possibly because she wants to prove to herself that she's capable of being alone overnight.

I told her to text or call me at any time and I'd come back. The thought of her not feeling safe worries me. She's been there for me throughout the last few months, and I want to do the same for her.

After the party on Friday, she was doing so much better. The only downside was my stupid brother getting drunk and staring at her all night. It's like he forgot he's the one who broke up with her.

A door opens upstairs, and it only takes a few heartbeats before Max comes bounding down the stairs, eager to start the day. I give her scratches and she's so happy to see me I can't hold back the laughter.

Wes comes downstairs, followed by Lydia. He grabs a leash and as soon as Max notices she rushes over and sits so he can attach it.

After giving Lydia a kiss, he heads out for a morning walk.

"Good morning." Lydia says and sits next to me.

"Good morning. Cereal?" I hand her the box.

Brick says half the food budget goes to sugary snacks that people think are acceptable breakfast foods. I told him to buy healthier versions, but he says no one eats them.

"Ooh, it's the good stuff." Lydia grabs a handful and eats it straight from the box before getting a bowl.

A door slams upstairs, and heavy footsteps stomp down towards us. Lydia raises an eyebrow at me. I look back and JD grunts when he sees us.

"Good morning," I say. "Did you sleep well?"

"Morning," he mutters and glares at us.

He grabs a jacket and slams the front door as he leaves.

"Well, he seems happy," Lydia says. "I hope he's not upset I'm spending so much time here."

"I doubt it." I chew thoughtfully. "Maybe he's still not over Morgan?"

"He's not," Ethan says from the stairs.

He's still in pajama pants and a white t-shirt.

"Well, he broke up with her," Lydia says. "What did he expect?"

"I don't know." Ethan lumbers over to us. "What I do know is that he's head over heels in love with her. And he's being a pain in the ass about it."

"He's in love with her?" That doesn't make sense. He broke up with her.

"Yup, but I'm not sure he knows he is," Ethan says.

I sigh and hand Ethan the cereal. "Why is it so difficult for them to just talk and work this out?"

"Maybe it's pride?" Lydia suggests.

"Or the fact that they're both very stubborn individuals who won't let anyone tell them what to do," Ethan says. "JD keeps bringing up Morgan, but as soon as anyone else mentions her, he gets all huffy and tells them to shut up."

I stir my cereal. "Morgan barely speaks about him at all. But I always know when she's thinking about him, because she gets all sad. I've never seen her like this before. I don't even know what to do."

"Is it really that bad?" Lydia asks.

Morgan thinks I haven't noticed, and if I ever say anything she just gives me the "he's your brother and you need to get along with him"-speech.

"I've tried everything to cheer her up. I had to beg her to come to the party on Friday."

"She seemed like she was having fun," Ethan says and pours some milk into an overfull bowl spilling some cereal on the counter.

"I'm pretty sure half the time she was faking having fun because she knew JD was watching."

"JD knows what happened, right?" Lydia frowns. "He's not acting as if he does at all."

"He knows." Ethan shovels large spoonfuls into his mouth. "He doesn't talk about it much, and nobody brings it up. But you should have heard him after the party. He was practically crying, wanting to get back with Morgan."

"I really thought they'd work together." I get up to put away my bowl.

"I know," Lydia says. "They have so much chemistry and they fit. You know?"

"Sure," Ethan says and swallows. "JD never gets this worked up over anyone. Hell, he's never slept with the same woman twice before. At least, not that I know of."

"So they both like each other," I say and leave the bowl in the sink. I turn back to the others. "They may even love each other, but they refuse to just work things out." I rub my temples. "This is so frustrating, but I guess all we can do is respect their wishes and hope they come to their senses."

"Or..." The smile on Lydia's face turns mischievous. "Maybe they need a bit of a push?"

"What do you mean?" I ask, suspicious of the glee in her voice.

"I'm thinking they need some help to figure things out. They're both miserable right now. At the very least, they need to talk while they're both cognisant of their surroundings."

"You have a plan?" Ethan seems way too eager.

Lydia narrows her eyes. "I'm not sure... All I know is that things can't go on like this. And as their friends, we might have to step in."

I stare at her. "Is that really something we should do? It seems rude to butt in. It's their lives and we should respect their wishes."

Ethan waves me away. "We need to come up with a way to get them talking."

"Brick's birthday is coming up, right?" Lydia has a dangerous glint in her eyes.

"Yes," I say hesitantly.

"Do you think he'd be up for a fake birthday celebration?"

I'm almost scared to ask what she's thinking, but perhaps they're right. Perhaps Morgan and JD need some incentive to work things out.

"I guess I could convince him," I say and sit back down.

"Excellent," Lydia says, and I almost expect her to steeple her fingers like an evil villain. "I have an idea."

Ethan grins and I feel like the two of them hatching schemes together might be a very bad idea.