Chapter 10
Chapter Ten
MORGAN
T here is a quick blast of noise. A horn maybe? When I go outside, I see Beau take off from a still moving car. What the fuck is happening?
I move my eyes from Beau’s retreating form to Rhys trying to pull a limp Davis out the back of the buggy.
When I see them try to carry him inside, I don’t think twice. I run past the men to grab Molly. She doesn’t need to see this.
“Morgan?” confusion etched into her face.
My heart is pounding and breath coming in short bursts, but I do my best to keep the panic from my voice. “Yeah babe, come on, you and I are having a girl’s day at Rhys’s”
We slip out the side door just as I hear Brent and Beau bring in an injured Davis. I have so many questions, but I think I like living with my head in the sand. And that’s where I’ll leave it. For now.
We enter the house, and we hear someone yelling ‘fuck’.
Molly looks at me puzzled, “What was that?”
“I have no idea.” It’s a lie. Because I’m confident it’s Rhys. But I promised Molly a girl’s day. “Let’s bake something.”
“Okay.” She pushes a chair to the bench, and climbs up while I look for everything, we’ll need for baking. God, he really lives like a fucking male.
I manage to find eggs, milk, flour, and cocoa powder. “I think we need to go see Dani.”
And with that, Molly is off. How are small children so fast?
Entering the front store, I hear Dani ask her what she’s doing there. I can picture her looking around for me or Brent.
I enter soon after and Dani noticeably seems relieved. After last night, I think we’re all a bit on edge. Dani also takes a moment to look over my new look. I don’t realise I’m holding my breath until she nods her approval.
“We’re baking, and need some butter and maybe choc chips?” I look down at Molly who is frantically nodding.
“Got nothing here, sorry.”
Molly groans in frustration.
“Maybe we can see if Cook has any.” Dani reaches out her hand, Molly takes it and starts to follow. Ah, I guess I’ll keep the shop running?
That is until Molly calls out. “Come on Morgan.” Her small hand stretched out waiting for me. My heart warms. I haven’t been here long, turned their world upside down, and they still accept me.
I quickly tell Dani we can’t go near the house just yet; she nods while Molly talks a million miles an hour.
Molly looks me over before declaring, “I like your hair.”
I brought the hair dye when Dani and I went into Burra Point, and after last night, I needed to not be blonde anymore.
So now I’m back to my natural hair colour.
And shorter. The thought of his hands in my hair disgusts me.
It didn’t matter how many times I washed it, I could still feel his hands in it.
So, I cut it. Now I’m rocking a choppy brunette bob.
“Thank you.”
We get what we need, staying clear of the homestead, although we could hear shouting every now and then. Molly kept looking but I think Dani and I did a good job of distracting. Hopefully long enough until she can ask Brent.
We walk Dani back at Molly’s insistence. As we get back, a caravan arrives.
“Perfect timing.” Dani says as she unlocks the door. “Molly, come have a look at this.”
Molly skips over to where Dani is, and then lets out a squeal.
“Nanna and Poppa F!” And with that, she’s off running to the older couple, who instantly wrap her up in a tight hug.
“Hi, sweetheart.”
The woman lets her go and the man ruffles her hair, “Keeping out of trouble?”
“Always.” Keeping out of trouble and creating are all the same when you're five. “Come meet Morgan.”
Then she’s dragging them toward me. I hold out my hand to greet them, but I’m quickly wrapped in a warm embrace. I freeze, not used to being shown this sort of affection.
“Let her go.” The older man’s voice calls out.
“Sorry dear. I’m Val and this is my husband, Barry.”
“Hi.” I awkwardly raise my hand in a hello gesture.
“You can just call us Nanna and Poppa.”
“Oh, um ok. ”
Molly proudly informs me. “I call them Nanna F and Poppa F.”
Dani then takes her turn to greet them. I step back letting them have their moment. “You guys made it.” Val embraces her with a hug. Barry gives her a hi and pat on the back.
“Morgan, come on, let’s bake.” Molly pulls on my hand.
We say our goodbyes and leave. The interaction has left me missing Rhys’s grandparents, so we end up making a batch of biscuits Rhys’s grandmother taught me. I was surprised I remembered.
Molly talks non-stop and I love it. She tells me all about her Mum, how she wishes more kids were here, her favourite teddy, and wonders what a big city would be like.
We’re just pulling out the tray from the oven, when the door bust opens and in walks Rhys. He has a nice bruise on his forehead, and sitting in the centre is a deep cut.
He pauses and looks at me. Something flicks over his features. Was it approval or annoyance? Does he like my new, old hair? Why do I care what he thinks?
I turn and place the tray on top of the stove.
Molly breaks the silence, “We made choc chip biccies.”
“I can see.”
I look over my shoulder, he is still looking at me.
Molly asks the question I’m dying to know the answer to. “Do you like Morgan’s new hair?”
“Yeah, yeah no I do. Haven’t seen you brunette since before your graduation. And short?”
“Sick of the maintenance.” I shrug.
Not the fact that Ethan kept making comments about how he preferred blondes, so I went blonde. I tried going back to my natural colour once, that ended in a black eye. Then last night with that creep, I refuse to be blonde anymore.
Rhys can see through my obvious lie.
“Hey, Molly, your dad wants to see you.”
“But—” She looks up at me with pleading eyes.
“Once they have cooled, I’ll bring them over.”
Apparently, that’s all she needed, because she’s gone.
I open the freezer, grab a pack of frozen peas, and throw them at Rhys. “Put them on your forehead, while I grab the first aid kit.”
I saw it while I was snooping in the bathroom. Once I have it, I open it to find it is basically just betadine and a pack of Band-Aids.
“You really need to add more to this ‘first aid’ kit.” I say walking back into the kitchen.
“Why? It has everything I need in it.”
When I look at him, I see he is eating the frozen peas from the bag. “I said put them on your forehead, not eat them.”
“I was hungry.” He says with a shrug.
I don’t have time for his crap today, or any day really. But with the lingering feelings of everything that happened last night, I just feel zapped of all energy today.
Rhys sits at one of the seats around the table, while I get a bowl of warm water and some…paper towels. Jesus, I’ll restock his first aid.
I lay everything out. Well, my bowl of warm water, the paper towel antiseptic and one lone band-aid. Slowly I start to clean the cut, dabbing away at the dried blood, trying not to make it bleed again.
“Why did you really change your hair? ”
My hand pauses for a brief moment before I continue to clean, “I told you.”
“No, you lied to me.”
I ignore him and step closer to apply some antiseptic and the band-aid.
“There.” I look down at him, only now releasing that I’m standing between his legs. His hands trail up and down the back of my bare legs. Goose-bumps awake and our gaze’s clash. I don’t make any move to pull away, but I do ask how he got the cut.
“Taking out the trash.”
From fear of what that means, I don’t ask for him to elaborate.
Before I can comprehend that either of us are moving, our lips have met in a fevered kiss, and he is pulling me closer using my legs.
His hands run up the back of my legs, up my shorts where he squeezes my ass and drags me even closer.
I wrap my arms around his neck, and just like he did with me, I drag him closer.
Then as suddenly as the kiss started my legs are either side of him, straddling his lap.
I feel his firm cock against my pussy, and involuntarily roll my hips, letting my clit rub over his erection. I moan at the contact. I do it again.
“Oi, Rhys.” The side door bursts open.
I jump, and try to rush getting off Rhys’s lap but managed to fall on my ass.
“Shit, sorry. Fuck. I didn’t see anything.” And with that Beau walks back out, not before looking once again over his shoulder.
Rhys helps me up. I don’t say thank you though. “That was the last time. No more kissing me. ”
He releases my hand as if I burnt him. “Me? Kissing you? Pretty sure you’re the one who kissed me, Princess.”
“I did not.” At least I’m pretty sure.
He doesn’t reply, just walks past me picking up a biscuit. When he takes a bite, he turns to face me, eyes wide, “These taste like….”
“They are.”
He nods. I expect a reply or something, but nothing comes. He turns on his heels and leaves to what I assume is to find Beau.
I silently fume, while gathering the biscuits to take them to Molly. When I walk outside, and I’m about to round the corner of Rhys’s house, I stop when I hear him and Beau.
“We need to get our story straight.”
What story?
“It’s already straight, would you stop stressing?”
The sound of the gravel crunching under their boots replaces their conversation.
What the fuck were they talking about?
Not my problem.
Just as I’m about to enter the homestead, Brent, Rhys, Beau and the traveling jack-a-roo’s walk out.
“Oh, Morgan.” Brent is the first to speak.
“I was just bringing the biccies Molly and I made this morning.” I raise the plate, I look between them all, I feel like I’ve missed something. “What’s going on?”
“Nothing.” Rhys pushes his way past me.
“Ignore him. Trent went fishing with them and went overboard. We’re organising a search now.” Brent stops and eyes me to see my reaction.
I don’t give him one, even though at the mention of his name my heart squeezes with panic. “Well, I’m not helping. ”
“It’s okay, Morgan. I didn’t expect you to.” Brent gives me a sad smile and then they’re all off. Piling into the cars and driving through a gate I never took much notice of before.
I walk inside to find Molly watching a Disney movie cuddling her pink bunny, which I found out earlier is named Ink, because she couldn’t say pink when she got it. I also know it was the last thing her Mum gave her before passing away.
“Hey you, want a biscuit with that movie?”
She leaps from the couch and runs over to me. “Yes, please.”
Passing her one, we go and sit down to continue the movie.
Right when the Beast turns into the Prince, Molly perks up, “I hate this part.”
“Don’t like the Prince?”
“No.” She folds her arms and slumps into the couch.
Oh, poor Brent is in for it when she starts dating.
We’re getting ready to put on a new movie when we hear a groan. We look at each other, then down the corridor where the noise came from. Davis, who is slightly pale and holding his side, makes his entrance. I continue to watch him as he gingerly walks to the couch and awkwardly sits next to Molly.
“Hey MooMoo, what are we watching?”
And her reply? “You look like crap.”
“Molly!”
“She’s right, that fuc— person got me good. Now pass me a biscuit, and put on some movie where a princess sings to me.” I pass him one but instead of saying thank you, he looks me over and grunts. “I’m still calling you Barbie. ”
I roll my eyes half expecting that, flick through the movies until Molly says she wants to watch Frozen. Eliciting a groan from Davis and myself. But I still press play and the opening song is soon filling the living room.
Anna has just reached Elsa ice castle when I look over to see a fast asleep Molly.
I take the opportunity to get some information from Davis. I know I thought I didn’t want to know but there’s a nagging feeling. I signal for Davis to follow me outside, not wanting to wake Molly.
Not giving him a chance to sit down, I start away, “What in the fuck happened?”
“What did Rhys tell you?”
“Just that he took the trash out?”
He snorts then groans from the sudden movement. “Well, he isn’t wrong.”
“Davis, I swear to the Gods I will—” I don’t know. I’m not a violent person.
“No way, I’m not having my head chewed off by Rhys. I’ve already been stabbed, that’s enough. Just know Trent is no longer with us.”
“Davis, please.”
“Fuck, ok.” He sighs then proceeds to tell me everything. From the original plan to taking advantage of Trent falling in. It all sounds messy and chaotic.
“So, happy with yourself then? Getting stabbed was worth it?”
“What? You think this is the first time I’ve been stabbed?” he laughs. Whatever pain meds he’s on, he should stay on them. This is the first time I’ve heard him laugh or talk this much.
I shake my head “You guys are nuts. That could have gone so very sideways.”
“Yeah, but he hurt you and—” he’s cut off by the revs of cars. “Looks like they’re back.”
One by one I watch them park and walk to us. Sombre looks on their faces. Brent is on the satellite phone, and if you look closely, Rhys is fighting the corner of his lips.
“See you in a couple hours.” He hangs up the phone just as Molly walks out, still holding the bunny.
“Daddy?”
“Hey pumpkin, have fun with Morgan and Davis?” He picks her up and she wraps herself around his form. She whispers something to him that has him smiling.
My heart aches. A longing to be loved by a parent like that.
Mine aren’t bad per se. They never physically abused me.
But the alcoholism and emotional neglect and abuse definitely left a scar.
Shane, being the eldest, knew it all too well.
So, he tried to protect me from the harsh words. But even he could only do so much.
“Morgan?” I look up at Rhys. “I’m teaching you to fight.”