Page 184 of The Secret We Keep
I laugh, seeing the amused horror in her eyes.
“Honestly, she was so lost, she took all her clothes off and was wandering around the hall at night.”
“You have a lock on your door, right?”
“Yes, Paddy, but that’s not the point.” She gives my arm a light slap. “Esme and a few of the other girls had to help her back into her nighty in the dark.”
The mental image has me shuddering. “Poor Esme.”
“Poor Mrs Peterson. It was cold.” She points both index fingers at me near her breasts, eyebrows raised.
I shudder, pulling Morgan closer to me. “Can you tell me aboutyourday and not Mrs Peterson’s nipples?”
She wraps her arms around my neck. “You already know about my day.” Then she snuggles closer.
“I want to hear it again.”
Thirty minutes later, we’re still outside, both mugs of tea gone cold. The tips of my fingers tingle in the freezing air, but not wanting to move, I tuck them underneath Morgan’s blanket. “You’re shivering.”
She smiles against my neck where her face is buried. “Am not.” Her tone is soft. Dreamy.
My teeth chatter. What a day to choose not to wear a coat.
“Come on. We can go inside if you like.” She sits up straight on my lap, and the cold seeps into the small gap between us.
I look up, seeing the tip of her nose reddened by the cold. She must be freezing too, but she looks unbelievably at peace when she’s out here. “You love it out here, don’t you?”
She tightens her ponytail. “Reminds me of the oak tree.”
The shell of the apple tree we’re freezing our arses off under bears no resemblance to the old oak tree in Stoney Grange. I squint, trying to see what she sees.
“Okay, don’t hurt yourself,” she giggles. “I meant figuratively, not literally.”
“Oh.” I smile with a dismissive shake of my head like I knew what she meant all along. “Why?” I look up at the skinny branches that have shed their leaves for winter.
Musing to herself, Morgan gives me a glowing smile. “It reminds me of the first time I knew I loved you.” My heart skips a beat. “When you chased us after we caught you and Danny and the other boys by the tree. I sit out here when I’m missing you.” She stands, adjusting her blanket.
I know she’s out here all the time, and it breaks my heart knowing how lonely she feels once I’ve gone. “Well,” I say, standing to my feet and rubbing my icicles for fingers together. I blow into my hands, cupped around my mouth. “You don’t have to miss me for much longer. I spoke to the rehabilitation team leader, and after your next session with the psychiatrist, the social worker will be in touch with your parents to make sure everything’s in place at home.” Taking her hand in mine, we start heading inside.
“You’re sure?” She’s hesitant to come home, but I can hear the hope in her voice that she won’t be here for much longer.
“Positive, curly fries.”
Squeezing my hand, her frozen fingers make me shiver. “Promise me if you insist on sitting out here, you’ll startwearing gloves?”
“Okay, Paddy O’Keefe,” she sings, humouring me as we make it to the door.
I love that she still calls me by my full name when we’re being serious.
Reaching room number seven, I follow Morgan inside and watch as she grabs her notebook off the bedside table.
“Will you bring me a new one tomorrow?”
“Already?” I say with a gasp, placing the mugs down and taking it out of her hand. “You didn’t waste your time filling this up.” I flick through the pages seeing her notes and scribbles.
“My head’s been busy.” She gives me a small smile as she sits on her bed and unwraps the blanket from around her shoulders.
“Shall I bring in the typewriter? Shove it under my jacket and sneak it in?”
