If And Maybe

annoying than anything. Yes he understood the purpose. But maybe he should have rejected it like Tom did

, he imagined Peggy in with him. Skipping along like she did when she got bored. It was her power move to get their mom or him or Tom to hurry up. Tom would make a point of walk

well, he looked through. He'd done so more times than he can count. Too familiar with the path he was on to care about where he was going. She was talking in a video, telling her mom to look up from her movie and say hi to Sawyer. And she did. They both

awy

d his phone and shoved it in his trouser pocket. "Hi." He looked at the person beside her. "Hi." He said t

boyfriend's hand and subtly took a st

ed back to h

rn of her boyfriend's head to Laura. A

d of disa

glasses and rubbed his eye. He wasn't ready to expl

e yo

that had never happened before. Not in two months. To crown it off... no introduction. Would it be stupid to force the introduction betw

now. He's not ready. And not in front of- "I'm sorry, I d

"Zeke." Then c

my boyfriend.

wyer nodded once. It was lik

Zeke truly is with her. She wanted an explanation. But not now. "Never mind.

r an explanation. A good one. He nodded and moved past them.

oelle's room. It didn't occur to him that maybe she was busy or out. But lucki

ed him, realizing, "You haven't told her have you?" He sho

ed to go around telling everyone-" Still ca

apped her bottom lip with he

dn't notice you, you go to her for the first time, introduce yourself, tell her y

ross from him. "You don't have to tell her the main thing. You had family problems and you were home for a few days and you got upset and- very upset

e once the withdrawal... stuff happens you'

always been an after thought. Except fo

ing what and she left out. "A

you could, and apologized. You are sorry ri

ns and I'll tell her." Then he r

beat. She couldn't believe it. He was laughing. It warmed her heart and made her smile. He stopped laughing and smiled too. It made him look as it always

e and seeing she did. Her face changed. "It's okay." He scoffed, she nodded. "I'll call her now." She nodded again. Still the same look of guilt. "Elle, seriously. It's

his bed. More out of satisfaction than exhaustion. Then without any true reason, he thought, what would Peggy say if he told her about Laura? Two

s throat. He let out a breath. Then came the guilt. As much as he knew she would be happy he wasn't in his room constantly and isolating everyone, it felt like a better option than living without them, it wasn't fair to them. He closed his e

and underneath his pillow and pulled out his ph

's A

nk of Peggy. "Where's Tom?" Why wa

ound. How

him. Tom's girlfriends had a way of shifting sides in his presence. Tom never liked it and he f

e." She cu

phone? Who is that?

wyer." Sh

ve

brother stretch

poke. "Sorry

it. How

all you? Are you comin

him and not the other way around. "No

seconds. "I live here you k

he knew. "T

hem. And neither is dad. I'm here a

ilt. "I'

summer. When Toby calls you can shape your lie and make da

't know how he stays there all by himself. His friends wouldn't be over every minute of everyday. And here he was te