Chapter 31
Chapter Thirty-One
MORGAN
I t’s the day of the funeral.
I’m here for Paige, but that doesn’t stop me from trying to keep an eye out for Rhys. I thought he would come. Especially because the Hughes family were friends with his Nanna and Grandad.
Every now and then I feel eyes on me, but when I turn around looking for the origin of the eyes, I find myself both relieved and annoyed it’s not Rhys.
Shane and I are sitting behind The Stone’s. Nash got back fast; Last I heard he was overseas somewhere. Playing ball in Maine?
I don’t miss the way Paige is sitting between the brothers. She is holding on to Sawyer, almost as if she lets her go, she’ll never see her again. Levi, ever the stoic man, sits next to his wife and daughter.
Part of me wonders if their dad will make an appearance. For no other reason that he loves to cause drama.
The Priest makes his way to the front, where four coffins are lined up. One of which is too small to be there.
“Good morning and thank you all for being here today as we come together to honour and celebrate the lives of Paul Hughes, Daniela Hughes, Ryland Hughes and Zara Stone….”
The service continues in the traditional sense; people get up and share their favourite memories.
The town is torn; half believe Zara committed the murder, while the other half. are either on the fence or defending her.
After the service, we follow the Priest and the Stone brothers out to the hearses. A few more words are shared as everyone says their goodbyes.
When I get to Paige, I wrap my arms around her and Sawyer. We don’t share words, because all she needs is for me to squeeze her hand for her to know that all she has to do is call me.
“I’m going to talk to Nash real quick. You good?” Shane asks.
“Yeah, I just want to go past Rhys’s grandparents and say hi.”
His eye twitches, it has done that the last couple weeks whenever I mention Rhys’s name, I’m eyeing him sceptically when he replies, “Ok, I’ll come find you.”
“No, it’s fine, I’ll walk home; you need to find out what the fuck happened.” I tell him.
This ‘Zara killing them’ narrative needs to be put to rest.
“Not with all this bullshit going on.” He raises his voice slightly, people turn to see, but I just smile and nod at them, hoping that’s enough for them to stop staring.
Placing a hand on my brothers forearm, I squeeze it. “Shane I will be fine. Plus, I know how to fight properly now.” I raise my hands and mock punching him.
“Okay, okay.” He raises his hands in protest while lightly chuckling.
Shane doesn’t live far from the church grounds, so a small walk won’t be too bad. And now that I don’t have look over my shoulder, I actually welcome the walk.
I find their headstones quick enough, being that I used to come here often. I clear away the dead leaves, and lower myself, resting on my knees, facing the headstones.
“Your grandson…”
What do I say about him? There's so much I could say, but none of it seems right.
“If you were here, you could both help; Nanna you could tell me what to do, and Grandad you could sort your Grandson out for me. I think I might—” I’m cut off by an excitable dog jumping all over me, licking my face and wagging its whole body.
“Hey, hey.” I manage to get a hold of it and hold it away from me so I can see it. This isn’t a dog. It’s a dingo. “Esky?”
Her tails wags as she wriggles out of my hold. “Esky!” I pull her to my chest and squeeze her, kissing her all over her face. She licks my face while continuing to jump over me, “Oh god you grew. I missed you!”
“She missed you as well.” The deep timber of his voice skitters down my spine, causing goosebumps to break out over my body.
I don’t turn to face him. “Rhys?”
“Hi, Princess.”
RHYS
I got here just as the service started. Staying at the back, and out of sight.
I found Morgan immediately, sitting up front with her brother, Paige and the Stone brothers.
She kept looking over her shoulder, searching; she can feel when my eyes are on her.
That had my chest swell with pride. She can still feel me.
My girl. Well not yet. But she will be.
I followed her, and I hate to admit it took me longer than it should have to realise she was going to my grandparents’ graves.
I watch as she places Esky down, and dusts off the dirt and what not from her black dress. “What are you doing here?”
“You look beautiful.” Her short hair is pushed back by a thin black headband.
She crosses her arms “Cut the crap, Rhys.”
“I heard about the Hughes’. Plus, Esky missed you.” I gesture to the dingo who is silently waiting to be picked up. Not that she should be, she’s almost too big now, not that it stops anyone.
“Just Esky?”
“Truthfully?” She knows I missed her. She has to know I missed her.
Her folded arms tighten over her chest as she rolls her eyes. “No, please lie to me.”
So, I do. “It was just Esky.”
I know Molly sends her messages from time to time with the help of Tia or Brent. Morgan has her features schooled, but her eyes give her away. The beautiful blue orbs glitter with tears as hurt etches its way into them. I reach for her, needing to touch her, but she steps back.
“Of course I missed you, are you kidding? I kept waking up at twelve thirty-six?—“
She cuts me off, looking puzzled. “Twelve thirty-six?”
“That’s when your nightmares would start. Down to the minute.”
“I didn’t have nightmares while I was there.” Her face scrunches and she shakes her head in confusion. She probably doesn’t recall them, because I would get to her before they took over.
I stare at her, in a ‘think about it’ look, and wait for her to catch up. I see the moment realisation settles in. “Oh my god.”
“There it is.” I step closer to her, but she steps back. Again. I let her for now. “Morgan.”
“Rhys.”
“Is there somewhere we can talk?” Preferably not Shane’s place.
“Yeah, we can go back to Shane’s.”
I scratch the back of my neck, “Ah...”
“Oh my god, what happened with you two?” She talks with her hands waving about.
“I told him I used to hold you through your nightmares; he wasn’t too happy about it.”
She mutters something under her breath, turns, calls Esky and walks off. “Well, thanks for bringing Esky back, you can go back to your life now.”
This fucking woman. “Would you stop being so fucking stubborn and lis?—”
She turns on me fast. “Me?! Stubborn? Have you met you? You fucking asshole! How could you not see how I felt? I thought you felt the same.”
She closes the distance.
“And then you called Shane.”
She hits me in the chest.
I don’t reply because arguing about it seems futile. Instead, I wrap my arms around her waist and pull her into me. I crush my lips to hers, and she melts into my hold.
But of course, our reunion is interrupted. “Get the fuck off her, Rhys.”
Fuck. Shane.
I release Morgan, and she turns to face her fuming brother, putting herself between us. I move her behind me, this is something Shane and I have to do.
He throws his fist at me and I let it connect. “That’s the only free one I’ll let you have.”
Of course he doesn’t reply. Instead, he charges me, picking me up around the waist and dropping me to the ground. “I told you if I saw you, I’d beat the fuck out of you.”
I get to all fours and cough, spitting out a bit of blood. “I believe you said you’d ‘knock me the fuck out’.”
“That can be arranged.” He steps towards me.
Morgan turns and walks away. “You two are fucking idiots.”
I get back to my feet, ignoring Shane, I try to get to her. “Morgan.” She keeps walking. “Princess.” But she still keeps walking.
“Princess?”
Oh yeah, Shane. “Yes, I call her princess, get over it.”
“What the fucked happened over there?”
And like I have been doing when it comes to Shane and these questions, I hesitate. Which apparently is enough for him to get angry all over again.
“Did you sleep with my sister?!” His eyes widen and nostrils flare. This is going to turn ugly.
“Thought we established that I had?”
“You know what I mean, you asshole. Did you have sex with my sister?”
No point denying it.
“Once or twice.” Or a few more.
He cocks his hand back, he was always the strong one out of us, but I was quicker. I see the hit coming, so I quickly punch him between his ribs, winding him. He tries to suck in air, wincing every time he tries to get a deep lung full.
Serves himself right.
“Going to let me talk?”
He wheezes out a ‘fine’. So, I start.
“I’m in love with her.” This has him standing up right, well as up right as he can. “And I’m going to take her back west with me.” If she will allow me too of course.
“No, this is her home.”
“This town?” I let out a bitter laugh. “This hasn’t been her home in a long time, Shane.”
“And if she doesn’t want to?”
“Then I’ll let her go.”
Even if it’ll break my heart, I will let her go.