HIDDEN (Hide Or Die)

Chapter 33

ALBERT'S P.O.V.

Until yesterday, I thought my life was crazy.

My Aunt Lillian, whom I had known my entire life, effortlessly teleported my friends and me into a terrifying woodland, Becky, my newly made friend who I had thought was missing until yesterday, transformed into a massive bird right before my eyes, and Kyle, my cute brand-new best friend had been hiding massive angel-like wings in his freaken jacket the entire time we had been together! Is there something I'm missing? No, I believe that's all there is to it for the time being.

"A penny for your thoughts?" A coin dropped on my lap instantly drifting me away from my head. I turned to face Matthew, who had apparently just gotten out of the shower wearing nothing but a towel around his waist and wiping his wet hair with another towel as he stood by the foot of the motel bed I was sitting on, smiling softly at me.

“Keep doing that, and I'll be rich in no time.” I smiled back at him.

That's the plan," he laughed, then moved to the mini-fridge on the far side of our room.

"So, tell me, what's bothering you?" He asked as he opened the fridge and took out what appeared to be apple juice and some sort of snack. I'm surprised they had a fridge in here at all, let alone that there was anything in it.

"Other than our current situation?" I raised an eyebrow at him, and he chuckled.

"Aside from that, yeah." He smiled and approached me with the items he had taken from the fridge.

"Nothing," I said quietly, and he nodded his head, as if he didn't believe me, but he didn't press the issue further.

"Come here, I need to check your wounds, I can't believe I left your medications at your uncle's place," he said as he sat beside me on the bed, taking my hand in his and inspecting the wound on my elbow from the fall I took while rushing to be saved by him in the woods. He hummed to himself about the healing process, then took my shirt in his hand and pulled it over my head before completely removing it as if it were the most natural thing to do.

I just stared at him, as if in a trance, as his hands ran effortlessly over my pale skin, leaving trails of goosebumps in their wake.

"Are you ever going to tell me who did this to you?" Matthew said this without looking at me, but his voice sounded pained, and I couldn't help but remember what I was trying so hard to forget.

"It doesn't matter, it won't change anything," I said mostly to myself, but he heard me.

"Why would you say that, Al?" Matthew's face twisted up, but he appeared sad rather than angry, and I look away in shame.

"Speaking up, Al, is the very first step toward your recovery." Matt went on, while I remained silent. It wasn't quite that simple. In any case, no one would believe me! It would only serve to send Julian and his friends on a vengeance mission against me for ratting them out. No, I couldn't do it; Julian frightened me too much to even consider it.

Fear splintered my heart, sweat trickled down my spine, and my breath shook just by thinking about it; and much to my embarrassment, Matthew seemed to notice and gave me a sad look.

"It's okay, Al; you don't have to tell me anything; I don't want you to ever feel uncomfortable around me, okay?" Matt smiled as he took my hand in his. "I know you haven't known me long enough to trust me with something as delicate as this; and I'm sorry for trying to push you," he chuckled to himself. "You know, Andrew always got angry when I did that to him, and the last time I did It, he literally ran away from me." Sadness suddenly coated his eyes as he stared seriously into mine,