He had stopped her. Maggie couldn't help the feel of butterflies in the pit of her stomach at his voice or his touch but there was also a part of her worried about having to talk to him. How did she tell him her family had all but thrown her out? Her mother had cried and her father had simply stared. Rye had yelled and even slammed the door behind him as he'd left. It had been, in short, a disaster. The very thought of it all made her eyes well with tears but she couldn't, wouldn't, cry in front of him. Even if it had been his idea, she'd been the one to put it into motion and she wasn't about to make him feel guilty.

"They weren't happy," she said even though it was a gross understatement, "Mum cried. Dad.. Well he just sat there." After Rye's outburst, of which she wouldn't tell Lorcan, she'd quietly gotten her already packed belongings and as she'd left, her mother had handed her the boxed cake. Completely untouched. And after she'd gotten it together, she'd gone straight to the bakery.

She forced a smile now that she was facing him, her hands still in his. "It'll be okay," she said, more for herself than anything, "I'll be fine. We'll make due. They'll come around." She hoped. She wanted them to see her succeed and wanted them to be happy for her.

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