SEVEN
1053 Words
“What do you want, Matt?” she asked, her voice sharper than she intended.
He crossed the distance between them in a few long strides, his jaw tight. “I want to know what the hell is going on.”
“What’s going on,” she said, folding her arms, “is that I’m moving on. Something you made very easy for me.”
He flinched, but his anger quickly resurfaced. “With him? That guy?” He gestured toward the ballroom. “You can’t seriously think he’s into you? Guy's a f*****g actor, he's obviously playing you. Wait, have you been f*****g him?"
Lila’s chest tightened, the sting of his words cutting deeper than she expected. “That's none of your business. You didn’t seem to care when you were screwing around behind my back.”
Matt ran a hand through his hair, his frustration evident. “I made a mistake, Lila. A stupid mistake. But you’re really going to throw away everything we had for some... fling?”
“This isn’t about him,” she shot back, her voice rising. “This is about me finally realizing that I need to be with someone who understands me; someone who wants the same thing I do. Someone....better.”
The last word was deliberate. She wanted to be petty, she wanted to hurt him. And she has clearly done just that. His eyes darkened, his lips pressing into a thin line. “You think he’s better?” he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Before she could respond, Matt stepped closer, invading her space. His hands gripped her arms, not roughly, but firmly enough to keep her in place.
“Matt,” she warned, her voice trembling. "Take your hands off me."
“Don’t,” he said, “Don’t act like you don’t still feel something for me. Don't act like my f*****g touch doesn't turn you on."
Yes, she was turned on, but it truly wasn't him that had flicked her switch. She tried to pull away, but he was relentless. His hands slid down to her waist, and in one swift movement, he backed her against a wall. The cold stone pressed against her back, a stark contrast to the heat radiating from him.
Her breath hitched as he leaned in, his face inches from hers. His eyes searched hers, the intensity in them making her heart race for all the wrong reasons.
“This isn’t you, Lila,” he murmured, his voice barely audible. “You’re not the kind of girl who plays games.”
She clenched her fists, trying to muster the strength to push him away. Now he was trying to act like he knew her? Like he understood her? "f**k off, Matt." She bit out. He was upsetting her so much.
His jaw tightened, but he didn’t move. The tension between them crackled like electricity, leaving her torn between anger and the lingering pull of familiarity.
“Matt, let me go,” she said, her voice sharper now.
For a moment, she thought he might ignore her. But then he released her, stepping back with a bitter laugh.
“Fine,” he said, his voice cold. “Go back to your actor. Let him f**k you like his other whores."
Anger surpassed the familiarity and she found herself pushing hardly against his chest but he grabbed her wrists to stop her.
“Let me go,” she demanded, her voice rising.
“And if I don’t?” he challenged, his grip tightening.
Before she could respond, a calm, steady voice broke through the tension. “Is there a problem here?”
Both of them turned to see Nigel standing in the doorway, his expression unreadable but his dark eyes flashing with a quiet intensity. He stepped onto the balcony, his hands casually tucked into his pockets.
“This doesn’t concern you,” Matt snapped, his grip on Lila’s wrist loosening but not releasing her entirely.
Nigel tilted his head slightly, a small, dangerous smile playing on his lips. "Man, you're holding my date. Get your f*****g hands off her."
Matt hesitated, his eyes narrowing as he sized Nigel up. “And what are you going to do if I don’t?”
Nigel’s smile didn’t falter, but his tone dropped, cold and sharp. “I’d rather not make a scene, but if you’d like to test me, be my guest.”
The two men locked eyes, the air between them crackling with unspoken tension. Lila could feel the heat of Nigel’s presence behind her, a silent wall of support, and it gave her the strength to pull her wrist free from Matt’s grasp.
“That’s enough, Matt,” she said, her voice steadier now despite the storm of emotions swirling inside her.
Matt glanced at her, his jaw tightening before he finally stepped back. “Fine,” he spat, his tone laced with bitterness. “f**k you."
With one last glare in Nigel’s direction, Matt stormed back inside, leaving Lila and Nigel alone on the balcony.
For a moment, neither of them spoke. Lila leaned against the railing, her shoulders sagging with the weight of the confrontation.
“You okay?” Nigel asked, his voice losing its earlier edge.
She nodded, though she wasn’t sure if she believed it herself. “Thank you,” she said quietly, turning to face him.
His gaze softened, and he reached out as if to touch her but stopped himself, thinking it might not be appropriate since they weren't acting right now. “You don’t have to thank me. But you do need to stop letting him get to you.”
“I’m trying,” she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.
He just upset her so much. She knew she was supposed to play it cool and all, but how could she?
Nigel studied her for a moment, his expression unreadable. “Uh, Lila. Cheer up. It's Christmas after all.
His words hung in the air. Lila didn’t know how to respond, so she simply nodded. “Come on,” he said, offering her his arm. “Let’s get back inside before you get cold."
She hesitated for a moment, not trusting her body right now, but she ended up slipping her hand into the crook of his arm.
- Writer
