My Holiday Hook-Up

Chapter 5: The One That Got Away

I was lying on the floor of the beautifully spacious room, staring up at the high, vaulted ceiling. The room was grand but oddly intimate, a strange mix of luxury and comfort. Despite my initial hesitation about sneaking out in the middle of the night, I had to admit that I was glad I’d agreed to join Matty. It had been... better than I expected. Sure, hanging out with him might not have been the healthiest distraction, but it was definitely better than wallowing alone in self-pity. Had he not shown up at my door, I would’ve stayed in my room, suffocating in my own misery. Now, at least, I had the brief illusion of not caring.

Matty was lying next to me on the floor, the distance between us comfortable enough that I could almost pretend nothing was going on inside me. No tension, no past baggage, no heartbreak. Just two people, wasting the night away. He hadn’t said anything sexually suggestive or flirted in the last hour, so I figured he was just... here. He seemed content to be in the moment, and I was too, even if it felt like an escape from the real world.

The wall-to-wall carpet was firm but soft enough to sink into, and I was grateful it wasn’t the cold, unforgiving stone that most of the castle’s rooms had. I could ignore the hundreds of people who had probably walked through here before, their footprints imprinted on the fibers, as long as I didn’t think about it too much.

But then, Matty spoke, his voice slicing through the quiet. "Do you hate him? Stefan?"

Just hearing his name made my chest tighten. My heart seemed to contract into itself, a familiar ache pushing its way back into my ribs. I hadn’t even been thinking about Stefan— at least, not until now.

"I don’t want to talk about him," I said sharply, my voice colder than I intended. I pushed myself up into a sitting position, needing space, needing control again.

Matty sat up too, his hand reaching out, fingers brushing my shoulder lightly. "I was just trying to figure out... if you're doing this just to spite him, or to get over him... or just to have fun."

I didn’t want to be vulnerable with him— not like this. I swatted his hand away, frustrated. "I don’t want you to figure me out," I snapped, my words more biting than I meant. "That’s not what two people hooking up do, if I’ve understood the rules correctly."

Matty raised an eyebrow, but the corner of his mouth curled into a lopsided grin. "Look, I only have one rule," he said, his voice smooth, casual. "No drama. I don’t like it when girls stir up trouble for no reason. So, if you’re one of those girls, I want to know now."

The nerve of him. A wave of irritation washed over me, and I had to fight not to slap the smirk off his face. But the last thing I wanted was to give him the satisfaction of knowing he’d gotten under my skin. I couldn’t let him see how badly his words stung.

Instead, I took a deep breath and forced my voice to steady. "As far as I’m concerned, Stefan and I are over. He doesn’t want to be my boyfriend, so he isn’t. I agreed to come on this trip with my grandma because I wanted a change of scenery. Stefan and I breaking up made leaving just that much easier." I shot him a pointed look. "From now on, I’d really appreciate it if we didn’t talk about exes. My feelings toward Stefan are none of your concern, so don’t ask again."

Matty just nodded, the easy expression on his face betraying none of the usual cockiness. "Okay," he said simply, as though this was just another conversation in a series.

I blinked, surprised at how quickly he’d let it go. I half-expected him to push back or challenge me, but no, he just accepted my answer without a word of protest. Maybe he wasn’t as annoying as I thought.

"Okay?" I pressed, needing more of a response.

"Okay," he repeated, his voice firm but not unfriendly.

"Good." I stood up quickly, eager to end the conversation before it could go anywhere else. I grabbed the bottle of Jack Daniel’s from his grip and took a long swig straight from the bottle. The alcohol burned going down, but it was a welcome distraction from the mess inside my chest. It didn’t taste good, but at least it numbed the ache, just a little.

I turned to walk away, needing space from the tension that still lingered between us. I didn’t care if he followed or not. His company was enjoyable, but I couldn’t keep talking about Stefan. Not right now.

Of course, I heard the soft sound of footsteps behind me. Matty.

"Some more exploring?" he asked, his voice light and teasing.

I nodded, keeping my back turned to him as I walked down the hallway. I could feel his presence just behind me, like a shadow, but I didn’t want to acknowledge it. I didn’t want him to know how much I was starting to enjoy his company, how much his mere presence kept the chaos in my mind at bay.

Matty reached for my hand, and I immediately pulled away. The simple gesture felt too intimate, too much like something more than just casual. Something more like... attachment. And that was the last thing I needed right now.

"Problem?" he asked, raising an eyebrow, the playful glint in his eyes not helping the situation.

"I just don’t like... I’m not really..." I struggled for words, feeling stupid.

Matty burst out laughing, and I felt like an i***t. "Jeez, Jo, don’t freak out on me. I just noticed we’re both pretty tipsy, and holding hands seems like a good idea— don’t want either of us tripping over some ancient furniture, right?"

I couldn’t help but stifle a smile, even though I still felt embarrassed. "I did not ‘freak out,’ I’m simply not the kind of girl to hold hands."

"Bullshit," he teased, his grin widening. "I’m pretty sure you held Stefan’s hand."

And there it was again. His name. Stefan. I snapped, my patience already worn thin. "And there you go again! I just told you not to mention him!"

"Stefan, Stefan, Stefan, Stefan..." Matty sang, mocking me in a sing-song voice.

Before I knew it, I shoved him away, but he just laughed and stepped closer, blocking my escape. He grabbed my wrists gently, pushing me against the wall. My breath hitched, heart pounding in my chest.

"You really should chill, pretty lady," he said, his voice low, teasing, but with a hint of something more. "If you let something as trivial as a name upset you, life’s gonna be a freaking nuisance."

The feeling of his hands on my wrists made me freeze, every instinct screaming to pull away. I hated the sensation of being held down, even if it wasn’t aggressive. But I couldn’t stop myself from panicking. "Let go of me, Matty," I almost shouted, the words coming out more frantic than I intended. "And stop bothering me!"

Matty’s face softened, but he didn’t let go. "You be you, Jo," he said, raising his hands in mock surrender before backing off just enough to give me room.

I pushed past him in a rush, not caring where I was going— only wanting to get away. I could feel the sting of tears pricking my eyes, my breath coming in sharp, panicked bursts. No one had ever gotten under my skin like Matty had.

I ran, and ran, until the familiar hallways turned into unfamiliar corridors. My chest felt tight, and my vision blurred. Finally, when my legs felt like they might give out, I sank onto a cold marble step, hiding my face in my hands as sobs wracked my body.

I hated the tears. I hated feeling weak, powerless, pathetic. But they came anyway, rolling down my cheeks like the floodgates had opened. All the pain, all the disappointment I had buried under layers of deflection, came pouring out. How could I have been so stupid? How had I given so much of myself to Stefan, only for him to toss it all away for someone else?

I sat there, crumpled and broken, until the sobs faded, leaving only an empty ache in their wake. My vacation, as I had predicted, was now a cycle of sadness and isolation. Hanging out with Matty had been a perfect distraction, but now, it was over. And with it, the brief illusion of peace.

The only thing left was the pain— and the questions that would never be answered.