Strings of Fate

83- Build up and bathtubs Darrien hangs around for a while until Megan chases him out telling him to go hand get. srest and that he can cget her in the morning to take her home. She’s stayed over a few times now but he’s never seemed very comfortable with it. | messaged to ask him once reminding him that my his safe. He just responded that it might be safe, but it would be safer if | kept guards around. He's been doing better now that Megan isn’t engaged or in a relationship, but the two of them have made no progress since. Understandably, Megan isn't interested in relationships right now and has declared it several times, so he has been mostly keeping to himself.

Still, her nightmares have been less frequent and she’s even decided she is willing to watch rom coms again.

That's the plan for tonight actually. To watch her first romance movie since her failed wedding. | already have the TV set up and the movie waiting. Megan plops down onto the couch tically holding a glass of wine from the SINGLE bottle she brought along. The glasses are also new, she gifted them tolast week when she realised | didn’t have any. This is the first tthey've been used.

2 “Mmbh, yes. This is so much better out of the right glass. How are you meant to have a hot bath and a glass of wine when you have no glasses?” She says, contentedly. | roll my eyes.

“Are you forgetting | don’t have a bathtub either. Only a shower.” | remind her. Megan scrunches up her face.

“How do you even live? You'll have to use ours sometime. I'd say you should look for a place with a tub, but you'll move in eventually so there’s no point changing things around right now.” She comments. | was midway through sipping the glass iof wine she left on the bench forand I instantly choke on it.

“When exactly did | agree to this?” | ask. Megan shrugs.

“It only makes sense right? It'll happen eventually. I'm surprised Bellamy hasn't already. asked you.” I'm just recovering from inhaling my drink and I collapse onto the couch beside her, careful with my glass.

“Well... technically he did offer once, but I don’t think it was a particularly serious offer. Besides, it would just be weird. We're not... at that point just yet.” Megan laughs.

“Why would it be weird, you stay over withoften enough as it is, and he stays here plenty 1/3 83-Build up and bathtube often. | guess it would be hun keep your relationship on the down low if you livethwithinuss but you've managed so fim. It really willie fine if you just tell everyone. Are you embasscell or something?” Most people will be excited to hear that the Alpha has finally been getting: some.” She winds at me. Il talle abig mouthful of my drink and look away, “I'm not embarassed. I'imjjust scared. Things will change a lot if | tell everyones Aism... Bellamy and laneitt att titt point vet...” trail off awkwardly. Megan tilts Her headlim confusion them itt allids..

“You mean wau guys amitt living sex?” She asks blatantly, shock inhurstone.liimnectiiately flush bright all.

“Weill...nmvere nut. adimit.

“I never would have suspected, assumed you have been. He's beeminsiuthanggonmund lutely. Wim.....as muchas don’t want to know about my brother's sexlife, lllivettask. Why the heill not??” Weggan duesit sound judgemental, just curious. Ildegietsukiitupandtry andisautt through my feelings a little..

“I just...l gat somervous. | panic, freeze, or runaway? Texnihimawitwarilty.

“You limow, a little bit of awkwardness is normal right?? linnut savingthis tolle pushy anti you can divinusly do whatever you want to do..Buttsometimes iffynudelay things too long it muites in Huurder. | do that, avoid doing something because flimscmedioffittandthen it builds up into this big thing until the thought of it makesfrakkontt. Then when eventually have modinice, it usually turns out to be not nearly as scanyas expected.

mument.

consider form *Somathing uncomfortable, like watching arom.com?” question.gesturing at the waiting 1. TW. Megan shrugs.

**Yeah, something like that. So, we should watch it righttuwanget it over with. I've always liked from coms.and | refuse to lose that.” She says stubiliunity amullsmileather. hit play on the movie and Megan tenses up. She stays that way for maybe the first few minutes, then begins to relax. Hulfway through the muvia lauttuillyHearlier laugh and can’t help but breathe a sigh of relief. Watching romance movies was definitely something that she had built up in her thend as a big problem..llinglulittss goingwallturur.Siesounced back faster 2016 83- Build up and bathtubs than | could ever imagine. | know she still has nightmares and that she’s going to be dealing with this for a long tyet, but | know | wouldn't cope as well as she has been.

The rest of our evening is relaxing, we watch another movie, a straight up comedy this time, and we both curl up for bed. We actually sleep fairly early, but we're both oddly tired so we figure we might as well. | sleep late in the morning and Megan is nowhere in sight. | send my good morning check in text to Bellamy then struggle my way out of bed. Megan greetsfrom my kitchen with stoast and a glass of orange juice.

“Here you go, eat up then go shower and get dressed. | picked out an outfit for you, it’s on your dresser.” | still feel like a zombie, so | sit and eat without question. It's not until I'm finishing my second piece of toast that | realise what Megan told me.

“You picked out my clothes? Are we going somewhere?” | ask, confused. She rolls her eyes at 1. me.

“You are so useless in the mornings. Did you forget? We made plans on Wednesday night. You,and Bellamy are going for lunch in a bit, remember?” What? OH. | do remember. Although she’s forgotten someone. Darrien is coming too. | suppose she’s so used to him following her around she forgets sometimes.

“And Darrien is coming too.” | remind her. She tilts her head to the side.

“Well duh, he’s my guard. He always comes.” She says it like I'm the one pointing out the obvious. Which | suppose | am. I'm not sure she is seeing the point | was making, | guess there's still a bit of work to do for her to see him as a proper friend.