The Summer We Lied

Chapter Nineteen

Livin' On A Prayer by Bon Jovi is playing softly on the radio and I'm enjoying the last day of my summer holiday out on the front patio.

Spending the evening with Matt a few days ago has completely made me feel like a different person. I feel more confident in my own skin. My body feels like it has gone through this major transformation and I can't help but constantly feel the butterflies in my stomach.

I am sitting on the wooden patio floorboards, doing my nails a pale nude pink when the abrupt shouting breaks the serene mood.

I look over at Matt's house, as the door flings open and Matt stumbles out with a man, who I'm supposing is his dad, clutching his tee-shirt in a tight fist. Blood is trickling down Matt's nose profusely.

I quickly get onto my feet and my heart is thumping loud in my ears.

I run back into my house as fast as my feet can carry me.

"Daniel! Dad!" I shout with panic rising in my chest.

My dad and Daniel both emerge from the lounge alerted.

"What's going on?" Daniel asks.

All I have to say is, "Matt," and Daniel and my dad are both rushing outside and sprinting across the lawn.

I go out onto the patio and watch as my dad pulls the older man away, while Daniel is throwing his arms around Matt to secure him. There's pure anger in those gunmetal blue eyes.

"What on earth..." My mom emerges from inside and gasps as she looks at the scene unfolding before us.

Matt coughs out the blood and smears his bloody hand across his white shirt and then he looks up at me briefly for a second and I see his eye's return to their normal, calm look.

"Bring him in, Kelsey," my mom instructs and I don't need to be told twice. I run down the wooden steps as fast as I can.

My dad gets off the phone and looks down at Matt's dad. "You're a better man than this Michael."

"He's not a man!" Matt shouts directly at his father.

His chest is rising and falling rapidly and the thick cords of veins are standing out against his neck. He's really angry. It scares me to know that I never knew he could hold so much of hate and anger in him.

I rush over to Matt and grab his arm with force. Daniel watches the entire exchange but pushes Matt and I in the direction of the house.

I can feel the warmth of Matt's blood trickle down hand as I lace my fingers with his. I squeeze his hand reassuringly and he looks down at me with curious eyes.

Once we are inside, we go into the kitchen where my mom already has her Petri dish set up and several towels and tissues and band-aids and I smile briefly, because my mom is always prepared for the worst.

"I can't find the Neosporin," my mom says as she hands me a small white face towel.

"I think you should check upstairs," I tell her. "It's the only other place you keep the extra medical stuff."

"Oh, yes," she mutters to herself as she leaves the kitchen.

I swallow nervously and dip the end of the washcloth in the warm water from the petri dish.

And then I take Matt's hand in mine and gently wipe away the blood as carefully as I can. His knuckles are bruised and cut pretty badly.

"I'm sorry," he says after a moment.

"For what?" I look up at him with surprise.

He shakes his head and I can see that he's fighting back the emotions within him. It's like he wants to let go but doesn't know how to.

"I'm sorry for not being who you think I am. I'm not perfect and I hate everything right now. I hate all of this anger inside of me." His voice is tremulous.

I feel something tug at my heart and I reach out to caress his cheek. "You're perfect to me and you are who I know you to be. I love who you are and I wouldn't want you to be anyone else. People just go through some tough s**t and that happened to you, but you'll be okay."

Matt stares at me for a long moment and his eyes wander to my lips. He's about to lean in, but my mom comes into the kitchen and I drop my hand immediately and step back.

He grins at me and I feel my cheeks flush with warmth as I turn around and go into the lounge.

"Aren't you going to help?" my mom asks.

"I don't think I can't stand to be around so much blood," I lie and plop down onto the couch.

I spend the rest of the afternoon watching old episode of Supernatural.

As the evening rolls around, Matt and Daniel join me on the couch and even though an uncomfortable silence ensues, we all end up watching tv together like nothing in the world is wrong.

I can't help that uneasy, guilt eat away inside of me as I watch Matt and Daniel chatter away. I'm again reminded that I'm playing a very dangerous game and it's too late now to go back and undo everything. I am knee-deep in crap.