Deconstructing Bridges

Chapter Fifteen

Hayley had been flicking channels repeatedly since arriving home. Unsure of what to do with herself, she had remained in her clothes from the day's work and devoured the Chinese takeout straight from the container.
She felt glum, and it was no secret why.

Was she about to lose her chance with Matt before it even started?
Although her dinner with him had been innocent and casual, she had not been able to stop playing it over and over in her mind. She'd glorified it in her mind to think it was opening the door to something special, but looking at it now, she had to admit that Matt had not in any way led her on. In fact, he had not indicated firm interest in her from the start. He'd been accepting friendship and support, and now he didn't need it anymore.

So now she felt glum. At least after she'd finished this glass of wine, there was another bottle of red in the pantry.

A pounding sounded on her door, startling her and causing her to drop a chopstick. She grabbed it up, quickly checking her carpet for stray splatter. That's all she needed - a reason for her mother to nitpick on her when she came around for lunch on Sunday. Satisfied there was no mark, she stood to answer the door.
The man standing there gazed at her with a serious expression.
"Eddie? Hi, what...?"
"Just thought I'd stop by," he said, eyeing her.
"It's been a little while. Wondered if..." He fell silent and simply observed.

Hayley stepped aside and pulled the door wide enough for him to step through. Slightly embarrassed, when they reached her living area, she shifted her weight from one foot to the other.
"I, uh, I didn't know what I felt like," she said sheepishly as he took in the sight of about four different takeout containers spread on the coffee table with a smile.
"You hungry?" she asked with a small smile, and he took a seat on the nearby one-seater.
"I am."

She grabbed two plates and forks - let's face it, she was no good at chopsticks and she didn't want to make a fool of herself - and silently they served themselves before balancing the plates on their knees.
His deep oak eyes on her unnerved her. Was he ready to ridicule her for her recent behaviour? Considering circumstances, perhaps she deserved it.

"Are you alright?" he asked after minutes of silent eating.
"Of course," she said through a mouthful of noodles and they both chuckled.
"You sure?"
She nodded.
"Really, Eddie, why wouldn't I be?"
"Because for the last month you've hidden yourself away."

"I haven't."
"You so have, Hayles," he said, putting his fork down.
"I know Rose threw a curveball at all of us, and you and Matt were... well, you were friends, and he's barely had time for anything since shit went down. You've still got a friend. I hope you know that."
She smiled. He was such a nice guy. It was her curse to be surrounded by painfully nice guys.
"Thanks Eddie. We should do drinks again sometime. We haven't since - gosh, we only went those couple of times after I started at your station. It was fun."
His brow furrowed in thought, and she wondered if she had said something wrong. Before she could ask, another knock at the door sounded and she rose, startled. She wasn't usually this popular on a Friday evening.

"Matt! What are you doing here?"
He looked awful, she thought as she pulled the door wide open, gesturing for him to step inside. His face was haggard, his hair slightly longer, tousled as though he'd raked his hands through it repeatedly.
He'd never been inside her place before, she thought. But unlike Eddie, who had taken quiet note of the layout, who had stopped to glance at her photographs on the shelf, Matt was downcast, looking down at his feet as he waited for her to direct him.
Rose, she thought with a flash of annoyance. Or, rather, Nichole. That was taking some getting used to. Whatever her name, she was a bane on Matt. And bloody hell, he was falling for it again, and she hated seeing that. She was annoyed at him for it more than anything else.