Lonely hearts

11. making up

The night was quiet and the rain had given way to a chilly, damp air slipping through the open windows of the triplets' house. I lay in bed, surrounded by the warmth of the sleeping bag and the quiet breathing of Chris and Nick in the adjoining rooms. Still, I could not catch sleep. My mind was still confused by everything that had happened.

Finally, I decided there was no point in lying around tossing and turning any longer. I carefully got up and snuck out of the room, gently closing the door behind me. The corridor was dark, lit only by the soft glow of a nightlight further on. I walked downstairs, looking for some water to soothe my dry throat.

The kitchen was almost completely dark, except for the dim light from the fridge, which I opened. I took out a glass from the cupboard and poured water, while my thoughts still rattled around in my head.

Suddenly, I heard a noise and turned around. There he was, Matt, his figure vaguely visible in the semi-darkness of the kitchen. For a moment we just stood there, not knowing what to say.

"Hey," I finally said, my voice barely above a whisper.

Matt looked at me, his face tired and his eyes still with a hint of the emotions from earlier that evening. "Hey," he replied shortly.

I wasn't sure what to say, but I knew I couldn't avoid this moment. "Listen, Matt," I began gently, "I didn't mean to hurt you. I just wanted to... I don't know anymore." He sighed deeply and leaned against the kitchen counter. "I don't remember either, Olivia. This is all so confusing."

I nodded slowly, my throat suddenly dry with tension. "Why is this all so hard?"Matt looked at me and I could see the weariness and frustration in his eyes. "Amber is afraid that... that you have feelings for me." I could hardly believe my ears. "What? That's ridiculous, Matt, I don't have feelings for you. I mean... I'm with Chris?" My voice trembled a little as I said that, not sure what kind of reaction to expect.

He shrugged, a glimmer of a smile on his face. "Yes, I know that. But sometimes... sometimes I think she just doesn't understand." I felt a mix of relief and irritation. "Well, maybe you should make that clear to her," I said, putting my glass of water back on the counter. Matt nodded slowly. "Maybe I should."

We stood there in silence for a few moments, each of us lost in our own thoughts. Eventually Matt looked at me again, his gaze softer than before. "Thank you for staying here, Olivia. I'm sorry about earlier."

I smiled weakly. "I'm sorry too, Matt, I didn't mean for it to go like this." He nodded understandingly and held out his hand. Hesitantly, I extended mine and he shook it briefly.

"I think we should just try to understand each other better," he said finally. I nodded in agreement. "Yes, let's do that."

We stood there for another moment, and then we both knew it was time to go back to bed. Matt walked past me into the corridor, and I looked after him, a sense of relief coursing through me. Maybe this was the beginning of the end of tensions between us.

Back in the spare room, I crawled under the covers again, my thoughts now much calmer than before. Maybe there was hope for us, for me and Matt, after all that had happened. 

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Morning dawned with a pale sun peeping through the windows of the triplets' house. Waking up with a sense of relief and hope after my late-night conversation with Matt, I slowly got up from bed and walked downstairs, where the smell of fresh coffee and breakfast met us.

In the kitchen, Chris and Nick were already sitting at the table, their voices mixed with the sound of clattering cutlery and the gentle hum of the morning television. Matt was also there, his gaze relaxed as he ate a bowl of cereal.

"Good morning, Liv," Chris greeted me with a broad smile. Nick nodded politely as he took a sip of coffee.

"Good morning," I replied, my voice still a little hoarse from sleep. I sat down next to Matt at the table, a nervous tension hanging in the air.

Matt looked up and met my gaze. There was a moment of hesitation, but then he smiled at me. "Good morning, Olivia." I smiled back, a sense of warmth spreading through me. "Good morning, Matt."

It felt strange to be back at the table as friends after everything that had happened, but also good. I knew there was still a lot to be said and resolved, but in that moment it felt like we had taken a step in the right direction.

Chris and Nick exchanged quick, meaningful glances as they observed us, but they said nothing. They probably understood the complexity of the situation, but supported us unconditionally as always.

Amber entered the kitchen, her face expressionless as she watched us. I felt her eyes prickle as she watched us, but I ignored her gaze and concentrated on my breakfast.

"Good morning, Amber," Chris greeted her cheerfully.

Amber mumbled something unintelligible back and then reluctantly started her breakfast. It was clear she was not happy about the new atmosphere between Matt and me, but I decided not to let it affect me. I just wanted to enjoy these moments of peace and hope.

As breakfast progressed, Chris and Nick started light conversations to keep the atmosphere light-hearted. They talked about their plans for the day and laughed at jokes that only they understood. Matt and I did our best to join in, rebuilding our friendship with small, friendly gestures and comments.

By the time we finished eating breakfast, I felt more at ease than I had expected. Matt and I might still have a long way to go, but for now it felt good to know we were back on good terms.

"Thanks for breakfast, guys," I said as I took my plate to the sink. Chris smiled broadly. "You're welcome, Liv. We're glad you're here."

Nick nodded in agreement. "Anytime."

I gave them a grateful smile back and then looked at Matt. He met my gaze and nodded briefly.

"We'll see each other later," he said, as if he wanted me to know that our friendship was still important to him. I nodded back, a warm feeling of hope and renewed strength filled me.