Chapter Ten Cont.
*'GIRLFRIEND?!'*
I jerked my head to the side so fast, I damn near gave myself whiplash. "G-g-g-gir-girlfriend?" I stuttered out. Was I the only one that was clueless or did everyone else know what was happening. Everyone laughed at my reaction. Anger started boiling into my chest at a slow rate. I'm never the last one to know anything, and yet it seems like everyone is keeping SOMETHING away from me, including Sabrina. Ever since the night of the wedding, she's been rather distant as well.
"Yes, you heard correctly Morgan." My dad causally said, scooping food onto his plate. "Dinner looks great by the way honey."
"Thank you, dear. Morgan sweetie, are you okay?"
"May I be excused please?" I pushed away from the table. I was reeling from embarrassment. I felt stupid in so many ways, yet this is what I've been waiting for from him. I had so many questions first. I didn't want to be rude and turn him down, I just wanted to go outside and think first.
"Of course, would you like me to join you? Or would you rather be alone?" Celest's voice dropped a couple octaves, trying to gauge my mood and the situation. She knows something happened and she's not eluding to it.
"I would like to be alone for a few minutes, if that's okay." I sighed, starting to head towards the kitchen to go out the back door.
"Absolutely honey, we will be here when you're ready." Celest folded her hands on the table and gave a small smile. "Take all the time you need. I understand you have questions and you absolutely deserve answers. Isn't that right, Mark?"
I didn't look at the look Celest was giving Mark, but based on the clearing of his throat, she put him right on the spot. I smiled softly. She always had my back.
"Absolutely! Morgan," Mark stood from his chair, walking over to me he lifted my chin so I could look into his eyes. "I'm an open book. Whatever you need to ask, ask. I won't hide anything from you."
"You promise, no matter what the question is, you'll answer it?" I cocked an eyebrow. His eyes sparkled with mischief.
"I promise. There is no way I'm going to lose you, especially when I've just found you." He smirked. I was the biggest pain in the ass you'll ever meet, and I certainly wasn't going to take any shit from anyone. Mark understood that before really getting to know me, and he was prepared to take the brat I am on with full force.
"Bet. I'm going to get some fresh air, I'll be right back." I smiled, knowing that I'd be getting some answers soon. When I start getting a million questions in my head, I overanalyze and hyperfocus. Overthinking is a bitch.
Walking out into the cool, crisp night, the evening summer breeze licked my skin, blowing my hair back over my shoulders. I took a deep breath in, focusing on releasing my negative energy out into the night sky. Summer nights made me think of my mom, a lot. Her and I would always sit out on the back porch of our old house and we would stare at the night sky together. I looked up, focusing on the stars she had always pointed out to me.
"I miss you mom, so much." I sighed, thinking that she might here me. I love Celest and everything she has done for me and with me. It didn't stop me from missing my mom. As I stared into the night sky, a jolt of electricity shot through me. It startled me to my core, goosebumps erupted over my entire body. I turned my gaze to the side, half expecting Mark to be there, but no one was there. The hairs on the back of my neck stood straight, causing my fear to spike. No one should be around this area; yet, I felt a sense of foreboding anguish around me. I never traveled into the woods around the area at night, fearing something much greater than me lurked in the deepest, darkest part of the woods that surrounded Celest's mansion.
Stumbling back towards the door, I kept my eyes on the woods and trees around me. I learned really quickly to never turn your back on anything that made your skin crawl; there was more than just us out here. As I reached the door, I raised my left hand feeling for the door knob so that I could escape into the sanctity of my home, where the people who could keep me safe were at. I managed to grab a hold of the door knob, quickly turning it.
"Oh Morgan, you can't escape me." A deep voice floated from the tree line. Without any hesitation, I threw my weight into the door, quickly entering the threshold before slamming it behind me. I locked it, holding my hands up against it like that would keep the intruder outside and away from me. From the dining room, I heard someone scrambling to get away from the table and before I knew it, my dad was turning me around towards him.
"What the hell, Morgan! You damn near gave me a heart attack! What's wrong? Why do you look like you saw a ghost?!" My dad drew me into a bear hug, squeezing me tightly but gently. My body shook as the adrenaline from whatever the hell that was started winding down. I never realized I was hyperventilating until I was being held by my dad. Tears cascaded my face, sobs wrecked my chest as I wrapped my arms around my dads neck as tightly as I could.
"What happened Morgan, please tell me." My dad pleaded. He cooed me, rubbing my head to calm me down. I had never been this terrified in my life, and yet that feeling of foreboding doom never left my soul.
"Some *hiccup* thing *hiccup* is *hiccup* out *hiccup* there."
"What?!" Mark roared, making me jump. I burrowed further into my dad.
"Mark, calm down." Sabrina scolded. "Can't you see Morgan's already terrified?!" She found her way next to me, rubbing my back.
"Celest."
"I'm on it." Celest walked out the door, Mark following closely behind her. Why was Mark following Celest?
"Can you tell me what happened?" My dad pulled me away from him, resting both his hands on my shoulders. I felt ashamed getting scared like that, but I recounted the whole event from me thinking about mom to right before I slammed the door. I saw a figure standing at the edge of the patio, eyes glowing red. I had made slight eye contact with it before slamming the door. Those eyes, like Marks, bore into mine. Like whatever that was wanted to see my soul.