The Summer We Lied

Chapter Fifteen

"Hey, bro. Long-time," Daniel says and comes over.

He completely ignores me and goes over to sit next to Matt. I turn up the volume of Supernatural and turn all my attention to the tv screen.

Daniel laughs. "Yo, what happened to your face?"

Matt laughs, but it doesn't sound real. It sounds edgy. "It's a long story."

Daniel lowers his voice, but I hear him clearly. "So is that what Cassie does to you in bed?"

Matt laughs again and whispers something back. As they continue to talk back and forth in hushed voices, I get up, because I can feel the bile rising in my throat.

How stupid could I have been? How easy and stupid I must have seemed to Matt.

I go up to my room and slam the door too hard, but I don't care.

I get into my bed and I tell myself over and over again that it's fine, because I don't really care. But my heart is feeling something else. I do care. I think I've fallen in love and its too late for me to go back and undo everything. It's too late.

I cry. As pathetic as it sounds, I cry myself to sleep. It's the only way that my heart finds peace.

It's cold when I fall asleep, but a while later there's warmth because someone is climbing into the bed and I am about to scream my f*****g lungs out, but a hand covers my mouth immediately.

"It's just me," Matt's voice is right next to my ear.

I begin to wriggle free of his hold, but he holds me tightly against him.

"Daniel was talking crap, Kelsey. He was saying that to f*****g annoy you. You are so transparent. Why do think I said that you're so easy to read?"

He looks down at me and his eyes are dark. "I'd never think of hurting you. I've spent such a short while with you, but I can tell you that you're so damn amazing."

Matt let's go and I feel the tears spring from my eyes again. "It sounded so true and I didn't want it to be true, because I care too much."

"Don't cry," Matt whispers and pulls me against him again.

I cry into his tee-shirt and he strokes my hair until I'm done. He doesn't say anything mean or sarcastic. We just lay in the dark, feeling protection in each other's arms. It's the safest, strongest feeling in the world.

"I'm sorry that you cried. Tears are the last thing I'd want to see on your face," Matt whispers.

"You don't have to apologize," I tell him.

Matt presses a light kiss to my forehead. "I do. Now go to sleep, Kels. You'll feel better in the morning."

My chest still pains from the hurt, but I listen to Matt and fall asleep soundly in his arms. I don't think once about the fact that Daniel could find us like this. I just don't care anymore. It's better than being without Matt.

I sleep to the steady beat of Matts' heart and to the rise and fall of his chest.