A/N The rest of the chapters will all be POVs. The 1st two chapters aren't
because we needed to know what both Morgan and Hunter were thinking. This
chapter is from Morgan's POV.
Morgan's POV:-
I can't believe she's going to be 18. Finally, she will be an adult and in only eight months, she will be finished with school. Then we will truly begin our lives together.
-G(omanach
"Morgan." I turned quickly, feeling uncharacteristically perky. "Happy Birthday!" I grinned at Mary K. and hugged her. I skipped downstairs and went into the kitchen to greet mom and dad.
"Morning Birthday Girl!" I hugged my mom and dad in turn and then grabbed a Diet Coke from the fridge. Mary K. tutted, rolling her eyes and I crossed my fingers to ward off health food. I met her gaze and we both laughed. It was comforting to see my family relaxed in a way that they hadn't been for over a year. Last year... oh God, last year.
I choked on the mouthful of Coke I had just taken, trying not to spray it all over my family. I excused myself and headed for the bathroom. Once I was out of the room, I sprinted and leaned heavily on the sink, staring into it. I was breathing deeply and shaking uncontrollably. The door rang and I heard distant voices as Mary K. let them in.
"Morgan, Hunter's here." She called. I straightened up and shouted back that I would be there in a minute. I dried my eyes and cleaned myself up and then hurried out to meet Hunter.
He was standing alone in the hall. He smiled as he saw me approaching. "Hello love, Happy Birthday." He looked at me closely. "What's wrong?" He wrapped his arms around me and I sobbed gently into his shirt. "What's wrong?"
I tilted my head and gazed up at him. I was just thinking about..." I faltered, "about last year." He looked away, causing me to start crying again. I stared desperately into his green eyes, but they had clouded over.
A shadow of memories flew over me. Cal giving me presents. Hunter showing up at his house. Cal running into the woods. Cal and Hunter fighting. Throwing the athame. Hunter falling over the cliff. Finding out that Hunter was still alive.
I lunged towards the bathroom and vomited, my stomach muscles heaving. My face crumpled into sobs when I felt Hunter's strong, gentle hands carefully lifting back my long hair. He wet a washcloth and pressed it against my face. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me upstairs. He laid me down gently on my bed. I felt the mattress sink as he sat down next to me and began to stroke my hair.
"It's okay love, I'm here." He soothed. I sobbed gently into my pillow until he lifted my head and turned my to look at him. "Look at me." I did. "I know you still feel guilty about what happened." Major understatement. "But I'm still here, I'm still here with you." He kissed me softly and I wiped my tears aside.
"You're right." I whispered.
"I have to go but I'll see you at the circle tonight." I nodded and walked him to the door. "Please don't worry." He said as he slipped out into the street and disappeared from view.
Morgan's POV:-
I can't believe she's going to be 18. Finally, she will be an adult and in only eight months, she will be finished with school. Then we will truly begin our lives together.
-G(omanach
"Morgan." I turned quickly, feeling uncharacteristically perky. "Happy Birthday!" I grinned at Mary K. and hugged her. I skipped downstairs and went into the kitchen to greet mom and dad.
"Morning Birthday Girl!" I hugged my mom and dad in turn and then grabbed a Diet Coke from the fridge. Mary K. tutted, rolling her eyes and I crossed my fingers to ward off health food. I met her gaze and we both laughed. It was comforting to see my family relaxed in a way that they hadn't been for over a year. Last year... oh God, last year.
I choked on the mouthful of Coke I had just taken, trying not to spray it all over my family. I excused myself and headed for the bathroom. Once I was out of the room, I sprinted and leaned heavily on the sink, staring into it. I was breathing deeply and shaking uncontrollably. The door rang and I heard distant voices as Mary K. let them in.
"Morgan, Hunter's here." She called. I straightened up and shouted back that I would be there in a minute. I dried my eyes and cleaned myself up and then hurried out to meet Hunter.
He was standing alone in the hall. He smiled as he saw me approaching. "Hello love, Happy Birthday." He looked at me closely. "What's wrong?" He wrapped his arms around me and I sobbed gently into his shirt. "What's wrong?"
I tilted my head and gazed up at him. I was just thinking about..." I faltered, "about last year." He looked away, causing me to start crying again. I stared desperately into his green eyes, but they had clouded over.
A shadow of memories flew over me. Cal giving me presents. Hunter showing up at his house. Cal running into the woods. Cal and Hunter fighting. Throwing the athame. Hunter falling over the cliff. Finding out that Hunter was still alive.
I lunged towards the bathroom and vomited, my stomach muscles heaving. My face crumpled into sobs when I felt Hunter's strong, gentle hands carefully lifting back my long hair. He wet a washcloth and pressed it against my face. He scooped me up in his arms and carried me upstairs. He laid me down gently on my bed. I felt the mattress sink as he sat down next to me and began to stroke my hair.
"It's okay love, I'm here." He soothed. I sobbed gently into my pillow until he lifted my head and turned my to look at him. "Look at me." I did. "I know you still feel guilty about what happened." Major understatement. "But I'm still here, I'm still here with you." He kissed me softly and I wiped my tears aside.
"You're right." I whispered.
"I have to go but I'll see you at the circle tonight." I nodded and walked him to the door. "Please don't worry." He said as he slipped out into the street and disappeared from view.