The Haven High Book Series (Wattys2017)

Addicted Part 2 - Chapter 17

Author's Note:

Welcome to the second part of Addicted: Megan's Story. It is my intention that every one of the nine books in the series features two of the gang. Therefore you will get to know each character intimately. 

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Megan Merrick sat with her crew in Lauren's dusty yet comfy front living room. She just loved everything about the space – from the floral prints of the circa 1990 furniture to the mass produced chunky glass and wood coffee table set. Everything about this room spelled home, and was in complete contrast to the décor of her condo.

Her step-monster lacked any kind of imagination which meant Megan was forced to endure the eye watering bright monochromatic white and chrome furnishings and fixtures that made up the entire design scheme of their large penthouse suite.

Her living quarters were just that 'living quarters', it wasn't a home, to call it a home would be too generous, no her condo was as sterile as an operating room and even less inviting, and Megan hated every second that she had to spend there. So she rarely did.

It wasn't like her step mom was ever home anyway. She spent most of her time either at her exclusive yacht club or shopping. She was seriously a shopaholic. Why not? She had to burn through her Father's money somehow and Prada bags, Jimmy Choo shoes, and clothes designed by Dolce and Gabbana, Armani, Dior, Versace were a great way to do it. Couple that with expensive vacations and plastic surgery retreats and you've got the perfect storm for money management.

When her stepmom and Dad had first got together she had tried to buy Meg's love or at least approval by taking her shopping, but she flatly refused to be used as a human Barbie doll. It wasn't like Megan had to worry about offending her father by not accepting his new bride anyway; she knew why he chose her. He'd married her so that he could have a surrogate mother for his estranged daughter. So he wouldn't have to have anything to do with her. Hell it wasn't like he even lived with them. He spent all of his time in Washington DC.

Her father, a British diplomat and the Welsh Lord of the Sea, had abandoned her both physically and emotionally after her human mother drowned in the accident that had crippled Megan. He blamed her for her death and why not? It had been her fault. If she hadn't stubbornly insisted that at five she was a strong enough swimmer and could make it past the riptide her mother would still be with them and they would still be the close-knit happy family they were before the accident.

Megan didn't know why she was dredging all this up in her head when her and her crew had so many other things to worry about. Perhaps it was her near death experience this afternoon that had brought it to the forefront of her mind, but she needed to seriously knock it the 'f' off.

She sat in the overstuffed chair while Cam lounged on the floor at her feet; her fingers entwined his soft hair. She played with it distractedly as he draped his arms over her knees intimately. She would have shared the seat with him, but he was seriously wound up. He was jumping at every little sound, but who could blame him. They were all shell-shocked over the events of this afternoon.

Everyone sat staring off into space. The room itself seemed shrouded in a thick coat of contemplative silence. The only sound in the too quiet space was the incessant ticking of a clock on the wall, and some distant shuffling noises coming from Lauren's mother's room. Lauren had explained to them all last year that her mother was a shut-in that never left her tiny space. Megan could relate. She didn't have any family either, but she had Cam and his big beautiful family and for that she would be eternally grateful, and here large group of friends. She glanced around the room at her halfblood cronies.