The Secret (Boston's Best 1)

Chapter Fifty-Four

Matt

I was feeling ecstatic and obliviously happy with Maddie on my arm as we got off the plane and through security.

I was naive.

In many ways I was naive.

But thinking that I could hide from Eamon and Erica Brown and Jack and Charlotte Parker, was one of the stupidest things I could do.

The second we rolled our suitcases out of the doors of the airport and I saw both sets of my grandparents standing there with signs that had our names on them, I just felt happy to see them but almost instantly those thoughts sobered up and realised this was not about to be good.

Charlotte and Jack, my pop and nan retired in a lake house in Wellesley, so I saw them every once and a while because they were close. But Eamon and Erica my grandad and nana, they live in Dublin. As in Dublin, Ireland. As in Ireland that is across the ocean.

What the hell are they all doing here?

"Matthew," Nana says, walking forwards and pulling me into a hug.

I smile at her, "Hi, nana." I pull away and look around at my grandparents. "What are you all doing here? Not that I don't want to see you all, obviously. But what's going on?"

Nan comes forward too, "Hi, Matty. Are you going to introduce us to your friend?"

I wrap my arm around Maddie's back. "Grandparents, this is my girlfriend Maddie. Maddie, these are my grandparents, Eamon and Erica my dad's parents, and Charlotte and Jack my mom's parents."

Maddie smiles and lifts her hand in a small wave at them all. "Hi, it's really nice to meet you all."

Nan pulls her into a hug and so does nana, grandad shakes her hand and pop semi-grunts at her. Pop isn't all that big of a talker, he prefers to just stand and observe, and occasionally he'll say something very smart. But usually he just stays quiet.

Grandad pats me on the back and whispers, "You've been keeping secrets from us, Matthew."

I freeze up under his hand, "I don't know what you're talking about."

"Don't lie to me, Matthew. We know about Laura and John."

I turn my head to face him, "Listen, grandad, I can explain–"

"We'll talk about this at the apartment." He backs away and helps Nana into the car followed by my other set of grandparents.

We say our goodbyes and say we'll meet up at my apartment.

Maddie comes up beside me and we watch them all drive away.

"I'm about to be in deep shit here, Mads."

"Yeah, you are."

I look over at her and gasp, "Rude, Maddie. You're meant to be on my side."

She laughs, "I know, and I am. But you're gonna be in deep shit."

"Yeah, I know."

Back at the apartment my grandparents wait in the lobby for us and head straight to the elevator without saying a word and we follow them up to my place lugging our suitcases behind us.

After Maddie and I make them all tea or coffee we all sit in the dining room in silence.

I put my mug of coffee on the table and clear my throat, "Look, I'm really sorry that I didn't tell you guys about what actually happened. But I just thought that I was saving you the hurt of having to bring up that grief again."

"Matty, we're going to carry that grief for the rest of our lives no matter how it happened." Nan says, reaching across the table and taking my hand in hers. "No parent should ever have to bury their child and no child should lose their parents so young. But it happened and we all have to live with that."

Nana smiles at me, "And we all appreciate you trying to spare our feelings, Matt. But even though legally you are an adult, you are still just a child and it should be our job to look after you. Because we are adults and we've lived our lives and we are all capable of handling some tough information."

"I know. I really did just think it would've been easier for you to not know. That I was making the right choice."

Pop grunts from where he sits at the end of the long table. I can't tell if it's a 'you're an idiot' grunt or a 'thank you, Matthew, we appreciate the thought' grunt. They all sound the same.

Maddie sets her tea down and quietly speaks, "If you don't mind me asking, how did you find out if Matt didn't tell you?"

Grandad answers, "Erica and I flew out here to surprise Matthew the day that you both went to Dubai. When we got here and found out where you were I called Oscar Rooney because I found out he was also there and he tried to cover for you, but he ended up telling me what happened.

"But he never told me why you were in Dubai, so I'll need that information afterwards." He raises his eyebrows at me as if to tell me that I didn't have a choice in if I wanted to tell him or not. "But I called Lottie and Jack and we arranged for them to come up here today so we could all hear your side of everything."

And that's what I do. I tell them everything that Oscar and Zara have told me about the plane and the program and the refugees and everything in between and Maddie holds my hand the whole time I explain it all through nana and nan's sobs.

After I finish, grandad and pop console their winves for a minute before they both wipe their tears away and give me a hug each.

"I love you so much, Matty, so much. Your parents would be so proud of you." Nan says.

"Now," Nana claps her hands together, "I think it's about time we girls had a little chat, and got to know Matt's girlfriend. What do you say, Maddie?"

Maddie looks at me and then back at my nana and smiles at her. "Yes, of course."

All three of them walk into the living room and sit down on the sofa as my grandad's and I watch them walk as if they'll disappear if we let them out of our sight.

We stay sitting in a comfortable silence for a few minutes before pop unexpectedly speaks up, "She's very pretty, Matt. Too pretty for you. The pictures you send us don't do her any justice"

Grandad and I look at one another for a second before cracking up at the one thing pop decided to say all night.

Through the discussion of his child's death and all that crap he made an illegible noise once or twice and nothing else. But he'll say he thinks my girlfriend is too pretty for me? I love that man, oh my god.

He is right though.

Maddie is gorgeous.