21. Lean On Me
"Morgan?"
Morgan, you pathetic girl. What the hell are you doing?
"I...I..." I sobbed.
What, did you expect to talk to him and then everything would be sunshine and rainbows? He wasn't your fairy god mother for crying out loud.
"Morgan are you okay?" Aaron asked sounding worried. "Are you crying?"
"I...I'm fine," I lied. "Sorry I bothered you."
"You're crying," he stated. "Mor-"
I hung up, not waiting for him to finish and then stood up and flung my phone against the wall in frustration. I kicked off my heels and buried my face in my palms, dropping onto the floor beside my bed and crying some more in the darkness.
I sat there feeling sorry for myself for about fifteen minutes before there was a knock at my door.
"Leave me alone, fuck!" I spat.
"Morgan?" Aaron's voice called. "Morgan it's me, Aaron."
I stayed silent and got up from the floor, not knowing if I should open the door or not. I was pathetic and didn't want him to see me like this.
"Morgan I'm coming in," he said. "Is that okay?"
I stayed silent.
"If you want me to go just say so," he continued. "Just let me hear your voice okay? Please."
I didn't know what to say to him.
"I'm worried," he said. "So I'm going to take your silence as a yes to coming in."
He opened the door slowly and stepped inside. My breath hitched when I saw his figure. He stepped closer and I could see him clearly.
"I came as soon as you hung up," he began. "Um...Maisie, that's her name, she let me in through the back."
"You didn't have to," I said softly.
"I know, but I wanted to," he said. "Was that bad?"
I only shook my head.
"Good," he nodded and then proceeded to envelope me in his arms, hugging me tightly.
There came the water works again.
"I don't know what happened but I'm sorry," he whispered as I laid my head on his chest and wrapped my arms around his waist.
"Sad isn't it?" I chuckled sourly. "I'm a drunk mess. Plus I'm crying in my own home and I don't even have anyone there for me. I don't have anyone..."
He cupped my face. "Hey, I'm here aren't I?"
He hugged me again and my head rested on his chest under his chin.
"You have me Morgan," he mumbled, placing a soft kiss on my forehead. "You have me."
~~~
We sat at the foot of my bed in silence, listening to the music that played softly from his iPod. He didn't ask questions, he just held me while I cried.
"You okay?" he asked softly.
I nodded. "I will be."
It was probably about two thirty in the morning and here we were, me a sad sad girl and him the amazing guy he was.
"It's late," I mumbled.
He sighed. "Right, I wouldn't want to put you in more trouble. I should go."
We both stood up, but I felt myself wanting him to stay.
I held his arm as he left. "Wait. Stay."
"Are you sure?" he asked. "Won't your mom-"
"Fuck what she says," I said, still intoxicated and angry with her. "Come on, stay. Don't leave me alone...please."
He nodded and squeezed my hand. "I'm here, I'm here."
I pulled him onto my bed with me, lying beside him.
"Morgan...are you sure this is okay?" he asked. "You're drunk, you might not know what you want right now."
"I know what I want Aaron," I said and snuggled close to him, wrapping my hands around him. "And I want this, stay."
Well being drunk made me mad confident that's for sure.
I felt him slowly wrap his hands around me too, pulling me close.
"Thank you," I said softly, feeling my eyelids drop.
He kissed the top of my head once more. "You're welcome Morgan, always."
And so we lay there, bodies intertwined, and I felt an unusual security in his arms.
Unusual, but nice. Definitely nice.
"I was right earlier," he mumbled softly, stroking my curls. "You do look beautiful."
~~~~~
I woke up, a hand wrapped around my waist. My eyes widened. Who the fuck was spooning me in my bed?
I sat up frantically and saw Aaron's sleeping peacefully beside me.
Aaron. Aaron and I were spooning.
Holy shit, Aaron and I were spooning.
Double holy shit, I was a complete mess last night.
I got out of bed immediately, remembering the night before. My movement was enough to wake him. His hair was messy and he sat up, rubbing his eyes.
"Morgan?"
"Hi," I said sheepishly, waving. "I totally embarrassed myself in front of you yesterday didn't I?"
He chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair.
He was so cute.
Focus Morgan!
"No, you just needed someone."
"I dragged you from your house in the middle of the night and basically forced you into spending the night in my bed," I stated, horrified. I opened my drawer and pulling out a mint to get rid of my morning breath which tasted like alcohol. "If that's not embarrassing then I don't know what is."
He stretched out his palm and I tossed him one too. "Morgan, you didn't drag me anywhere. I came here on my own."
I picked up his iPod from the floor and handed it to him. "Here."
"You can hold on to it if you want," he offered. "Just give it back at school or something, I don't mind."
"I...that's okay," I said. "I'm fine."
I saw my broken phone on the ground and picked it up with a groan. "Oh God, I'm such a mess."
He chuckled and stood up, walking towards me. "You just had one rough night. You'll be fine."
The way he looked at me made me want to melt into a nervous puddle.
"You should get out of here while you still can," I said quickly. "I bet my mom's out of the house now, she usually is around this time. You can use the back like you did last night."
"What happened to fuck what she says?" he laughed.
"I was drunk, clearly I said things I didn't mean," I sighed.
"Well," he whispered, moving my hair out of my face so I looked him right in the eyes. "I hope you meant a few things you said."
His actions turned my chest into an Olympic stadium.
I know what I want Aaron, and I want this, stay.
My eyes widened when I realized I made an even bigger fool of myself.
"Um...uh..."
He chuckled and stepped back.
"I'm sorry," I apologized.
"Don't apologize," he laughed softly. "I'll go before I'm found."
I wanted him to stay to tell the truth, but I only nodded and followed him out into the hallway. I sneaked him downstairs and towards the back.
"Thank you," I said when he stepped outside "Really, I couldn't have gotten through last night without you."
He nodded. "I told you Morgan, anytime you need to feel better, I'm right there in your phone."
"Too bad I don't have a phone anymore," I chuckled softly.
He smiled.
Before he left he turned. "Morgan?"
"Yeah?"
"You may have 'forced' me to sleep in your bed," he said with a faint smirk. "But I never said I minded it."
He winked and took his leave, while more butterflies erupted in my stomach.
I closed the door behind me and looked at my wrinkled dress. I went back up to my room and freshened up. I made a mental note to go and get myself a new phone. In the mean time I could use my iPad for whatever. Before I sat on my bed, I noticed a shiny blue casing on my dresser.
The iPod.
Did he forget to take it like I asked him to or did he leave it for me?
I took it and held it to my chest, letting out a sigh.
You're crying.
I'm worried.
I'm here aren't I?
You have me.
You're welcome Morgan, always.
I was right earlier, you look beautiful.
You just needed someone.
I came here on my own.
I hope you meant a few things you said.
But I never said I minded it.
I sighed as I replayed all what had happened since the night before to this moment. I came to a realization I couldn't exactly deny anymore.
I was falling for Aaron Smith.
Oh fucking hell.
~~~~~~~~
4 years ago...
"Jean!" mom yelled. "Come down here, you'll miss your flight."
"I'm coming, I'm coming," my eighteen year old sister said as she hurried down the stairs. "Relax mom, it's a private jet remember?"
"Just hurry up," my mom told her before answering a phone call.
I sat on the couch and pretended to use my phone so Jean wouldn't see how bummed I was about her leaving.
"Jean!" mom called from outside.
Jean rolled her eyes.
My dad stepped into the room. "You better go before she comes back to drag you out."
Jean chuckled and hugged him. "Promise you'll come visit."
"I'll leave for LA first thing next Monday morning," he said and kissed her forehead.
She let go and then her eyes landed on me. I gave her a sad smile.
"Morgan, don't make me cry. Now get your ass over here and give me a hug," she said.
I chuckled and did just that. "You're going to be a star. The fact that I'm going to miss you shouldn't change that.
"You just call on me sister, when you need a hand," she sang softly in my ear. "We all need somebody to lean on."
"I just might have a problem that you'll understand," I laughed. "We all need somebody to lean on."
She pulled back. "I should go now, mom's getting crazy."
You mean she's been sane all this while?
"Why can't I come see you off?" I asked.
"Because you need to get ready for your first day of high school silly," she answered.
That made my stomach turn. Up until middle school I had been homeschooled courtesy of my mom's decisions, but during the days leading up to her departure Jean convinced her to let me attend actual school outside of my house. I mean I needed actual people I could talk to aside Maisie, since she wasn't going to be around anymore.
"Right," I said.
"Jean!"
"I better leave now," my sister chuckled.
"Bye Jean," I told her. "Go kill it. And for goodness sakes don't forget you have a sister back in New York."
She winked. "You know how I roll sis, wherever I am, you can always lean on me."
Presently...
I sat in the big hall where the after party was hosted and played the tune of Bill Withers' Lean On Me on the grand piano in the corner because frankly that was the only song I could play. Jean clearly had all the musical talent in the family.
I heard someone hum the tune as I played. When Jean took a seat beside me I intentionally pressed the wrong note to throw her off, and then I stopped playing.
"Damn, I can't even sing our song?" she said sheepishly. "You must be real mad huh?"
I loved that song growing up, and Jean always sang it with me. She always said it was our song.
"What?" I asked her. "Did you expect that you'd waltz in here, we'd have a sing along and all would be right in the world again? This isn't a Disney movie."
"Okay, I deserved that," she said.
"You deserve a lot worse if you ask me," I muttered.
She sighed. "Look, Morgan-"
"You know what, Jean?" I scoffed. "Just don't, I'm not ready to hear it anyway. Last night when I needed you, you showed that you'd rather protect your boyfriend and keep your reputation instead of being there for me. You're just like her, mom. Willing to keep up your fake personas as long as that gives you the life you want. Well sorry Jean, I'm sorry that I wasn't wired that way and you two can't handle that."
She was taken aback by my words, and I just shook my head and got up.
"Morgan?" she called after me. "It's not Scott."
I stopped in my tracks and turned.
"My bruises," she said, standing up and walking towards me. "Scott didn't give them to me."
That was the only thing she had to say that I was interested in.
"Then how did you get them?" I asked.
She sighed. "It's supposed to be a secret. I signed an NDA so that's why I lied and said it was from my videos. I got the lead in a movie that starts shooting next year. It's an action movie and I told them I wanted to do my own stunts. So I've been training. Fake fighting, stunts, all of it. And yes, I fall flat on my face sometimes or crash into things or get hit by my trainer. The bruises aren't from Scott Morgan, they're from me doing that."
"Who the hell do you think you are, Tom Cruise?" I questioned.
She chuckled. "No, but I like doing it believe it or not."
I nodded.
"So we're clear on that?" she asked me.
If you know anyone who was a bad liar you would know there was always something that gave them away. Whether it was biting their lip, playing with their hair, stuttering or whatever. For Jean, it was hand gestures. Weird, but I knew her inside out. She made unnecessary and frantic hand gestures every time she wanted to explain a lie. And right now that's all she was doing. So yes, it was clear.
It was very clear that she was a liar.
I nodded. "We're clear."
"Oh good," she smiled and then proceeded to hug me.
I took a step back. "I'm going to my room."
Her smile faltered and I turned around and walked away.
Now that Maisie was leaving, it was proven that I really was going to be alone in this house. I needed to grow a backbone and start letting people know I couldn't be messed with as they pleased. I couldn't just go crying to Maisie or Aaron when something was wrong.
Though having Aaron comfort me wasn't such a bad thing if you know what I mean.
I might be exaggerating, but I was deeply hurt by Jean especially. My mother I expected to act that way, but she was my sister, and she disappointed me on so many levels.
It sucked.
I walked out of the hall and locked eyes with Maisie, and she let out a sympathetic sigh. I walked to her and hugged her tightly.
"I know Morgan," she said softly, not needing me to speak before getting what I was trying to say. "I know."
I let go and smiled at her. "I'm happy for you, really. And you've still got a couple of weeks so I won't start crying just yet."
She chuckled. "That's good to know."
I gave her another hug and proceeded to go to my room. I met my dad on the staircase. He wasn't at the party, so he had missed last night's episode, thankfully.
"Hey dad," I said. "Where are you off to?"
"The office," he replied. "I need to take care of a few things."
I nodded, and then stopped. "Mind if I tag along?"
He looked surprised. "You haven't followed me to the office since you were eleven sweetheart."
I chuckled, remembering all the times I used to sit in his chair and pretend I was some big CEO as a little girl.
"Yeah well, we don't get a lot of father-daughter time these days do we?" I said with a small smile. "Plus I really need to get out of the house."
He grinned. "Well then, I'll be waiting outside in the car. This'll be good Morgan, just like old times."
He continued down and I let out a breath, smiling to myself.
A/N
Whatttt??? Two updates within two days? I deserve an award. I think I'm becoming a bit more hardworking. Well, that or maybe because I started writing this chapter immediately after I posted the last one.
I do want to start updating more frequently though, I have so much fun writing. My goal is every three days.
It might be possible, but I'm going to have to have a long talk with my friends, laziness and procrastination first. Ultimately they're the deciding factors so don't be too excited.
Really...don't.
But heyyy, Morgan finally admits how she feels! That's probably the only good thing that came out of her rough night. Well, that and Aaron showing up like the knight in shining armor we all wish we had ;).
Sub-C: Ehem?
Author: What do you want?
Sub-C: Relax, I just wanted to say thank you. Morgan is officially not stupid.
Author: You're welcome? But wait-
Sub-C: *poof*
Author: Once again...rude.
*turns back to readers*
Anyway thanks for your support as usual!
Teaser for the next chapter, we get to meet some of Morgan's in-laws...sorry, I mean Aaron's family.
Stay tuned ;).
- amani