Stolen Love

20

20

I glare at Matthew. Killing Chris doesn't sound like such a bad idea right now. I'm sick and tired of him telling me what to do, of him keeping me captive and claiming that he loves me. It's surprising that I didn't blow a fuse before now.

Chris starts to calm down, but I keep glaring at the two of them. They look so different from each other. Chris looks more brute while Matthew looks like his smarter, more elusive. The difference makes it hard for me not to like Matthew, it's like I'm looking at Nick.

I move my glare to Chris only. I'm not mad at Matthew or anyone, it's Chris that has made me mad, it always is.

"Why do you have to be so impossible?" I say, "You are always saying, 'I want you to be happy Morgan,' or 'Why do you always act this way'. Maybe it's because I want to go home! I'm sick of seeing you everyday and hardly ever seeing someone else. I will NEVER like it here!" Every word I spoke dripped venom. Chris's face is pained. I feel triumphant, I actually feel happy.

"I'm going to the room until you calm down," Chris whispers upset before walking away.

"What a baby," I mutter to myself before turning to Matthew. "Alright, you're here, so get me out of here." He doesn't make a move to be my hero or anything, he just looks at me like he is studying me.

"Lets sit down," Matthew says kindly. I'm about to blow again, does this mean he's not getting me out of here? I keep my mouth shut though, I don't want to get him mad and end up where I started. Or possibly with another enemy.

I grudgingly sit in a chair at the table and Matthew sits beside me. "Matthew-"

"Just call me Matt," he says. "I've always thought Matthew to formal."

"Okay then, Matt, take me home while Chris is gone whining." I feel like I'm in charge for once , it feels good.

Matt looks troubled, so I know I'm not gonna be happy with his answer. "I'm sorry Morgan, but it's not my place to take you home."

"You have got to be kidding me, why not?" I put my head in my hands. The first person that can help me in months comes along, but he won't. Life really sucks.

"A promise," Matt says.

A raise an eyebrow, "A promise with who?"

He sighs, like he isn't so sure he should tell me. "Please? I ask kindly. Sometimes you gotta do what you gotta do.

"When I was about 18, I left. I've known about what my father wanted me to do for about two years, but everyday I thought about it, the more it sickened me. I knew that Jonathan would expect me to start searching when I left for college. So two days before I left, I told him how wrong and villainous it is," Matt says sadly remembering it.

"Jonathan started calling me names I won't repeat, and how ungrateful I've always been towards him. Finally, I got tired of being pushed around and told him that he's living one big illusion. I told him that Mom never truly loved him the right way, and that did me in."

"Jonathan said he wanted me out of the house by the next morning. I agreed with him fully and started packing my bags, I never wanted to see him again. Chris was 15 at the time. He was confused on why I was leaving, as far as he was concerned we had a stupid fight. So that night, before I left, I made him promise me something. I made him promise me that if I ever do anything so stupid and reckless that he will find me. He will find me and convince of all my faults so things could be set right. But the catch is, only I could fix things for myself."

"So Chris made me promise him the same thing, only the roles are switched. Now he's messed up, and I'm here to help," Matt starts to rub circles on his palm to calm himself down.

"If only I would've stayed and stood up to Jonathan. Instead I was a coward and ran away and let him sink his fingers in to Chris just like he did to Joseph. Now Chris hates me, and I can only blame myself," he sighs, "I would go to the authorities, but my Mom told me not to. It would cause more harm then good she said."

"Believe me," Matt says pleadingly, "If I would've known Chris would be flipped so easily, I would've stayed. And now you're here to and that's my fault-"

"Stop," I say reaching across the table to take his hand. "It's not your fault."

My whole heart is full of sadness towards Matt. He loved Chris so much, but now Chris hates him.

And Chris messed up too, so now Matt is trying not to break another promise kept with his brother. It hurts to think about how Matt was kicked out of the family all because his views in things were different.

He also blames himself for me being taken. It's not his fault, I hardly blame Chris sometimes. I trace this all back to Jonathan.

"I think- I think that it's best that you left," I say quietly. His hands are warm and soft, I close mine around his. "If you would've stayed, who'd be here now to set things right?"

"But maybe I could've stopped it before this all started."

"No, maybe you would've flipped to. You'd have your own girl right now and that wouldn't help any of us. Trust me, it's best this way."

He slowly looks up in to my eyes. A lone tear escaped him. All I see is sadness and loneliness. I want to comfort him so much. "Maybe you're right," he finally says, "But I'm still going to help fix things," He says getting up. I pull my hands back to me feeling slightly embarrassed, "I'm going to start by going to Chris right now." He goes upstairs, leaving me alone in the kitchen.

What a jerk. I try to convince him to get me out, I used my best acting skills but it still didn't work. He could get me out of here, but nope, he has to keep a stupid promise. No one has ever kept a promise like this for me-

Now I feel even worse. Ryan promised he'd never let anything happen to me. Well terrible things have, a lot of them.

And the sad thing is, I believed Ryan. That is why I was walking alone that morning. Because he said I'd be alright, it's only a few blocks.

Broken promises have ruined my life, now one being kept is ruining it to.

I want to scream out in anger and start cursing Matt. How come no one has ever been so loyal to me? Even my family couldn't keep a promise. They said they'd find me, and they still haven't.

Freaking Matt and his stupid promises- Then I realize something. I'm not mad at Matt. I wish I could be mad at him, but I can't.

Matt is here to keep a promise. No matter how much I don't like it. It still isn't the reason, the reason is Ryan and my family couldn't keep their promises.

It just makes me so mad that even people like Chris gets his promises kept. But mine get broken all the time.

I slump back in my chair. Life isn't fair, it wasn't even fair before I was kidnapped. All of my anger diminishes and is replaced with something else.

Pain and guilt.

It hurts, it really does. This must be what it feels like to get your heart broken, only on a much bigger scale. I feel like my whole life has been lies, but I didn't realize it until now. "It will be fine," Dad once said. "I won't let my job get in the way of you, Morgan." Broken promise.

"No one will touch our little sister," Devan and Evan said before they went to college. "They'll be to scared of us." This one hurts more. They were the ones that brought Chris in to my life.

All the echoes of past promises start repeating in my head. Most of them were broken, or were only half truths. Every new one pushes me farther, like I'm falling deeper and deeper in to a black hole of nothing.

I can't rely on my family to get me out of here. To many lies and broken promises all ready. The only way I'm getting out of here is myself.

I feel guilty because I'm having trouble remembering all the good times with my family. It's like they were covered in hairspray, I can still see them, but they're a scratchy blur.

I know that I'm in really bad shape here. Broken promises are everywhere; my friends, my family, and Chris has a few. For the first time since I've been here, I feel like I actually may be stuck here forever. That in going to be forced in to marriage and having a family with a man I hate.

And just the thought of that finally lets the waterworks loose. I used to think that I had everything that I ever needed.

Now I only feel alone.

Another horrifying thought occurs to me, I can't even keep a promise to myself.

I promised myself I would never give up. It feels like I am right now.

"He still needs time to cool down-" Matt says as he walks in to the kitchen, "Oh god, Morgan are you ok?" He rushes over to me.

I feel like I'm all out of options, if I can't trust myself, what's left?

Matt is kneeling at my side. "Are you hurt? Because if he hurt you I swear to god- is that a ring? Is he making you marry him! That little-" he sounds so much like Chris when he is angry. It almost makes me flinch.

"Can- can you promise me something?" I ask weakly. I don't know why I'm taking comfort in him.

He calms down and speaks softly, "Yeah, go ahead."

I feel slightly embarrassed when I say it, but at least someone else will have my back. "Promise me you won't let me fall in love with Chris."

Matt looks unsure at first. I'm scared he'll say no and completely abandon me, just like everyone else. He smiles softly and my hopes sky rocket. "I can do that."