Page 17 of The Secret We Keep
Her mouth pops open, but no words come out. It makes my cheeks pull higher on my face.
Once at the door, I find it ajar, a sight that immediately makes me weary. Pops must still be out looking for Kevin. I walk in cautiously, wondering what state I’m going to find Mum in. She was distraught thinking Kevin might not be found.
Morgan is close behind, unaware of my suddenly tight muscles and pricked up ears.
I find Mum on the phone, twirling the cord around her fingers as she listens. She sees me, then looks to Morgan. “He’s here,” she whispers, nodding her head before she hangs up. “Oh, Patrick, you found him.” She quickly makes her way over, snatching the wriggling shit from my arms. Her manicured fingers cradle Kevin, her perfectly coloured lips showering him with kisses as he squirms to get free.
“Not me.”
She pauses her worshiping to look at Morgan, before she’s bouncing on the balls of her feet. “Oh, my girl.” Mum’s arm swings open for her. “Thank you, thank you, thank you.” Morgan has no choice but to embrace my mother, which she takes well, considering how uncomfortable she looks.
Mum is none the wiser as she rubs a hand on Morgan’s back before letting her breathe. “You are such a naughty boy.” She chastises the dog like he’s her child.
I roll my eyes and when I catch Morgan’s gaze, her lips twitch, her expression softening from what it was moments ago.
“Morgan said he made it all the way to the Rogan’s.”
Mum’s sharp intake of air is dramatic.
Fi walks into the room at that exact moment, making my head turn. “Hey, you found him.” She strokes the top of Kevin’s head. “Everyone’s been looking for you.” She then looks Morgan’s way. “Missed you earlier.” Closing the distance between the two of them, Fi gives Morgan a hug.
“Yeah, sorry.” Morgan steps back once Fi lets her go. “Ended up having a quiet one. Which reminds me, I really should be getting back. I only popped out for dessert; my parents will be wondering where we are.”
Fi gives her a friendly smile.
Mum coughs like she always does when she has something to say. “Patrick, make sure Morgan gets home safely.” Her eyes fix on me.
I had every intention of making sure Morgan got home before Mum started throwing daggers. Seriously, I wonder why I missed this.
“I was going to.”
Fi walks past with a teasing grin, so I stick out my foot, making her trip and miss a step.
My mum shakes her head at us.
Hearing my phone ring, I pull it out of my pocket, seeing Tom’s name flash across the screen, a knot instantly forming in my stomach. “Give me a minute,” I say to no one in particular, making my escape. “T,” I answer, as I close the door to the kitchen behind me.
“Jesus, I thought you were never going to call me back.”
“Trust me, I thought about it.”
There’s a pause. “You good?” He sounds concerned.
I can’t tell if my work colleague turned boss has been asked to call me, or if he genuinely cares. “What do you think?”
“I think you haven’t been yourself since the accident. I’m just calling to make sure you’re okay. We’re all worried about you.”
The sound of crunching metal torments my thoughts. “Nobody needs to worry.” Guilt and shame swirl inside of me.
“You saying that makes me worry more.”
“Why?”
“Because what happened wasn’t your fault.”
My free hand balls into a fist, pressing against my forehead. All my muscles tense, feeling the jolt the car took when it went into the tree.
I’ve heard that line a thousand times now. Still, it doesn’t change anything. Two little girls don’t have their daddy coming home at night. I’ll always be responsible for that.
