The Fourth of July and the Surrounding Events

CHAPTER 19 (Morgan)

Watching my hopes and dreams from the past six years get washed down the drain was surprisingly harder than I thought it would be. My tears felt like acid running down my face, and I could taste blood in my mouth from where I had been biting down on my tongue. Somehow, whenever I'm with Alexa, I always end up in tears. Maybe it's a precursor for how our relationship would've gone if I had just sucked it up and told her straight away. Either way, everything I wanted from her was gone. The kiss we shared based on forgiveness was now null. The promise to start over as friends were erased. The goofy laughs we shared at her pool will never happen again. If I know anything about Alexandria, is that she will hold a grudge and never let it go, and I just broke her trust. When she put her guard up, she proved she's still the same stubborn girl she was six years ago, just more hurt and steeled over. So, when she walked away from me, I had zero hope she'd ever let me in again.

I sat at that cursed table for what felt like an eternity. Tears pouring down my cheeks and falling onto the table, puddling as I sobbed. I could hear people around me leaving and going on with their nights, but it felt impossible to stand up. I didn't want to leave. Leaving this restaurant meant solidifying the fact that I just fucked up my entire friendship, and possible relationship, with Alexa. Purely based on logic, I knew I had to leave soon, but in my clouded head, I would sit here until the morning, hoping she might come back to me.

About 40 minutes later, the cheese grater waiter came over to tell me I had to "kindly leave the premises as it was closing." Nodding, I wiped my tears off the table and grabbed my purse off the seat. I had taken an Uber to the restaurant because my mom said she'd drive us both home after getting ice cream, but clearly, that never happened, leaving me with no ride home.

C'mon, Mom, really? It's already been a shitty night, and now I have to find an Uber at this hour in this tiny fucking town. Great.

Wrapping my thin sweater around me as I walked out the restaurant doors into the cool night air, I instantly regretted my choice in clothing, or lack thereof. My short dress and cardigan made for a cute match, just not in 65-degree weather. It might be summer, but Maine really didn't warm up if you lived close to the piers. Staring down at the Uber app on my phone as I walked, I bumped into a solid object. Looking up to the "object," I laid my eyes on an extremely attractive woman. Her dark eyes and jet black hair piqued my interest immediately.

This is so fucking cliche. I just want to sleep and forget today ever happened. Not talk to this girl who is a stranger and probably a really bad person.

"Hey," she said, her voice deep and smooth.

Fuck, well, I wasn't really expecting that.

"Err, hi," I mumbled.

I could feel her eyes running up and down my body, grazing over every uncovered part of me. They finally landed on their target, my eyes.

"Were you crying?" she asked nonchalantly.

Again, I could feel her eyes watching me carefully, this time studying my face.

"Is it that obvious?" I laughed nervously.

Nodding, the girl leaned against the wall to the side of me. "Obvious? Yes. But hey, if it's any consolation, it's dark enough to barely tell."

"Should I hide behind my hair a little more?" I joked dryly, pulling my blonde hair in front of my eyes.

Lifting a hand to my face, she gently moved the pieces of hair out of my eyesight, "No, don't hide your emotions. Did something bad happen?"

Looking down at my shoes, I avoided her question.

Getting the hint, she cleared her throat, bringing my attention back to her. "Do you need a ride home? I parked over there," she said quietly, pointing in the direction of a silver Aston Martin. "And I promise I'm not a serial killer, I don't really know how to prove that, but I'm not."

"Never get in the car of a random stranger," they said, but they never said, "never get in a pretty girl's Aston Martin." So like an idiot, I nodded, agreeing to her proposition for a ride home. Walking over to the silver car, she opened the passenger side door for me, just like Alexa had only five days ago. Shoving the ruined memories of my childhood best friend out of my head, I slid into the seat, taking in the scent of lemon and sugar.

"Oh, I'm sorry about the overwhelming smell, my ex-girlfriend loved it and I grew to as well," she apologized quickly.

So she's gay? I should've seen that coming from the khaki pants and black collared shirt.

Reassuring her that the scent was fine, I settled into the seat, smoothing my dress down as best as I could. It might have been a little too short, but anything to spite my mother at this point.

"Okay, Missy," she joked, "where to?"

Giggling at the name she had given me, I told her the directions to my house. Ten short minutes later, we were parked in my driveway, breathless.

As soon as we hit the roads, she turned the radio on, explaining that she always listened to the radio when she drove anywhere. So, blasting music at midnight, we drove through the winding streets of Maine to my grandfather's house.

Finally getting a hold of my breathing, I thanked her profusely for the ride. Grabbing my purse off the floor, I went to open my door, to find it already open. She stood there with a silly grin on her face, one hand extending downwards to me.

"Here we are, Missy, your carriage has come to a stop, and we are at the palace," she goofed off.

Taking her hand, I stepped out of her car, standing awkwardly to the side as she shut the door. "Really, thank you, I don't know how I would've gotten home without you. I owe you one, you're a lifesaver," I thanked her again.

"You don't owe me anything, really, I just try to be nice in hopes that karma will take care of me," the girl said lightly.

"Can I hug you? As payment then?" I asked her.

"Of course. I'd like that."

Stepping forward, I hugged her, my head coming up just shy of her chin. I didn't realize she was that much taller than me. Her arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly. Sinking into the embrace, I felt noticed. I barely met this girl, but I already feel like I know her. Finally stepping apart from her, I looked up at her to see her smiling down at me.

Saying goodbye, I waved as she drove off.

What in the hell just happened?

A pretty girl with an Aston Martin just drove me home, and we sang 70s music the entire time. I'm not a gold digger, but shit, her car makes me weak.

Heading inside and upstairs to my room, I quickly laid down, getting ready to slip away into dreamland. I was thoroughly exhausted. Physically, mentally, and emotionally. First with my own mother standing me up, then the fiasco with Alexa, and then her.

Shit. Her.

Sitting up as fast as I had laid down, I mentally slapped myself.

I didn't get her name.