(A/N: this chapter is super long, i didn't want to put it into two parts so i kept it together. also the next chapter will be a time skip but i will make sure everything i skip is explained in chapter 41, i'll probably make notes here and there so don't mind them,
enjoy reading
-Tayah)
We go back to his house later that night, much to Ellie's protests. I suppose it had been pretty weird with Chris being there, but I didn't think much of it at the time. Obviously we had a few conversations here and there, but mostly when we were all sat together.
It was nice. To sit there with a family and not be silently judged for what im wearing or what i'm talking about.
I dread going home tomorrow, but I know i have to go face my mother.
"What are you thinking about?", Matthew asks, his voice sweet and calm. "Who said I was thinking about anything in particular?", I smirked, mostly just trying to steer away from whatever deep conversation we're about to have.
"Nuh uh uh, your face gives it away love", he tuts, fully expecting a reply.
"I was thinking about how tomorrow i have to go home, and my mum, she might just disown me at this point", I joked trying to lighten this mood.
It doesn't.
"Don't go home then", he says and my eye enlarge. "What do you mean 'don't go home'? I have to thats where I live", I reply, astonished with his proposal.
I stare at him as we sit in silence in his room. I search his face, my eyes darting to all his features, waiting for him to say something, anything at all. Then, it's as if a lightbulb went off in his head, the bright luminous colour shining in his dark eyes. "Move in with me.. and Nick!", he rushes out, grabbing my hands.
"Matthew! I can't just announce to my mother that i'm moving out so i can move in with my boyfriend and one of his brothers".
As much as I would love to have freedom away from my parents house, especially with my age, my mother is religious and definitely wouldn't stand for me moving in before marriage. "It's worth a try Iris, i'll come with you tomorrow and we can talk to your mu-", he desperately tries to reason but I cut him off.
"- Matt, you can't come with me tomorrow, even if I were to ask her, it has to be me alone. Though I don't think it would matter much", I mutter the last part.
The next morning, I leave Matthew and Nicolas' apartment, to go on a mission. The aim? To talk my mother into letting me move out.. and in with my boyfriend.
I make it back to my parents house, and unlock the door to the main house and walk straight in. There they are, at the dinner table eating in silence, as usual, the only noise heard is the tv dad left on in the next room. Aubrey's eyes light up as she raises from her seat and runs over to me, all giddy, and she wraps her arms around me words coming out of her mouth at such a pace I don't make out what she's saying.
It's as if this is all happening in slow motion, I avert my focus from my sister and to my parents at the table. I walk closer to them my dad visibly happy to see me home, my mother, well I don't know what she's thinking.
And I don't care.
"Morning", my dad says, still eating his waffles. In contrast to my dad's warmness, my mother is stiff, frozen. "I want to move out", I blurt out hoping that if I get to the point they will too. My dad's eyes widen slightly from my outburst before going back to their normal size. Aubrey still stands with me, starched at my hip, probably sad I wasn't here with her yesterday.
After a few beats of silence both my mum and dad speak up at the same time,
"If that's what you want"
"No!"
I look between the two, wondering who im supposed to listen to. My dad looks at my mother, "Why can she not move out dear? She is 20 now, I think it would be goo-", he stops short when my mother glares at him.
I'm in trouble.
She stands up and walks over to me, "Where are you going to go hmm? To that boyfriend of yours", she laughs. "What happens when he dumps you, what happens when he treats you bad, doesn't want you, wants you away? What will you do then?", by now she's raising her voice with every sentence. She keeps taking steps forward and I continue to move back, Bree has moved from my side. I take notice that she stands away with dad, who has a sympathetic look on his face.
"Matthew is the most amazing person ever, Yes I haven't known him long, but in our weeks of dating and our months of knowing each other, he's treated me way better than Fred ever did! Then you ever have! He lets me be who I want to be, when I'm sad he holds me, he cares for me. And if he were to hurt me I sure wouldn't come back here to live under the rules you have, I can't stand it anymore, your horrible.
I'm moving out and I'm not coming back!", I shout with tears streaming down my face.
She takes a shocked step back and I use that to move away from her, running out of the house to the guest house, where I start packing bags.
Iris: I need you to come and get me.
Iris: Please.
I wait for a response, hoping he's not busy. I need him.
Matty<3: Whats wrong Love?
Matty<3: I'm on my way, 5 minutes tops.
I sigh with relief. I grab bags and suitcases, although I won't be able to get all of this in Matt's Mercedes G Class. Shit.
I hear a loud honking outside, followed by the door opening, revealing Matthew. I run to him and wrap my arms around his neck with such force he bends at the waist a little. "I hope you don't mind but I brought Nick", he says once we break apart. "That's okay we're gonna need the help", Nick comes in and begins taking bags to the car, followed by me and Matt.
Two hours later. Three trips there and back, and we're at Matt and Nick's house. I cant say that their house is as clean and neat as it was before, though that is my fault.
"Are you guys sure your okay with me moving in?", i ask again, "Cause I can find an apartment close by that's not a problem", i reason.
"For the millionth time Iris, it's okay we have a spare room anyways, not that you'll use it but you can still put your stuff in it", Nicolas says, patting me on the back as he walks away to his room.
I sigh and look up at Matt, who stands there looking at me with a shit-eating grin. "Guess I got what I wanted after all", he says. I walk closer to him and tightly wrap my arms around his waist, just holding on. My face tests against to top of his chest, I move so that it rests in the crook of his neck. And it's only then that I let it all out. He stiffens for a second before he relaxes and runs his hands through my hair.
Matt's POV❀
I don't know how long we stay like that before I pull away, my neck now soaked with Iris' silent tears. I lightly takes hold of my hand and lead her to my room, where we sit on the bed, our backs against the headboard. "She said such horrible things Matty", Iris breathe out, tears threatening to spill again. My arm around her rubs her shoulder in a comforting way, convincing her to lean into me. "Don't listen to her love, she just doesn't want to see you independent, without her", i reply a second later. "But she started making me doubt everything, all my decisions. She said that", she lets out a sigh, "She questioned what I'd do when you-", she stops, probably not wanting to bring this up. She just want it to be us, nothing more, nothing less. And I'm okay with that, but she's grabbed my interest.
"When I what love?", I inquire.
"When you leave me", She says and I instantly grab hold of her chin, turning her to face me. "Look at me okay. I will never leave you".
"But that's right now what if-", I interrupt her,
"I love you, and I will continue to love you until I die, and if there really is a life after death, I'll love you even then, always and forever"
I say. Her eyes lift to meet mine. I feel a warming tug in my stomach, I know exactly how she feels about me, but I need to hear her say it.
"Tell me you feel the same. Tell
me you feel this", I says quieter. She smiles realising I'm just like her, deep down we just want someone to love us for us. "Matty of course I feel the same" she say.
And when she lifts her teary eyes to mine, I brushed them away with my thumb, and I dropped my lips gently onto hers, and I finally did what i had wanted to do for the past five months, even if I had been initially too dumb and horrible to know it, I kissed her.
(A/N: *cue the black curtain closing)
