How We Became Us

Chapter 4

"Giggles?" Matt heard when he was in the kitchen, looking through the fridge. Without missing a beat, his cheeks turn red like a tomato, and he turns to shoot a glare toward the brunette lady standing in the doorway. "Why is it that I hear that you and Heather are a couple now?" She arched a perfectly crafted eyebrow, crossed her arms, and stared Matt down.

"Um," Matt started and felt like a little kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. "I-I was going to tell you today, Cassie."

"Hmmm," she hums, and they both know she doesn't believe him. Matt deflates and closes the fridge door, completely forgetting what he wants from the kitchen. He slumps into a tall chair by the kitchen island, and his shoulder slumps. "What's going on, Matt?" She asked, getting serious, and moved around the kitchen to prepare the tea, knowing it was one of those nights.

"Nothing really," Matt said with a shrug and moved his gaze to look out the window to see the sun just starting to rise. "Hey, Cassie?" She hums again, and Matt keeps his eyes trained on the peaking sun but is not really taking in anything.

"Why can't I remember much of my childhood?" Matt asked, and Cassie tensed up and fidgeted around.

"You hit your head, sweety; it was pretty bad," she said, and it was the exact wording Matt had asked her in the past. Matt hums and gulps.

"Did you know that Dad destroyed an entire neighbourhood just to make a point to one guy—who planned to run for mayor—to not mess with him and back down?" Matt asked, finally turning his attention to someone he considered his surrogate mom.

"Are you talking about the news from summer?" She asked, relaxed now that Matt didn't push the subject.

"Yeah," Matt said, crossed his arms and placed his chin on his forearms.

"That does sound like something your father would do," she said, and Matt sighed. He doesn't say anything as he stares at the counter before him, but Cassie can tell his mind is a million miles away. "What's up, Giggles?" Matt's face heats up again, but then he sighs.

"Heather, Connor and I went to a diner on the other side of town. Heather's been telling us for weeks about this cute waiter boy who works there, and when we arrived, at first, the guy was focused on Heather until she introduced us. He immediately recognized me, and when he said his name, Andy Darden, I realized he used to live in that neighbourhood. I had seen the file in my dad's office when I was there, and when my dad walked in before I got to see much of it, I hid it in my bag and brought it home. I had completely forgotten about it after I had hidden it, but after yesterday, I pulled it out again. I had to dig more, but my dad never planned to rebuild that area. He just destroyed so many people's homes to show his power to one guy. But yesterday, when I dropped Andy and his friend Kelly-" Cassie tenses at the name. "They live in this shit-hole of an apartment. It's just, I—I don't know." He sighs frustratedly and runs his hands down his face. "I think I have a plan to help, but that would mean I risk putting my father's company's reputation on the line. I mean, it's my father's company, I can't do that. That's betraying my blood."

Matt looks up when a steaming mug of tea gets slid into his peripheral. He smiles weakly and wraps his hands around the mug.

"I hope you know you have no control over what a grown man choices to do, father or not, it doesn't matter," she started moving into the spot beside him.

"But it does. I'm his son. His 'heir' as he likes to put it," Matt said with quotation marks over 'heir' and an eye-roll.

"Yes, you may be his son, but you can choose to be your own man. You're still young, Matt; you're sixteen, turning seventeen in a few months. You aren't expected to fix your father's problems, and you are certainly not expected to take the fall," she said, and Matt stared down at the amber liquid.