If You Hold Me Close [[M.Shadows]] This Heartache Will Subside- Chapter 9

"I won't be too long. I just have to change and grab a towel. I'll be 10 minutes at most." Leigh told Matt. She kissed him, and got out of the car. Leigh ran up to her house and opened the door, slipping up the stairs quickly. She shut her door behind her, making sure no one saw her. She slid out of her clothes as fast as she could, looking for her bathing suit. She walked into her closet, searching on the shelves. Going back out to her room, she opened the drawers in her dresser and found it hidden among her underwear. She smiled as she thought of Matt's reaction to her underwear drawer that looked like it had exploded.

She slipped on her bottoms and tied the top around her neck. She pulled on black shorts and a white shirt over her suit, and grabbed a towel out from under the sink. She grabbed a clip from the box in the bathroom and was putting her hair up when she noticed something on her counter. She opened the small container and nearly dropped to the floor.
"Oh shit." She whispered, so as not to be overheard by her mother. She grabbed her stuff and ran down the stairs quietly. She opened the door, closing it silently behind her. She ran down the driveway to the car, and slid into the passenger's seat. Matt pulled away from the curb, and they headed back to Zacky's.
"What's the matter?" Matt asked, noticing how she was kind of staring out into space.
"I dont know. It could be nothing. It could be something. I don't know." She said, trying to calculate things in her mind.

"Leigh, what are you talking about? What's going on?" Matt asked, concerned.
"My birth control prescription is full." She said.

"Well, that's good isn't it?" He said, looking over at her.
"No. No, it's not. That prescription was from a month ago. I haven't taken it since then. I haven't needed to." She stared blankly out in front of her.
"Well, it's okay. We used a condom. There's no need to worry." He told her, trying to calm her down.
"No, Matt. There is reason to worry. We used a condom the first time. But what about the second?" She looked at him, concern showing on her face.
"Oh shit."
"Yeah, oh shit. Matt, what if...? My parents will kill me." Leigh said, beginning to hyperventilate.
"No. It'll be okay. There isn't need to worry yet. Not until we know if something's wrong. So stop before you make yourself pass out. It's fine." He said, reassuring her.
"I hope so. I took a pill before I left. We'll just wait and see." Leigh took a big breath, trying to calm herself. They pulled into Zacky's driveway and got out. Matt took Leigh's hand as they walked up the path and went into the house.

"It's about damn time! God, you take forever. Learn to be on time, Matt. How hard is that?" Zacky teased as they walked into the living room.

"Sorry, Zacky. We ran into a few problems." Leigh said, looking at Zacky. He raised an eyebrow, then looked at Matt.

"The car wouldnt start. And Leigh couldnt find her bathing suit. And her mom almost caught her as she came down the stairs." Matt lied, hoping it was believable.
"Who would have thought my bathing suit would be in the drawer with my jeans? And my mom hasn't seen me since yesterday. So I had to run back up the stairs." Leigh elaborated. Zacky looked at them suspiciously, but let it drop. They were legitimate stories.
He turned back towards the living room. Matt and Leigh followed. Sitting on one of the couches was a small girl with short auburn hair. She had a round, pretty face and light brown eyes. She smiled at Leigh. The blonde girl sitting next to her did also. Leigh stared at the blonde one. Her hair was straight and came to her shoulders. Her eyes were an icy blue color, her face sharp. She had an athletic figure, tall and skinny with few curves. Leigh's jaw dropped and she stared dumbly at the girl.

"Honey, that's Marissa. She's Jimmy's sister. And the blonde one is her friend, Danielle." Matt said, placing a hand on her lower back. She abruptly closed her mouth.
"Nice to meet you. You can call me Mari." She stood up, her short dark hair swinging. Leigh smiled at her.

"And please dont call me Danielle. It's Danny." The blonde girl said, standing up as well. She gave Matt a menacing look.

"It's nice to meet both of you. You can call me Leigh." She said, smiling. She looked at Danny again. She was about as tall as Leigh was, but younger.
"Come on guys. Let's head out to the beach." Zacky said. Everyone walked out of the living room with their towels and sun block. They headed outside, and Zacky locked the door behind him.

"Johnny, you riding with us?" Leigh asked, looking over at him. He was wearing black swimming trunks and a red shirt. He nodded and went over to the Camaro.
"Same beach as last time?" Matt asked Zacky.
"Yeah. There should be parking. If not, we'll just park the cars on the other side of the road." Zacky called, and then got in the truck with Brian. Jimmy and Kelly got into their car with Mari and Danny. Johnny, Leigh and Matt got into the Camaro.
They followed Zacky to the beach, which was only a few minutes away. Matt had the music playing, and Leigh was busy thinking about what might happen. She was starting to panic, and she didnt have her medicine. She attempted to slow her breathing, and she opened her window. Matt looked at her, thinking that it couldnt be good. He reached over, resting his hand on her knee for a minute. She looked down at his hand, then looked up at him. She met his eyes with hers, and she understood. She took a few deep breaths and calmed down. Matt slowed the car down, and they turned into a dirt parking lot overlooking the ocean.
They got out of the car and looked at the shore. There weren't many people on the beach, but the waves were crashing hard against the sand. The sun was bright, and Leigh wished she had sunglasses. Matt already had his on, scanning the beach.
"Come on. That looks like a good spot over there." He said, taking her by the hand. They walked across the hot sand until they found a spot to lay their things. Leigh stretched out her towel and laid down, Matt doing the same beside her.
Zacky and Brian stripped their shirts off and ran for the water, laughing. Jimmy and Kelly laid out on their towels. Kelly had taken off her shirt and was wearing a turquoise bikini. She stretched out on her back, with her face turned towards Jimmy. Mari and Danny were on the other side of Jimmy, talking and giggling together. Johnny pulled his shirt off over his head and went down to the water, jumping right in.
"They're crazy." Leigh laughed, watching Zacky and Brian throw Johnny over their shoulders into the water. She rolled over onto her stomach, propping her head up in her hands to watch them. Matt looked over at her, smiling. Catching this in the corner of her eye, she looked over at him.
"They aren't so crazy. This is crazy." Matt said, still looking at her strangely. He took off his sunglasses and shirt, sitting there in just his black and grey trunks.
"What?" She asked. He stood up and lifted her into his arms. She raised an eyebrow, confused. Then he smiled and took off running towards the water.

"Matt! NO!!!! No water!!! No ocean!!" She screamed, but he kept running.
"Look what I caught on land! I think we need to throw it back." Matt called to Zacky and Brian. She heard them shout their agreement, and clung tighter to Matt's neck. She heard splashing below her as he ran into the water, and she waited for what would come next. A moment later, she was flying through the air, and then splashed below the surface. Without coming up for air, she swam back towards shore. She opened her eyes briefly, and found what she was looking for. She swam towards him, clutching his ankles and pulling his feet out from under him. She felt him fall, and surfaced for air. She wiped the water from her eyes, and Matt surfaced in front of her, looking thoroughly bewildered.

"I didnt realize you were that strong." Matt said, staring at her. Zacky and Brian were laughing, and Johnny smiled.
"I thought you would have known not to underestimate me." She smiled, taking the clip out of her hair. She ducked under the water, getting her hair out of her face. "Now, if you're done, I think I'm going back to shore, where I belong." She started to walk past them, but Zacky grabbed her wrists.
"We're not done." Brian said with a smile, reaching down and grabbing her ankles. They swung her back and forth between them, finally letting her go. She splashed a few feet away, coming to the surface with her hair hanging in her face.
"Thanks boys. Now, you're done." She said. She got her hair wet again, pushing it back and walked towards shore. She got out of the water and walked back to her towel, wringing her hair out. It got to be really long when it was wet. Everyone on shore was laughing, and Leigh had to smile. Matt followed her out, coming up behind her. She pulled her shorts off and sat down, then pulled her shirt off, laying them out to dry. Matt stared at her as he sat down on his towel.
"Wow. I like that bathing suit." He said, stunned. She looked down at it. It was a halter top and bikini bottom. Both pieces were red with black Chinese symbols on them.
"Thanks. I've had this one forever. It's my favorite. Let's just hope I dont lose these too." She laughed. Matt smiled and blushed.
"Sorry about that. I'll look for them later. They're probably hanging from the ceiling fan or something." They both laughed at that. Matt cringed, his hand going to his shoulders.
"What's the matter? Are you hurt?" Leigh asked. She moved his hand away, and laughed.

"What is it? It stings!" He exclaimed.
"I'm so sorry Matt! I didnt mean to grip that hard!" She said, laughing.
"What are you talking about? You grabbed me around the ankles when you pulled me under." Matt was confused now.
"Matt, those are my fingerprints. From this morning. I didn't mean to hurt you. It's probably the salt water that's making the scratches sting." Leigh couldnt help but smile and blush as she looked at the scratches on both his shoulders, and Matt kept trying to look at them. Leigh grabbed the edge of the towel and pressed it to his shoulders, making him flinch. Zacky, Brian, and Johnny came back and sat down.

"Does that feel better?" She asked Matt, removing the towel.
"Yes, thank you. But I still have to get you back." He said smiling.
"Oh no. You got me back. Thanks to you, I'm all salty now. It's gross." She said, putting the towel back down.

"I dont mind it so much." Matt told her. He moved her hair and licked all the way up her neck.
"Matt! Don't lick me! What are you thinking?" She said, laughing.

"I'm thinking you taste like McDonald's french-fries." He said, smiling. He leaned over her, licking her cheek. She squealed.
"Dude, what happened to your back?" Zacky asked, noticing the scratched and bruises on Matt's shoulders as Matt turned away from him.

"We, uh, got in a fight this morning. I pissed her off. You saw her. She's a lot stronger than she looks." Matt said, making up a quick story. He was still leaning over her, trying to lick her again. Leigh flipped him onto his back, climbing over him. She sat on his stomach, triumphant.
Zacky looked at her for only a moment, noticing the large amount of cleavage and the pale skin of her stomach. Brian, on the other hand, dropped his jaw and stared.

"Brian, how many times do I have to tell you to stop staring at me like that? You look like a kid with down syndrome." Leigh told him. Zacky laughed and punched him in the stomach again, and Brian mumbled an apology. Leigh got off of Matt, standing up to straighten out her towel. She laid down on her stomach, turning her face toward Matt. He leaned over, touching a spot very low on her back.
"This is the one I saw this morning. Your pants covered it last night." He said, running his hand over the tattoo. On her lower back, right between the lines of her wings, was a small fairy. The mischievous fairy was green with purple wings, and there was a row of teeny tiny black foot prints right under it. To the left of the fairy, there was a large bottle that said 'ink', and there were little drops of ink spilling around the bottle.

"That was my first tattoo. Alyssa drew it herself. My dad let me get it for Christmas when I was 15." Leigh said.
"See Jimmy? She was 15 when she got her first one." Mari complained.
"You aren't getting a tattoo until your grown, which means at least 30 years old, and married with kids of your own." Jimmy retorted. Mari sighed, then went back to talking with Danny. Zacky came over, looking at Leigh's small fairy. He laughed.
"It's cute!! Can your friend draw me one too?" He asked enthusiastically.

"I dont think so. She doesnt really draw anymore. I might be able to persuade her to make you one, though." Leigh told him. He smiled brightly.

"Zacky, you like bats. Look at this tattoo." Matt told him. Leigh moved her hair away from her back, allowing him to see the wings.
"Whoa! That's cool. Where does it end?" He asked, seeing that it wrapped around her hips. She rolled over on her back.
"Somewhere that you aren't allowed to see." Matt told him, laughing. Leigh pulled her bottoms down on one side, just enough to show him the tattoo.
"That's really cool. When did you get that one?" He said, looking away from the tattoo.

"My 16th birthday." She replied.
"When's your next birthday?" Matt asked, looking at her.
"I turn 18 on Halloween." She replied, rolling back on her stomach. She crossed her arms and placed her head on them.

"You're birthday is Halloween? That is so cool. I wish I was born on a holiday. But no, I get a regular day instead." Zacky complained. Leigh laughed, looking at Matt.
"What are you staring at?" She asked. Matt didnt reply. He just leaned over and licked her lower back where her tattoo was. She screamed at the slippery touch of his tongue.

"Matt! That is kinky and completely inappropriate to do in a public place. And in front of children!" She protested, sitting up and pushing him back.
"Hey! We're both 15. We're hardly children." Danny protested.
"I was talking about Zacky, but you count too." She said as she pinned Matt down, smiling. Zacky looked offended, and she laughed. He stood up and pulled Leigh off of Matt, throwing her over his shoulder.
"Zacky, wait. What are you doing? Zacky, put me down. Right now. I am NOT going in that water." Leigh said, trying to wiggle free of his grasp. He walked toward the ocean. She looked back to see Matt running with Mari in his arms, laughing. Jimmy had Kelly thrown over his shoulder, and Brian was picking up Danny. Johnny sat on his towel, laughing. Leigh felt the water splash up as Zacky walked deeper, and a minute later she was being thrown into the waves. She surfaced, gasping for air. Zacky was howling in laughter, and Leigh saw a small splash land not too far from her. Matt had thrown Mari in. Leigh laughed as, one by one, all the girls were dumped into the water. She made her way back to shore, running up to the towels. She grabbed Johnny's hand and pulled him down to the water. She pushed him in, making him fall. He got back up, grabbing Zacky around the middle and pulling him down. Leigh ran over to Matt and jumped into his arms, wrapping her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck. He smiled, looking surprised. She threw her head back and laughed, and Matt licked her throat. She giggled, looking at him again. Leigh touched her lips to his quickly.
"You're salty." She said, laughing.
"Mmhmm. So are you." Matt replied, licking her again on the cheek. She giggled.
"Let's go swimming babe." She told him, smiling.
"Whatever you want." He said, going into the water. He walked out until the water came up to his chest.
"I wonder if I can touch here." Leigh said, smiling. She unhooked her legs and dropped into the water fully. The water came up to her chin. Matt laughed.
"Are you even touching the ground?" He asked, looking at her.
"On my tiptoes." She replied, looking away. He laughed even harder, and she splashed water in his face. She started treading water, moving farther away from him. He caught her arm and pulled her closer to him. She was still treading water, and her foot slid against the inside of his thigh. Matt reached out and wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her against him. He held her up to keep her head above water, and she stopped treading. She stared up at him, her brown eyes wide.
"Oh my god, Matt. Please dont tell me that's what I think it is." She said, looking at him. He smiled, his eyes going dark.
"Okay, I won't tell you." He said softly, pulling her closer. Leigh felt the flush rise in her cheeks as he pressed against her. He was hard, and his body was hot.

"Matt, we can't do this here. We have to wait until we get back to your-" She gasped as the hand that had been wrapped around her waist slid down over her ass and between her legs.

"House? Yeah, I suppose you're right. In which case, you need to get away from me, or we aren't ever leaving. Go play with Zacky and Brian and the girls. They like you." He said, letting her go. She started treading water.
"Danny scares me a little, Matt. She looks like a younger twin of my mother." Leigh told him. She looked over at Danny, who was sitting on Brian's shoulders playing chicken against Mari, who was on Zacky's.
"She's not like you mother. Don't worry. I've known her for years. Her and Mari are practically my little sisters. They both call me Big Brother. Don't worry. She's fun, and sweet. She's nothing like your mom. Now go play for a little bit so we can get out of here." He kissed her on the cheek and pushed her towards everyone else. She swam over to Zacky and tickled him, making him lose his balance. Mari swayed precariously on his shoulders before finally toppling into the water. Brian started laughing, and Leigh went after him too. She tickled him before he realized how close she was, and he doubled over, causing Danny to fall off of his shoulders.
"Thats cheating!" Brian exclaimed when he surfaced.
"Do you really want to start the tickling, Leigh? You know what happened yesterday." Zacky warned. Leigh smiled. Johnny swam up behind her, tickling her sides. She screamed, laughing. Zacky and Brian came to Johnny's aid, tickling her also. Leigh snorted, blushing again. The boys laughed, tickling her even more.

"No! Stop! I give in! I won't tickle you anymore!" She gasped between snorts and howling laughter.
"Say uncle!" Zacky laughed. Leigh could hear Mari and Danny laughing from where they stood near Jimmy and Kelly. On the other side, she heard Matt's laugh.
"Uncle! Now let me go!" She screamed. They immediately dropped her, and she splashed under the water. She gasped for air as she came up, still breathing hard.

"You guys suck." She said, turning around and swimming towards Matt. He was still laughing, and she slapped him.

"When I told you to go play with them, I didnt mean get attacked." He said, a huge grin on his face.
"Well, they attacked me. They like to gang up on me." She laughed.

"Come on. Let's get out of here. Johnny can get a ride with Zacky or Jimmy." Matt told her. She jumped on his back, and he swam over to everyone else.

"Guys, we're leaving. Leigh has homework to do, and I have to get rid of all the bottles before my parents get home tomorrow. Johnny, can you catch a ride with Zacky?" Matt said. Johnny nodded. Zacky gave Matt a suspicious look.
"You guys want to do something tonight?" Brian asked.

"We could order pizza and watch scary movies at my house." Zacky offered.
"Zacky, we just ate pizza last night!" Leigh said, looking at him.
"Zacky could eat pizza every night." Jimmy laughed. Zacky nodded enthusiastically.
"How about Chinese food and movies at my place?" Matt said, looking around. Everyone nodded.
"Can we come too?" Mari asked, looking at Jimmy. Jimmy opened his mouth but Matt cut him off.
"Of course you can. You guys come over around seven. Bring any movies that you want." Matt said.
"Well, there goes scary movies and beer." Jimmy complained. Mari smacked him, and he grinned.
"We'll watch all kinds of movies. So, seven at my house. We'll see you there." Matt said. He swam back towards shore, and got out, still carrying Leigh on his back. He set her down when they reached their towels, and she dried off. She twisted her hair back up in the clip and pulled on her shorts. She didnt bother with her shirt, and they walked back to the car.

When they reached the car, Matt dusted the sand off of his feet, and Leigh did the same. She put her flip flops back on and got into the car. The leather was hot on her bare back. Matt got in and started the car, the engine rumbling to life. He turned the air on and backed out of the parking lot. He turned back onto the road, heading towards her house.
"I'm going to take you home. I want you to get some clothes and your homework that's due on Monday. Bring them back down and then we'll go to my house. We can shower and work there." Matt told her, turning onto her street. She nodded. He pulled into her driveway, and parked the car. Leigh sat there for a minute. She turned to look at him.
"Come inside with me." She said.
"What about your mom? Or your step dad?" He asked, looking back at her.
"Oh well. She'll have to get over it. You are my boyfriend. You'll meet her eventually. If we get lucky it won't be today. And Ted's still at work. Come on." She said, getting out of the car. Matt got out and grabbed his shirt, sliding it over his head. He followed her up the path and stood on the doorstep, waiting for her to open the door. She unlocked it and stepped inside, Matt following her. She kissed Matt as she shut the door behind her. She motioned for Matt to walk ahead of her up the stairs. She started to follow him, when she heard a screech from the living room. Leigh froze, her foot on the third step.

"Shit." She whispered, shutting her eyes. She turned around quickly to find her mother walking towards her, an angry look on her face.
"Caitlin Leigh Brown, you get your ass down here right now." Her mother said furiously.
"How many times do I have to tell you to not call me that?" Leigh replied, exasperated. She stopped on the bottom step, being sure to have a height advantage over her mother.
"That depends. Where have you been? And what the hell is on your back?" Her mother said, looking angrily at Matt. She stared at the tattoos covering his arms.
"No, it doesnt depend on anything. I've asked you numerous times to not call me by my first name, Sarah. I was at the beach with some friends, if you must know. And these are called tattoos." Leigh replied evenly, turning around so her mother could see them.

"Your tongue was one thing I didnt approve of. But now you've gone and done this? Who told you that you could get tattoos? I certainly didnt, and neither did Ted. Let me guess, he thought it would be a good idea." She spat, looking pointedly at Matt.

"He, my boyfriend, has a name. It's Matt. And no, he didn't. I've had these tattoos since I was 15. My FATHER told me I could get them. Hell, he paid for them. My tongue ring was a birthday present to myself last year. Technically, you bought it because I used dad's alimony money to pay for it." She smirked at the flash of anger in her mother's blue eyes. Leigh turned around, and started back up the stairs.
"Your father was an immature, good-for-nothing, child with no regard for money. He just gave it away, or blew it on stupid things." Her mother said harshly. Leigh stopped, and turned around slowly.
"He was a good man who spent money to keep me happy, or to help the people he cared about. At least he wasn't a snobby, self-centered, bitch who gave up her family." Leigh said, her voice shaking with anger. Her hands were balled into fists at her side, ready to strike.
"Don't you dare say things like that about me. I didnt give you up." Her mother said coldly.
"Bullshit! You walked out when I was eight to live with Ted. When the issue of my custody came up, there wasnt even a hint of question as to who I would live with. My father cared for me in a way you never could. He loved me no matter what I did, and he would never dream of walking out on me." Leigh stared down at her mother, who was shaking in anger. Her tan face was red, and her blue eyes lit with a fiery rage.
"Your father wouldnt walk out on you because he was too goddamn lazy to leave." Her mother said defiantly.
"Don't you EVER say that about my father again. He was far from lazy. He cared about me. I bet you didnt even remember you had a daughter until they called you the night he died!" Leigh shouted, shaking in fury. Angry tears ran down her cheeks as she stared at her mother.

"What's all this shouting going on in here?" Came a deep voice from the kitchen. A moment later, Ted came down the hallway, carrying a briefcase and his jacket. He surveyed the scene, looking from his wife to his stepdaughter.

Uh oh. Ted's here. Rest in Results.
"None of your fucking business. Or maybe it is. Tell me, were you dating my mother before she got divorced or after?" Leigh said maliciously, looking at Ted.
"You leave him out of this." Her mother said sternly.
"No. It's his fault we're having this conversation at all!" Leigh snapped at her mother. She was still staring at Ted angrily.

"This conversation has nothing to do with Ted. This conversation is about how your father was irresponsible and childish." Her mother said angrily.
"Then why the fuck did you marry him in the first place?!?" Leigh shouted.
"Because I was young and stupid and didnt know any better!" Her mother shouted back.

"Well, the only difference about this marriage is that you aren't young anymore." Leigh spat, looking back at Ted.
"Don't you dare speak to your mother like that." He said angrily, stepping towards her.
"Or what? You'll hit me again?" She smirked. "Go ahead. I have a witness this time." Leigh stared at Ted, waiting for him to make his next move.
"Ted hasn't hit you. Stop making accusations." Her mother told her, getting angry again.

"You really have no clue, do you? You're still stupid, and you still don't know better. It's a good thing you dont have anymore children. You'd probably leave them too." She looked at her mother with pity and rage, her hands balled into fists again.
"Of course I would, if they all acted like you." Her mother spat. Leigh pulled her fist back and sent it flying towards her mother. A strong hand grabbed her wrist, stopping the collision. She looked at the tan skin of Ted's hand.

"You need to learn to respect your elders." Ted said quietly, a stern look on his face. Leigh stared into his green eyes.
"Just like I need to learn my place, right? And not to be a smart ass?" Leigh replied sarcastically. She saw Ted's other hand come up to slap her, and she closed her eyes, waiting for him to strike.

She didnt feel the stinging pain on her face. Instead, she felt the hand on her wrist lose its grip. Hearing a loud bang and a scream, she opened her eyes, looking around.
Matt was standing in front of her, his fist raised and shaking in anger, breathing heavily. Ted lay at his feet, clutching his nose and groaning in pain. Her mother was crouched at Ted's side, shrieking. Leigh stared, wide eyed, her breathing shallow. Matt turned around, looking at Leigh.
"Come on. Let's get your things." He said quietly. He pushed her up the stairs, and she ran down the hall into her room. Matt came in behind her and shut her bedroom door, turning the lock. Leigh went into the bathroom, dropping to the floor. Tears poured from her eyes, trailing down her cheeks. Matt came into the bathroom, looking down at her. He leaned down and scooped her into his arms. He carried her back to the bed and sat down, holding her in his lap. She curled against him, her hands clutching his shirt, and cried. He rubbed her back, trying to get her to calm down. He eased his shirt out of her hands, setting her down beside him.

"Shh. It's okay. Where's your medicine?" Matt asked, rubbing his hand over her cheek. She pointed to a bag sitting by the door with a shaky finger. Matt ran over and picked it up, looking inside. He pulled the bottle of pills out and ran into the bathroom, filling a cup with tap water. He came back and handed her the glass and a pill. Her hands shook violently, making the water slosh around in the glass. She placed the pill in her mouth and sipped the water, swallowing it. Matt emptied the contents of the bag on the bed.
"Grab all of your school work." He told her, going over to her dresser. Opening the top drawer, he grabbed handfuls of her underwear and bras and threw them on the bed. He went through all the drawers, pulling out a few items from each. He went into her closet, pulling shirts off the hangers and pants off the shelves. He tossed them on the bed, and grabbed a pair of shoes from the row along the wall.
"Get your hair brush and toothbrush and things from the bathroom." He told Leigh softly, seeing that she had calmed down a bit. Going back to the bed, he began shoving all of the items into the bag. A minute later, Leigh came back with a bag full of bathroom stuff, placing it next to the bag Matt was packing. She collected her school things from the pile that he had dumped on the bed. She pulled a backpack out from under her bed and placed the items in there, along with the bag of bathroom things. Matt zipped the bag up and threw it over his shoulder. He went to the door and unlocked it, opening it. He took Leigh's hand and they headed down the stairs.

Ted and her mother were sitting at the bottom of the stairs. Ted had blood smeared on his white shirt, and his nose was swollen. Leigh felt Matt's hold tighten on her hand. They stepped around them. Leigh turned to her mother.
"I'm leaving." She said flatly. She stared at her mother with disgust.
"She'll be back in a few days to collect more of her things." Matt added, glaring at Ted.
"You can't go with him. You hardly know him." Leigh's mother said to her.
"I know that he's cared about me more in 2 days than you have in 17 years." Leigh said quietly. Matt opened the door and Leigh stepped out into the sunshine. He turned and paused before closing the door. Ted looked up at him, blood still dripping from his nose.
"You'll never lay a hand on her again." Matt said dangerously. He stared Ted in the eyes, then stepped out and shut the door behind him.