The Secret (Boston's Best 1)

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Matt

I walk into the elevator of my apartment complex in Charlestown and press the button for the thirtieth floor –the penthouse, and the doors start to close behind me.

A cane pokes through the gap between the two doors and they open automatically. An older lady with white hair finding its way out from beneath the scarf wrapped around her head and a carriage holding her grocery bags stares at me.

"Well, boy, aren't you gonna help me?" She asks.

I snap to attention and pull the cart into the elevator and extend my arm out to the lady.

She swats it away and mutters something to herself about the 'ungrateful youth nowadays'.

I exhale, "What floor are you going to?" I raise my  hand to press the button again.

She gives me a once over before saying, "Twenty-nine."

I press the number for her floor and mine and smile at her. "Guess we're neighbours then. Sorry I haven't introduced myself before, I'm not here all that often."

She looks me dead in my eyes and I can feel her stare in my soul. "You're John and Laura's kid?"

Oh. I nod and so does she. "I'm very sorry for your loss. Your parents were good people, and treated everyone well."

I extend my hand to her. "Matthew Brown." She shakes it, "Amelia Lancaster."

She looks at me for a few seconds. "I bet everyone says that you look more like your father, correct?"

"Yeah, they say it's the hair and face shape and stuff."

Amelia's eyes narrow, inspecting me further. "I can see that but you're your mama's boy all over. Spittin' image of her. Your father was a decent looking feller but he always just looked to foreign. You look like you belong here."

"He was white and Irish, not even ginger. I'm not sure how he could look very 'out of place'."

She continues staring at my face, not even listening to what I'm saying. "It's the eyes. You and your mama got those same kind eyes and a kinda funny looking nose that seems weird but make y'all handsome looking."

The doors slide open and Amelia slips out through them pushing her cart. "Come by for supper anytime, Matthew."

I lean back against the back wall as the doors close and I'm at a loss for words.

What the fuck was that?

I put the code in for our- for my place because the elevator opens right into the open floored kitchen, dining room, living room.

I haven't been back here in just over three months now I think.

Every weekend when my friends go home I pretend to come back here but really I just stay in the dorms by myself. Even after Penelope's party I dropped everyone back and even though I told them I came back here I turned right around after dropping Maddie off and drove to the school again.

Maddie.

Shit.

I kissed her last night.

I don't even know what came over me. Jealously? Envy? Desire? Okay, they're all just synonyms for the same thing but no matter what caused it I'm glad it happened.

Cause oh my god that girl...I swear she's been at the front of my mind since I met her and I want to be able to do that so many more times with her.

I walk out of the elevator and through the grand fucking room that is this penthouse.