Saved By Her Guitar
Chapter Four
Morgan walked into the suite.
“Do you know what time it is?” her father asked from the living room.
“You’re a living cliché if you’re sitting in an armchair with the lights off.”
“You think it’s a joke. Don’t start this here because I can guarantee you that-
“You’ll what? Send me back to mom? Admit that you couldn’t fix my behavioral issues? You’ll never surrender to her parental criticisms toward you. You won’t let her win even if it means letting me run you into the ground.”
He walked over to her from his chair.
“Don’t challenge me, Morgan. I love you girls and your mother but I’ll do what I have to in order to make my point to you.”
He walked away.
“You’re going to bed with that whore but you love mom. You sure have a funny way of showing it.”
She went to sleep on the couch and woke up on the couch.
“Yo,” she answered when her phone rang.
“I’m outside.”
“Dillan?”
“Let’s go. Leave your car.”
“Leave-
“Morgan.”
“I’m coming.”
Outside, she slid into Dillan’s passenger seat.
“Wake me when we get there.”
Smiling, “Okay.”
An hour later she felt Dillan shaking her leg.
“Hm?”
“We’re here.”
She sat up and stretched.
“Okay. I’m ready.”
Then she looked out the window and spotted the black, two door Infiniti G35, tinted windows with spoiler rims, the works.
“That’s the car?” she asked wide eyed.
“Yup.”
“Who’s it going to?”
“Who ever gets here first. That’s us.”
“I’ll split it with you.”
“You can have it.”
Although her face was shadowed, he could feel her eyes on him.
“We’ll split it,” she said getting out.
“Do you-
“Don’t insult me.”
She went over to the car and walked around it. She gave Dillan the thumbs up and stood in front of the driver’s side door. He watched her anxiously then the door opened.
“No way,” he said under his breath.
She got in the car and he waited then he heard the car roar to life. She let the window down and smiled then drove away.
As they were driving away they saw three cars arriving.
Back at the shop, they stood in front of the car with the hood up.
“They kept the engine and made minor modifications,” he voiced.
“Who wouldn’t keep it? It’s mostly an outside job. They meant it to look like a racer’s car but never actually planned on racing it. The tires and oil give it away. Nice try, though. What’s the plan? What’re you thinking?”
She looked over at him and he was smiling at her.
“What?”
“There’s just something about a girl who talks car.”
“What’s her face talks car.”
“It’s not the same. She’s full of it. She just wants what she can’t have.” He shook his head and looked away, “Besides, she’s been tainted by Caleb.”
“I see.”
“And I’m pretty sure he’s still tainting her.”
Morgan laughed.
“I didn’t mean to laugh. I mean, I wasn’t laughing at you. It’s just, that line was funny.”
She smiled at him but it quickly faded when he didn’t return the gesture.
“I’m sorry, Dillan. Truly I am.”
He smiled then.
“I like the way you say my name.”
He noticed her blushing and took the opportunity.
“About that kiss.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t lead me on. I do, honestly, like you. I think we’d be good together.”
“Of course you do. You like me.”
“I’m a good judge of character.”
“Caleb.”
“He and I have history. Anyway, I meant with girls.”
“You’re single.”
“Exactly.”
“You have all the answers.”
He smiled that mischievous smile she’d seen when she first met him.
“I have one for you,” she said.
“I’m all ears.”
“If you’re such a good judge, what’s your excuse for liking me?”
He rolled his eyes, “Easy. Because I know that what you show on the surface isn’t what you are underneath.”
Her eyes went wide; but in disbelief or horror?
“You genuinely love your parents and want them together. You love your father and I think you fight because it makes you still feel connected to him. But you’ll hurt him for the sake of your mother. And I don’t know who you were talking to on the phone after school today or, er, yesterday but who ever it was made you smile in a way I haven’t seen since. And that smile is a glimpse into who you really are.”
As if she were ashamed to have been caught for a horrible crime, she lowered her head, defeated. She leaned back on the car. Her hands came up to cover her face. He heard her let out a quick sigh.
“Wow,” she finally managed.
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She opened her mouth to argue but then closed it again.
“Maybe it was too soon,” he scrambled. “I should’ve kept my mouth shut; way to go, Dillan. You’ve known her a few days and you give her her own life story,” he rambled. “I blew it.”
“Dillan?”
He turned to her and she put her arms around his neck and her hands in his hair.
“You didn’t blow it, you just freaked me out is all. Guys never really get me. You did a good job,” she laughed lightly. “I still find you interesting. You’re still attractive. And I still think you’re a cop.”
He laughed.
“No harm, no foul,” she said.
“So? You wanna date a cop?”
She lowered her eyes.
“I like hose pretty eyes on me.”
She met his eyes once more, serious.
“What is it?”
“If you can handle my personality for all that it is, then sure. But otherwise-
“Then I guess it’s official. My girlfriend is a thief.”
“I’m not a thief, I’m an entrepreneur.”
“Okay.”
“And my boyfriend’s a cop.”
“I’m FBI.”
“I knew it.”
Suddenly, he leaned in and kissed her.
“Well! Special Agent-
“Grey.”
“Special Agent Grey, I think you need to be promoted.”
“I just recently have been.”
She smiled and kissed him again.
“I should probably wake up at home.”
“I guess.”
He locked up the shop and they got in his car.
“You don’t have any criticisms about my car, do you?”
“Keywords: your car. You know what you like.”
“Logical.”
“Why? What’s wrong with my car?”
“Nothing. Nothing. I love your car.”
“Good cuz it’s awesome.”
When she got home they said goodnight and she went inside.
“Does your father know you’ve been out?”
She eyed Michelle in her lingerie with disgust.
“Do you know that my father’s old enough to be your father?”
“Well, if I told him-
“He wouldn’t believe you. He’ll always take my word over yours. You’re just a temporary provincial harlot. Neither you nor your existence worry’s me. Goodnight. Or rather, good morning.”
She walked down the hall, into her room and closed the door.
“Do you know what time it is?” her father asked from the living room.
“You’re a living cliché if you’re sitting in an armchair with the lights off.”
“You think it’s a joke. Don’t start this here because I can guarantee you that-
“You’ll what? Send me back to mom? Admit that you couldn’t fix my behavioral issues? You’ll never surrender to her parental criticisms toward you. You won’t let her win even if it means letting me run you into the ground.”
He walked over to her from his chair.
“Don’t challenge me, Morgan. I love you girls and your mother but I’ll do what I have to in order to make my point to you.”
He walked away.
“You’re going to bed with that whore but you love mom. You sure have a funny way of showing it.”
She went to sleep on the couch and woke up on the couch.
“Yo,” she answered when her phone rang.
“I’m outside.”
“Dillan?”
“Let’s go. Leave your car.”
“Leave-
“Morgan.”
“I’m coming.”
Outside, she slid into Dillan’s passenger seat.
“Wake me when we get there.”
Smiling, “Okay.”
An hour later she felt Dillan shaking her leg.
“Hm?”
“We’re here.”
She sat up and stretched.
“Okay. I’m ready.”
Then she looked out the window and spotted the black, two door Infiniti G35, tinted windows with spoiler rims, the works.
“That’s the car?” she asked wide eyed.
“Yup.”
“Who’s it going to?”
“Who ever gets here first. That’s us.”
“I’ll split it with you.”
“You can have it.”
Although her face was shadowed, he could feel her eyes on him.
“We’ll split it,” she said getting out.
“Do you-
“Don’t insult me.”
She went over to the car and walked around it. She gave Dillan the thumbs up and stood in front of the driver’s side door. He watched her anxiously then the door opened.
“No way,” he said under his breath.
She got in the car and he waited then he heard the car roar to life. She let the window down and smiled then drove away.
As they were driving away they saw three cars arriving.
Back at the shop, they stood in front of the car with the hood up.
“They kept the engine and made minor modifications,” he voiced.
“Who wouldn’t keep it? It’s mostly an outside job. They meant it to look like a racer’s car but never actually planned on racing it. The tires and oil give it away. Nice try, though. What’s the plan? What’re you thinking?”
She looked over at him and he was smiling at her.
“What?”
“There’s just something about a girl who talks car.”
“What’s her face talks car.”
“It’s not the same. She’s full of it. She just wants what she can’t have.” He shook his head and looked away, “Besides, she’s been tainted by Caleb.”
“I see.”
“And I’m pretty sure he’s still tainting her.”
Morgan laughed.
“I didn’t mean to laugh. I mean, I wasn’t laughing at you. It’s just, that line was funny.”
She smiled at him but it quickly faded when he didn’t return the gesture.
“I’m sorry, Dillan. Truly I am.”
He smiled then.
“I like the way you say my name.”
He noticed her blushing and took the opportunity.
“About that kiss.”
“Yeah?”
“Don’t lead me on. I do, honestly, like you. I think we’d be good together.”
“Of course you do. You like me.”
“I’m a good judge of character.”
“Caleb.”
“He and I have history. Anyway, I meant with girls.”
“You’re single.”
“Exactly.”
“You have all the answers.”
He smiled that mischievous smile she’d seen when she first met him.
“I have one for you,” she said.
“I’m all ears.”
“If you’re such a good judge, what’s your excuse for liking me?”
He rolled his eyes, “Easy. Because I know that what you show on the surface isn’t what you are underneath.”
Her eyes went wide; but in disbelief or horror?
“You genuinely love your parents and want them together. You love your father and I think you fight because it makes you still feel connected to him. But you’ll hurt him for the sake of your mother. And I don’t know who you were talking to on the phone after school today or, er, yesterday but who ever it was made you smile in a way I haven’t seen since. And that smile is a glimpse into who you really are.”
As if she were ashamed to have been caught for a horrible crime, she lowered her head, defeated. She leaned back on the car. Her hands came up to cover her face. He heard her let out a quick sigh.
“Wow,” she finally managed.
“I didn’t mean to upset you.”
She opened her mouth to argue but then closed it again.
“Maybe it was too soon,” he scrambled. “I should’ve kept my mouth shut; way to go, Dillan. You’ve known her a few days and you give her her own life story,” he rambled. “I blew it.”
“Dillan?”
He turned to her and she put her arms around his neck and her hands in his hair.
“You didn’t blow it, you just freaked me out is all. Guys never really get me. You did a good job,” she laughed lightly. “I still find you interesting. You’re still attractive. And I still think you’re a cop.”
He laughed.
“No harm, no foul,” she said.
“So? You wanna date a cop?”
She lowered her eyes.
“I like hose pretty eyes on me.”
She met his eyes once more, serious.
“What is it?”
“If you can handle my personality for all that it is, then sure. But otherwise-
“Then I guess it’s official. My girlfriend is a thief.”
“I’m not a thief, I’m an entrepreneur.”
“Okay.”
“And my boyfriend’s a cop.”
“I’m FBI.”
“I knew it.”
Suddenly, he leaned in and kissed her.
“Well! Special Agent-
“Grey.”
“Special Agent Grey, I think you need to be promoted.”
“I just recently have been.”
She smiled and kissed him again.
“I should probably wake up at home.”
“I guess.”
He locked up the shop and they got in his car.
“You don’t have any criticisms about my car, do you?”
“Keywords: your car. You know what you like.”
“Logical.”
“Why? What’s wrong with my car?”
“Nothing. Nothing. I love your car.”
“Good cuz it’s awesome.”
When she got home they said goodnight and she went inside.
“Does your father know you’ve been out?”
She eyed Michelle in her lingerie with disgust.
“Do you know that my father’s old enough to be your father?”
“Well, if I told him-
“He wouldn’t believe you. He’ll always take my word over yours. You’re just a temporary provincial harlot. Neither you nor your existence worry’s me. Goodnight. Or rather, good morning.”
She walked down the hall, into her room and closed the door.