Sunsets and storms ✓

Chapter 48

MATTHEW

"Dude you look like you haven't slept in days."

"Probably because I haven't."

"Is this the we need to talk about it kind of topic or the let's hit the boxing gym kind of one?"

"I'm not even sure anymore. Everything is fucked up, man."

"Alright, get changed and grab your bag. We're going boxing."

Still in a sleepy haze I get all of my stuff and make my way to the front door where Evan is already waiting for me. It's been a few days since Logan called me about the letter Megan got from her mother's lawyer. Everything seemed to go downhill from there. My mind has been running 130 miles per hour which is also the reason for my terrible sleep these past few days, or better the lack of sleep.

"Come on, M. Let's get you out of this rut. Here, eat this, I don't want you to faint." He hands me two protein bars and a bottle of water. He drives us to the local gym, the one he goes to a few times a week and where he tried me to tag along to but failed within a few months. "We can go grab some Indian food on the way back home if you want." Evan knows me well enough to know that the promise of food is enough to get me going. And maybe this boxing thing will be good for me.

Evan leads me through a warming up before placing me in front of one of the boxing bags and letting me go all out on it. I let out all of my anger, confusion, uncertainty and anxiety one hit at a time. The more I hit the clearer my head becomes. Picturing the people I hate most on the bag in front me and hitting with all the strength I can muster.

"Better?"

"Yeah, a bit. Thanks for getting me out of the house, I really needed it."

"No problem, man. That's what friends are for. You know we can talk if you want right? I mean, I'm not particularly known for heart-to-heart conversations and emotions and all that but still."

"Thanks Ev. Let's get that Indian food you promised and maybe then my head is clear enough to talk about everything." He hits my shoulder as an okay and gathers all of our stuff. I don't miss him checking out the dude a few feet away. Said dude seems to notice Evan as well and shoots a wink his way before going back to his workout. I've never seen Evan get out of a gym as quickly as he is now. His cheeks all rosy and his eyes wide. "I think you have some things to tell as well, Ev."

Evan tells me as little as he possibly can get away with about his gym crush before turning the conversation back to me. I fill him in on the letter Megan got and everything that's been going on with that.

"But doesn't she have a legal right to the inheritance since it were her parents?"

"Only part of it. Megan's grandparents arranged for Leonora to get her legal part and the rest was split between Megan and Owen. Leonora just want to get more."

"Does she even have a case for that? I mean she left Megan as a baby right?"

"Yeah and Owen as well. But it won't even come as far hopefully because the will was clear about who should get what and there's nothing she can do about that. Hopefully it will all blow over soon enough."

"Still stressful as fuck. But that can't be all you're dealing with. I know you man."

"So you know how I was hoping my internship could maybe result in a job offer? Yeah that's not going to happen. The firm merged with some other firm and they're already firing people. That meeting I had yesterday was about my future within the firm. They literally told me I have no chance of getting a job and that it's even still unclear whether my internship will be cut short or not."

"Wow, that really sucks. Can they just break contract like that?"

"Of course, they have money and power and I am a recent uni graduate doing an underpaid internship."

"So, you're stressing about the future? Thinking about how you can fix everyone's problems including your own?"

"You know me too well."

"One thing just isn't adding up, why didn't you go visit Megan after everything? Knowing you that would be your first response."

"It was but she didn't want me to miss work and I promised her I wouldn't."

"Do you still have work today?"

"Just a meeting at 2 but she's probably busy with school and I don't want to worry her with all of my stuff right now."

"Your mind is a weird place sometimes, dude. Just make sure you're at work on time before you start worrying about that as well."

Thanks to Evan's warning I make it to the office with nearly half an hour to spare. I make a stop in the breakroom to grab some coffee. At least today's meeting is about a project we're working on and not my future career.

When I get back home two hours later I hear voices coming from out flat before I even open the door. I hear Evan's loud laugh as someone continues to tell a story. I only know one person who can tell a story with this much enthusiasm and this loudly.

The first thing I see when I push the door open is Logan with his arms raised in the air flapping around like a damn bird as he continues telling his story. Evan is sitting on the couch, tears rolling down his cheeks as he laughs hysterically.

What stops me in my tracks, however, is the head of brown curls peeking out from above the back of the chair. The sound of my workbag hitting the counter has everyone turn their heads in my direction. Megan jumps up from her chair and runs towards me. I open my arms just on time for her to jump into them. I see Evan and Logan high-fiving behind her bringing back all the questions I had before Megan wrapped her body around mine.

"What? How? When? Someone please explain because my mind is all over the place."

"You were being an idiot."

"She was being and idiot."

"So be brought you two idiots to each other. Neither of you wanted to be a burden to each other even though it doesn't look like either of you is anything close to burdened at the moment."

"Now that we finally got that out of the way. We can order pizza in a bit and see how good the lady actually is at a game of pool."

"We're talking later, Matthew." Of course she immediately knows something is up. She's seen me going through enough breakdowns to recognise the signs. "Now, who of you two idiots am I going to crush first?"

Evan and Logan look oddly confident for how crushed their egos are going to be in a few minutes. I've only seen Megan play once when we were at a pub a few months ago and she crushed everyone there, I was only her first victim of the night. Now my two friends can join me on the 'lost from Megan Brown list'.