Bruised

Chapter 4

She looked around, there was barely no light in room, and yet it felt so easy to see the boy in front of her, covered in bruises and wounds "Are you sure you wanna talk right now? You look like you might use some sleep".

The truth was he was still a stranger, a stranger laying in pain the white new sofa her parents had bought, a stranger who she was about to trust her problems "It's fine" he paused just like he had been doing since he opened his mouth for the first time due to pain he felt "I can talk first if ... you want me to" and so he tried to take a deep breathe, something he soon regretted. The only noise he made was to curse and he did it low, yet Nate woke up and quickly was by his side asking him how he was feeling or if he needed anything.

The girl who was sat in the carpet stayed there, looking at those two, and she couldn't avoid to notice how worried Nathaniel looked. "I see you were the one who brought him here" she said after some time "I'm sorry Ella, we needed your mum's help, and I thought you were sleeping" he stopped but soon continued "You went out?" And that question seemed simply ridiculous to Matthew but he realised he should just listen to see where that conversation was going "I did" she simply said "My audition was postponed, so just relax" she stood up and stayed there, looking at him "But I should have stayed home" she whispered and left them alone in the dark big room.

Matthew wasn't at all pleased that Nate had 'sent' the girl away, but he had just saved his life. So he didn't feel like arguing with him "Are you going to tell me what happened or what? This was just crazy Matt, this had never happened, this was not just some fight was it? It was a top fight, that's the only reason why they'd leave you there. Who was it Matt?" And he kept bombing him with questions "Stop" the boy in pain begged "I will tell you, just relax" he said low and then he saw the girl with a glass of water slowly walking closer to them, sitting on the same exact place she had been before.

"Can I stay?" She asked but her expression clearly showed she didn't care about the answer so Matt didn't even bother to say anything "First I was the one who asked to fight" he closed his eyes to avoid seeing the dissapointed face of his friend "I needed to let out all the feelings that were killing me and damn Nate I was the best only a few months ago". And now he was the one feeling disappointed with himself. Stella felt bad for him, she could see just how damaged that boy was, and she didn't even know anything. "Jarred, the little shit" and as the words left his mouth he felt anger again.  

"He has improved a lot... I still was winning though ... But he plays dirty, so dirty... And he used Amber against me" he said and now it was Nate who was angry.

"You still care" he said loud but then Stella reminded him that her family was sleeping " you still care for her? After all she has done? You allow her to be one of your weaknesses?" He said low this time, yet it was easy to notice how mad he was. "She has made our lives a living hell!" and he was only getting angrier. Matthew finally decided to stop him to continue and there were so many things he wanted to say in that moment, but "I know" were the only words that came out. He swallowed down with effort and then he spoke again "I didn't exacly want to almost be beaten to dead you know" he stopped once again "I didn't control it".  Nate simply gestured something that neither Stella or Matthew figured what it was and then he stated he needed to use the toilet. 

Stella wasn't really sure if she should or not speak because it was very easy to see those two boys had way more problems than she imagined, but she was a curious person and it wasn't her fault she had been caught in the middle of this situation.

"Amber?" she murmured. "Just the ex-girlfriend who cheated on me, nearly got me killed... twice, and ended the relationship of my best friend by causing an accident that put his girl in the hospital and made him lose his licence for 6 months" he say without any pause, which was really weird considering he was in pain.

"I've been trying to avoid her for the last year you know,and now that she only comes here once in a while it has been easier, but that girl still messes with you, even when she is not here" Nate's voice was heard even before he got near the sofa "You seriously have to overcome her" he said before he went quiet for some time "Sorry you got caught in the middle of this Stella".

But the girl smiled, a soft smile that went so well with her face "There is no problem" and then she giggled, something that the boys did not understand "You have a life that is way too interesting" and althought the boys knew it was not funny they smiled, smiled at how innocent that girl was, at how genuine she was. "You still" the wounded boy started "haven't told me why you were crying" he said and she smiled, but this time it was a sad smile, one to cover her sadness "Not that I can compare my problem to yours... But I went to meet the boy I like, just to find him with my bestfriend".

And that was the moment, the moment Matthew realised they were connected, even thought their stories were different, they were still similar, and maybe, just maybe that lost fight had made him gain way more. He looked around, he saw his bestfriend, the person who he cared more in this world, the person who cared most for him. And he saw Stella, the innocent girl who cried over the boy she liked, who giggled after being told how fucked up he was. And he smiled for the first time in a long time and although he was in pain he really felt like smiling. 

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I'm sorry it took me so long but a lot of things have happened and I just couldn't publish this earlier. 

Thank you to everyone that has been reading, it means the world to me. And I'm sorry for the mistakes, but I'll promise I'll be checking and correcting it soon. 

Ly, yxzmin