DAYDREAM → PAUL LAHOTE

° 34

When we got to the house that night, no one else is present at the house. I didn't know where they went. We left the girls there, only because they wanted to stay and have fun so me and Mateo went to the house alone. I told Mateo to let them borrow his car so they can manage to get back. I'm sure Jen wouldn't drink anything, she isn't really the alcoholic type.

I'm glad no one was home so I don't have to explain who is Mateo. I quickly brought him to my room and locked the door the moment we get there.

"Your bed is big, who sleeps here with you before?" Mateo asked, throwing himself to the bed "No one." I answered, hands on my hips before glaring at him.

"What the hell are you doing here? I fucking told you to stay in France, didn't I?" I hissed, I tried not to raise my voice so no one would hear me if they got home "I told you, I'm bored." Mateo replied. I scoffed at him
"So you fly across Europe just to come here and not be bored? Now that you're here, what am I gonna do?" I asked in disbelief. They will be the death of me.

"It's not even my fault that your friends thought that we were engaged." Mateo rolled his eyes as he laid down on the bed "Of course not but what am I gonna tell my family that I have a fiance I didn't tell them about now that you're here?"

"We're not gonna be here for too long, right? Then, we'll be alright." He sounds unbothered, he looks unbothered, and he is unbothered. I groaned in frustration as I slammed my fist against the door before shrugging my coat off.

An hour later, Everyone is asleep after they came home and it turns out that they watched a new movie that is released today because the kids were so eager. Because of their tiredness, they rather go to bed than eat but I'm sure they did eat before they came back.

Now, it's just me and Mateo here in the kitchen. Everyone is already asleep except Mateo and me, we're waiting for the girls. None of them is answering their phone and I'm getting worried while Mateo is getting worried about his car.

Mateo's jeep pulled up on our driveway, I sighed in relief. I hope they didn't kill anyone on their way home.

"What the fuck happened?" I asked the moment I saw the state Mia and Lizzie were in "They're drunk, that's what happened." Jen responded, helping her sister stand up as Lizzie look like she was about to throw up.

"Fuck! My car!" Mateo exclaimed, hands behind his head as he looked at his car, completely horrified.

There was a big — totally noticeable — scratch on the side of his car and the front.

Mateo looks frustrated, hands on his hair like he's trying to pull every strand of his hair on his head. He almost looks like he's about to cry.

I helped Lizzie stand up and asked Mateo to help Jen with Mia cause Jen can't take care of her twin anymore. Mateo tried to argue but just shut his mouth when he figured out it was no use.

"You're not allowed to drink again," I grunted as I help her stand up from the ground, wrapping her arms around my shoulder.
We hurried upstairs to their room, careful not to wake up anyone.

"You should take a picture of Lizzie and send it to Harold." I don't know what made Harold make up his mind about letting Lizzie come with us without him. Harold takes care of her wife as nobody does. I'm actually glad Lizzie found him in our third year of college.

"She would kill me." Jen chuckled before glancing at Mateo. Even though they never talked, Jen looks so guilty about damaging his car. She always had been so bad at driving even though she was sober.

I said goodnight to Jen before pulling Mateo towards my bedroom before one of the members of this household decided to come out of their room and saw him.

We're going to sleep in the same bed as we used to do when he first arrived at the manor cause he doesn't trust anyone in the house. He thought that maybe while he is sleeping, one of his father's people would abduct him and take him to his father. When I convinced him that he was safe under the roof of my house, he fell asleep safe and sound on his bed.

But, I didn't sleep the moment my back collided with the mattress, not because of Mateo's snore beside me as he faced the wall. It's because there is something that is bugging me. I don't know why but I do know what.

I sighed heavily to myself as I stand up and grab my coat before walking out of the house to walk in the middle of the night. I light up the cigarette before putting it in my mouth, no alcohol but a cigarette will do.

It calms me when no one does.

Alcohol and Cigarettes, what a healthy way to live, and besides, it soothes my nerves every time but I better not let Aunt Coraline catch me having a smoke even though it isn't a crime.

After minutes of walking, I run back to the house. It never changed, from its big window and its warm yellow color. It felt like I'm sixteen again but I rather not.

I climb to the bed and close my eyes, finally able to feel myself drifting to sleep but not without thinking of something or rather, someone.

"Who's this young man?" Dad asked, eyeing Mateo. He's the first one to enter the kitchen along with Ada, who is now pouring orange juice into her glass.

"Mera's fiancee," Mia said. I can't believe she manages to say that when she constantly complained that she felt like someone is banging her head in the past twenty minutes.

"What," Ada spit her orange juice "the fuck?" Ada added after a pause.

"Hello." Mateo waved at them, taking a bit out of his toast that Jen had made when we all woke up at the same time. Dad is still petrified where he stands as he stared at us with wide eyes.

"Sir, are you okay?" Mateo asked, and Dad finally came back into reality, yey. Maybe it finally sink into him "Do I look okay to you, young man? First, I never met you yet you're already engaged to my daughter."

"And second, who gave you permission to eat that toast without talking to the owner of the house." He looks upset, angry even. But, I knew he was only trying to scare Mateo like he did before. Like what he did to him.

The morning breakfast ended up the way I imagined it. They interrogate Mateo all morning, asking him a too-obvious and private question. Even the kids started questioning, I tried to make them stop but they weren't listening.

Especially Aunt Maggie. when she heard the news, she immediately went running to our house even though she had just woken up. She made it worse for Mateo but I enjoyed it, I enjoy the bothered look in Mateo's eyes that he didn't have last night.

He didn't dare to eat any more toast, cause he felt Dad's sharp look on him. It all ended up when I pulled Mateo to my room, leaving them speechless. Honestly, I could just go to my room and not be bothered by it but I can't stand a loud house.