good/right/real

Chapter 75: Hurt and Burnt

Summary:Sylvie talks to Matt about 105.

Sylvie wakes up before Matt, dreading the conversation she knows they have to have.

She could play it down again like she did last time, but that feels dishonest at this point. Her last conversation with Early felt like a non-event. The gist she gave Matt felt true to her. He hit on her and she handled it, end of story. But this time...

This time felt like an attack.

Sure, he didn't touch her, but he sought her out when she was vulnerable and that felt just as violating. She didn't want to think about how far he might have pushed it if Welch and Chili hadn't shown up.

She had a hard enough time dealing with it from the end of shift to the second Matt walked through the door. She saw him and immediately wanted his hands on her. The shower didn't wash Early off of her and in that moment she knew why -- only Matt could cancel out the way Early encroached on her space, only Matt could keep her from spinning out, and only Matt could bring her comfort.

But she can't seek out peace with him without telling him why she needs it. That doesn't feel right. Not if she wants him to be involved in her life for the long term, which she does.

She really does.

No, playing it down isn't an option anymore.

She has to tell him the full story. Based on the way he reacted to Pridgen, she knows he'll be furious and while she may be afraid of his reaction she's more afraid of what would happen if she left him out.

Matt presses his lips to the top of her head as he comes to, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "How long were we out?"

She cranes her neck to glance at the clock on his nightstand. "Four hours."

"Every time you fall asleep on me I go right with you," Matt says with a hoarse chuckle. "And I actually got a handful of hours of sleep last night. I shouldn't be tired."

She snickers, kissing his jaw. "There are worse things to be than a sympathetic sleeper."

His callused hands run up and down the length of her arms and she lets out a contented sigh. This moment is quiet and soothing.

She hates to ruin it, but she doesn't have much of a choice.

"We have to talk about 105," Sylvie declares with an apprehensive sigh.

She pulls out of Matt's arms and sits up against his headboard, swallowing thickly and waiting for him to follow her lead.

He gives her a concerned look but nods, sitting up next to her. "Everything alright?"

"I'm fine," she says, meeting his concerned eyes with reassuring ones. "But there's sort of a situation with Early. I thought it was no big deal at first but...I think it might be and I don't want you to feel like I was trying to hide it from you."

His stare instantly darkens, and not with need like she's grown accustomed to lately. No, they darked with anger. In two seconds flat. "Early?" He asks. "What did that jackass do?"

"Matt," she says knowingly with a quirked brow. She reaches over and brushes her fingers through the mussed hair falling on his forehead. "I need you to promise me you won't fly off the handle and storm 105 after I tell you what happened. I want to talk to you about this and include you but I don't want you doing anything rash."

"So, you know I won't like whatever it is," Matt says, mirroring her expression and quirking a brow at her in return. "Maybe the situation calls for me to do something rash?"

"And have you charged with Conduct Unbecoming an Officer because of me?" She asks as she crosses her arms over her chest and glares at him. "No. That's not happening. Besides, I want your advice because I trust and respect you, but this isn't one of your construction jobs or a call for Truck 81. I don't need you to fix it and I don't need to be rescued."