Perfect Strangers

Chapter 6

For a moment no one said anything, Molly just starring at Mathew who was obviously searching his words.

"I'm sorry." he eventually said, unable to meet her cold, searching gaze.

"For what?" she asked her tone neutral which made him shrink.

"Everything. For taking you for granted, for not trusting you enough to confide in you, for everything," he said guiltily, making her sigh.

"Mathew," she began, making him look at her. "When you said you would love and cherish me after I confessed to you, is this what you meant?" she asked, rendering him speechless. "It's all good to apologise, but I can't take it anymore," she said clearly, making him flinch. "I understand that you have your reasons and that's why I've been patient with you, but I can no longer deal with you being a good boyfriend 10% of the time and carrying on like I mean nothing to you the rest of the time." she paused, watching the hesitation and guilt in his eyes. "If we are going to make this work, you have to be honest with me. I can only help you if you tell me," she said, her eyes shining with a plea for him to play along so she could give them a second chance.

While Molly waited infinitely patient for his reply, Mathew cast his gaze down as a shadow crossed his face.

If he tells her the truth, will she be disgusted? Hate him? Think less of him? Leave him? He didn't want that and that's why he's always treaded carefully to not get too close, but now, if he didn't reveal what he had always wanted to hide, he would lose the only person he allowed to claim his heart.

"I..." he trailed off, swallowing around the lump in his throat. "I fear relationships," he confessed not daring to meet her eyes.

His confession wasn't so surprising, Molly had gathered as much from his behaviour in their relationship. He would get close and then flee before he got too close like he had to protect something so sacred buried deep within.

"Why?" she prompted gently when he didn't continue.

".... April is my little sister, and we haven't talked or seen each other in almost three years." he blurted out, surprising and confusing her.

Well, that would explain the awkward tension at the concert night, and it was so cool that her boyfriend was her and Heather's idol's big brother, but what did that have to do with anything? She wondered, snapping out her thoughts when Mathew chuckled lightly able to read her thoughts clearly.

"As you know, Eric's father founded a famous acting agency in LA years ago, and my father is his co-founder. As 'heirs', me and Eric were put into acting young before quitting at thirteen to focus on our studies. Like my father does for Eric's father, I only assist Eric and make him great, never outshine him and as my younger sister, April was invisible. She was always very shy and insecure, and I did my best to make sure she never experienced trials in life. From young, Eric hated acting while me and April had no love for it. She was always drawn to music, but our family frowned upon that and pushed for us to go into acting, but it just made her miserable and I didn't want that, so I learned the violin and created music with her within the walls of our home." he paused a small, fond, reminiscent smile on his face. "She glowed every time she sang, and I wished to always see her glow like that in the two-faced, untrustworthy, backstabbing world we were born into. From young, I learnt that people were fickle, and that love didn't truly exist. My love for my sister was the only real thing I could hold onto. So, when my parents found out what we were doing and opposed it, I argued with them until they agreed to let April sing and create music within the walls of our house, but even with that, I could tell she wanted to spread her wings and sing for the world." he said. "She was made to sing, and her gift was too precious to keep locked up, so I tried tirelessly to convince our parents to allow her to sing outside until they agreed on the condition that she would quit when she was old enough to marry." he paused, thinking his next words over his face solemn. "As her career as a singer began, she got famous instantly, but I no longer had as much time to dedicate to her, so she had to face her trials on her own. Unfortunately, I protected her too much because with great attention comes great setbacks too, and she didn't know how to deal with the baggage of being a famous singer. That's what led her to rely on Derek." he said darkly, making Molly frown.