Within View

Chapter Two

          "Mag!" Kelsey nearly shrieked when she opened the bedroom door and found Maggie and Jason curled together under the covers. The morning light that came though the window illuminated their bare skin and the shape of their entangled bodies through the blankets.

          "Kelsey, get out," Maggie mumbled as she quickly lifted the covers over her breasts. Jason buried himself against her, trying not to laugh. "Shit, Mag," he giggled, feeling the burn of Kelsey's eyes on his exposed back.

          "Mr. Tom's been out on the town looking for Jason all night, you know that?" The vein in Kelsey's forehead was popped out under her reddening face. She clutched at her cell phone like she was going to break it. "He even tried to file a missing person's report with the cops, he was so damn scared."

          "Shit," Jason whispered again, now paled with guilt. He cleared his throat and glanced back to Kelsey. "Yeah, I'll go. Sorry Kelsey."

          "Fuck yeah you should go. Check in with your father! It's not too much to ask after all the shit you put us through last year!" Kelsey picked his jeans up from the floor and threw them onto the bed. "Were you out partying? Your clothes smell like fucking booze. Are you even supposed to be drinking?"

          "He's going, okay!" Mag defended. "Get out so we can get dressed!"

          "Hurry up. I'll let Mr. Tom that Jason's on his way home." Kelsey started searching for the contact before she even slammed the door behind her.

          "I forgot to call him last night," Jason whispered as he quickly sat up and untangled the leg of his jeans. "I'm such an idiot. How could I forget? Fuck."

          "Don't say that," Maggie said as she sat up with him. "Kelsey shouldn't have said that. Could you toss me my bra?"

          "Well, she's right," Jason shrugged as he put his legs through his jeans and stood up to pull them over his waist. His skin prickled over with goosebumps at the touch of the cold air, and Maggie couldn't help but grin at the sight of him. He appeared to be even healthier than before everything that happened, with the shape of his abs standing out in the soft light that came through the window and his chest flexing as he zipped and buttoned his jeans.

          Her eyes grazed over the scars on his wrist again, and she quickly looked away with a crease in her brow.

          "Shit, shit, shit," he groaned and brushed his hands through his hair as he searched the floor. When he found Meg's bra, he gave it to her. He also took one of her clean shirts out of her closet and tossed it onto the bed. "Want some shorts?" He asked as he browsed her clothes.

          "Yeah, thanks," Maggie answered and caught the shorts he tossed onto the bed.

          "I haven't been this hungover in a while," he groaned as he quickly found his shirt on the floor and unfolded it. "My dad's gonna be pissed. I'm lucky he even let me move back in with him after I got out. His wife's gonna tell him I'm a bad influence on Kim and Mason. She's not gonna let me take them to the 5k. I was stupid to think she would anyways." He spoke as if he was speaking to himself. "Where am I supposed to go if she tells him to kick me out? Ryan's? God, Mag, I miss having our own place." Then he quickly added, lifting his hand, "Not that I'm saying, you know, we should move back in together or anything likes that. Because, we're starting over." Then he tilted his head curiously and asked, "Are we starting over?"

         "We should barbecue for our 10th anniversary," Maggie offered with a raised brow. "This Saturday."

          "Really?" His eyes widened and a giddy smile spread over his mouth. Then he pulled his shirt over his head, over his chest and abdomen, and then he sat at the edge of the bed with Maggie.  "You wanna celebrate our 10th?" He asked in a whisper, as if saying it too loud would be dangerous.