Circles

Chapter Forty Eight

            “You two can stay in my room, but you can’t stay for long,” Savannah says as we walk into her house.

            “Why not?” Matthew asks resentfully. “You’re my sister.”

            “Matt, you know I love you, but I can’t get in trouble,” she says. “You two can have my bed, I’ll sleep with Steven.”

            “Who’s Steven?” Matthew asks accusingly.

            She rolls her eyes at him. “He’s my boyfriend, Matt.” We walk into her bedroom.

            “You have a boyfriend?” Matthew asks. “Since when?”

            “We’ve been together for almost a year, now,” she says. “Not that it’s any of your business.”

            “I can’t believe you!” he says. “I tell you everything.”

            “Whatever, Matt, do you want my bed or not?”

            “Yes, Savannah, thank you,” I say.

            “How long do we have until you kick us out?” Matthew demands.

            “Don’t you dare try to make me feel bad,” she says, getting in his face. “And I’m sorry, but I can only let you stay the night.”

            “Thanks for the hospitality,” Matthew says sarcastically.

            She shoves him and walks out of the room, shutting the door behind her. We sit on her bed.

            “What are we going to do?” I ask.

            “Whatever we have to,” he says, looking at the floor.

            “Look at me,” I say quietly.

            He doesn’t look up. “I’m so sorry,” he says. “I’m so sorry.”

            “You have nothing to be sorry for,” I say.

            “I can’t believe I got us into this; that I got you into this,” he says quietly. “I’ll never forgive myself.”

            I grab his chin and force him to look at me, and he looks weaker than I have ever seen him before. “We are fine. Do you hear me? We are fine.”

            He shakes his head slowly. “We’re not fine.”

            “We are fine if we’re together,” I say. “Right now, we are. That’s all that matters.”

            He laughs a little. “When did you turn into the confident one?”

            I hug him. “When I had to.”

            “Alex, wake up, we have to go.” Matthew shakes me.

            “What? Why now?”

            “I want to go before Savannah wakes up,” he says.

            “Why?”

            “I can’t face her. I thought of somewhere to go. Bring the blanket from the bed,” he directs.

            I nod and get up. “Okay.”