March 2019

What the fuck was ringing? I'd had nowhere near enough sleep to be woken up by someone's phone screaming, at whatever ungodly hour it was. Thankfully the offensive noise ended as quickly as it had begun, and I turned my attention back to the bare chest that I was currently nestled into. A sleepy smile appeared on my lips as my mind drifted back to the antic's that'd taken place the night before, the thoughts sending shivers down my spine.

I snuggled closer into Hayden and let sleep take me once more, wanting nothing to ruin the serene moment.

"Where is she?" came a voice from downstairs, I had no idea how long I'd been asleep for but one thing I was sure of was that there was someone downstairs and my heart began to pound. "Hayden." I whispered, "there's someone downstairs." I shook his arm a little, but he didn't stir. I sat up slightly and tried to listen to what the person downstairs was saying.

Suddenly I heard a set of footsteps on the stairs, whoever it was sounded pissed. I looked around the room frantically trying to find something to defend myself with, but nothing screamed, hey use me to defend yourself from a home invader.

The door to the bedroom bursts open and it took me a minute to register who was stood in the doorway.

"Mum?" I stammered, "what the hell are you doing here?"

"So, this is where you've been hiding, I should've guessed." She sneered back at me. At the sound of the commotion in the bedroom Hayden suddenly stirred, and for the second time in less than twenty-four hours I was well and truly sure that shit was about to hit the fan.

Moments later a frazzled and out of breath looking Ricky burst through the door and passed my mum. "Luce." He wheezed, "I tried to warn you, but you weren't answering your phone. However, I can see you must've been busy." A smug smile appeared on his face knowing full well what Hayden and myself had been up to for most of the night.

"Luce?" came Hayden's voice from behind me, it was gravelly and still full of sleep. I had to supress a shiver due to the audience that'd now taken front and centre in my bedroom. "what is your mum doing in our room?"

"Good question." I replied, "yes Mother, what are you doing in my room?"

"I've come to take you home, Lucia. You've had your fun now it's time to come back. You've an hour to pack your things." I was speechless, she'd driven all this way to try and take me away from the life I'd made for myself here. I guess old habits die hard.

"I think you know that's not going to happen." I replied, trying to keep my voice even. "why don't you say hello to Hayden, or have you lost your ability to address other people in a pleasant manor?" I felt a surge of confidence as I felt Hayden's arm snake around my waist. "oh wait, I forgot not everyone can see dead people." I snapped.

I had no time for this woman, not after everything she'd put me through. Not after all the years of happiness she'd taken from me.

"All these months away and you're still a petulant little child." She replied, her gaze was like ice, but I wasn't a child anymore. I'd finally found my family after all these years and I wasn't about to let her ruin it for me.

Ricky moved closer to me and perched on the edge of the bed, taking my hand in his. He knew first-hand how vicious my mother could be and that I needed all the support I could get.

I took a breath and my gaze locked with hers. I wasn't a scared little child anymore; I was an adult.

"how dare you bare in here and scream at me in my own home." I began, keeping my voice as level as possible, "you've no right to stand there and lecture me about my behaviour after what you put me through, not to mention telling me that Hayden was dead. So, don't you dare come in here after months of ignoring me and lecture me on how to live my life. You lost the ability to do that a long time ago mother."

In all my years on this planet I'd never spoken to my mother like that. Whether it be out of respect or fear when I was younger but now things were different.

The look of shock on her face was enough to banish any feelings of anxiety I had after my outburst, and If that hadn't the smug look Hayden wore on his beautiful face sure did. "if you've nothing else to say I suggest you leave, we were in the middle of something." I said, my voice more confident now.

We in fact hadn't been in the middle of anything, unless you counted the much-needed sleep I'd been dragged from, but she didn't know that. The clothes from the night before were still strewn around the room and Hayden was wearing his just fucked hair with the grace of an Abercrombie and Fitch model.

Hayden gave my hand another reassuring squeeze under the covers, I knew after last night nothing would ever take me away from him again. We were the same soul split into two equal halves, and nothing would change that.

After one last scathing glance she turned on her heel and stormed out of the bedroom, we all sat in silence until we heard the door slam shut, and that was when I allowed myself to release the breath, I had no idea I was even holding.

I had no idea if I'd ever see her again, and I wasn't entirely sure that it even bothered me. I had my own life now and she was welcome to be in it, as long as she accepted Hayden and I and if she didn't then well good riddance. She was my mother, but the woman was also toxic and controlling and there was only so much someone could take, I guess today was just my breaking point.

"Are you okay?" Ricky asked eventually breaking the silence

"I think so." I replied, "I'm sorry you both had to see that." This time it was Ricky that gave my hand a squeeze. "we're family, sweetie. Through the good, the bad and the ugly." I smiled and wrapped my arms around him, he was right no matter how fucked up things got we'd always be there for each other and I loved that about us.

Ricky stood up and placed a small kiss on the top of my head, "I'll leave you two love birds alone. I'm sure you have a lot of making up to do." He left the room with a sly smirk on his face, I laughed and made a note to kill him for that later.

Finally, for the first time this morning Hayden and I were alone. I knew the elephant in the room needed to be addressed, the argument and what resulted in sex that was more mind blowing than I ever thought possible. I just wasn't sure I wanted to break our happy little bubble just yet. However, it turned out I didn't have to.

"I want to apologise for last night." Hayden said as he turned to face me. "I'm so sorry I acted that way I did. When I saw you with Peter, I didn't know what to think. I lost you once and I thought I was about to lose you again. I love you Luce with every fibre of my being, I just wish I'd told you sooner."

There it was again, the L word. I couldn't stop the warm fuzzy feeling that came from hearing those three words, to some they were simply normal but to me, they meant the world. "I love you too, Hayden." I whispered as I wrapped my arms around him, placing my head in the crook of his neck. We sat there in a blissful silence for a while, just Hayden and I. We'd waited a lifetime for this moment, a moment I wasn't sure would ever come but thankfully, I'd been proved wrong.

"I've got some news for you." Hayden said breaking the silence, "I wasn't able to tell you yesterday, I wanted to tell you all at the club, but things didn't really go to plan. I couldn't answer you yesterday because I was at a job interview. I didn't want to tell you about it before because I didn't want you to be disappointed if I didn't get the job."

My heart melted and I placed a soft kiss on his lips, "I could never be disappointed in you." I ran my fingers through his hair, and he smiled. That gorgeous typical boy next door smile that never failed to make my heart skip a beat. "What was the interview for?" I asked, "Did you get the job?"

"I did." He replied, "I start at the beginning of next week. I'll be working in a unit with teenagers and young adults with substance addictions, weather that be drugs or alcohol. I thought seeing as I lived through it and I'm now recovering I could hopefully help others fight their demons."

I was speechless, utterly speechless with what Hayden had just told me. This man in front of me who'd battled for years and almost lost to addiction had not only come out on the other side one hundred times stronger, but now wanted to help other people like him he truly was the strongest man I knew and I couldn't be more proud of him if I tried.

"You're amazing, you truly are." I said when I finally found the ability to speak. "I've never been prouder of someone in my entire life, you're going to be amazing."

He pulled me into his arms, and I placed a small kiss on his collar bone, "hopefully in the future I'll be able to open my own clinic. I want to help as many people as I can. The best part is the place I'm working is around the corner from where you work, so I'll be able to take my girl out for lunch."

"That's very presumptuous of you to assume I'm 'your girl'" I giggled, trying to play off how mushy his words made me feel. "You're not just my girl, Luce." He replied as he flipped me over, his eyes locking with my own. "You're my soul mate, no one will ever compare to you, they never have, and they never will."

We spent the rest of the day lounging around the house watching god awful horror films and I took the time to finish of some projects that I needed to finish in work. Thankfully it'd only taken me a few hours, meaning when Monday rolled around, and I was back in the office I wouldn't have to be tying up loose ends for the majority of the day.

I tapped the bowl that was in between Hayden and I to signal that we were in fact out of snacks and if he was going to make me watch cheesy horror films for the rest of the evening, I needed a constant snack supply to keep me going. While Hayden was in the kitchen, I pulled out my phone and sent a text to the group chat.

To: Family chat

From: Lucia

Planning a surprise meal for Hayden next Friday if I send the details would you be able to sort the supplies? Don't want him getting suspicious, L. xo

Kiara: sure thing, tell us when and where we are at your complete disposal <3

Poppy: I second that!

I put my phone away and smiled. I looked around and for the first time in a long time I was happy with where my life was and who was in it and nothing not even the argument with my mother this morning would change that.