I Still Love You (a Smoleman Fanfic)*completed*

Chapter 22

Matt rubbed the back of Jenna's hand. "Hon..."

"Mmmm?" She pulled back from his body- they had spent the last half hour sitting together (possibly making out...).

"Karen's having a little get together tonight. Just me, Lily, Richard, and Arthur. So I've gotta leave early tonight."

Jenna pouted. "A party without me? What for?"

Matt shrugged. "Not sure."

Jenna found the lies hidden in the green, innocent eyes. "You do know. Why?" she demanded.

Matt slid off the bed. "I-I dunno why."

Jenna grabbed his hand with all the strength she had left. "Please."

"N-Nothing!" He didn't want to tell her the truth-that she was to die soon. He couldn't be the one to break it to her, so he walked out of the room, his heart shattering as he heard a little moan escape Jenna's mouth.

The light in her eyes flickered before dying.

***

Karen's house was so spacy and open. Matt had just enough money to buy a house now, and he was currently considering buying one in the same neighbourhood. He drove past it as he headed to Karen's house.

Arthur's car was parked in Karen's driveway.

Matt got out of his car and opened the front door. Their friendship was so close that they could all walk into each other's houses without being yelled at.

The front door's hinges had been oiled, Matt could tell from how it stopped squeaking oddly. He walked into the kitchen, guessing that they would be waiting in there. But it was empty.

"Karen?" Matt walked to the bottom of the staircase.

No response.

"Arthur?" He took another step up the stairs.

No one answered.

He made his way up the stairs silently, wondering if a robber had come to their house. Just in case, he opened the door to Karen's room.

(Yes here it comes! The Karen/Arthur ship!)

Matt's eyes widened at the sight that lay before him.

Karen, in a tube top and very short shorts, splayed out across the bed, Arthur on top of her, shirtless, both passionately kissing.

Both of them pulled away when they heard the door swing open, their eyes wide in absolute shock.

Karens cheeks were bright red, and her fiery red hair was messy since Arthur's fingerss had been running through it. Arthur's cheeks matched Karen's shade of red perfectly.

"I- I'll just... leave..." Matt stuttered and shut the door.

He walked back down the stairs, snickering to himself. Everyone knew that Karen and Arthur had a thing for each other, but no one had caught them at it.

A slam of the front door told Matt that Lily and Richard had arrived. He went to meet them and inform them of what he had caught them doing.

"Lily! Richard!" Matt laughed as he relayed the story to them. "And they were making out..."

By this time, both Lily and Richard were doubled over with laughter, and Matt's eyes were filling with tears of hysteria.

Lily wiped the tears from her cheeks. "Oh god..."

Karen came down the stairs, her face still bright red. "Hi," she said as nonchalantly as possible.

Matt started cracking up at the sight of her.

Karen blushed even harder. "Shut up, Matt," she reprimanded.

Lily pushed Karen playfully. "Oh, Karen, don't be all cutesy, you're so cute with Arthur and we've all known that you guys like each other."

Karen stepped back. "It was obvious?" she asked nervously.

Richard nodded, agreeing with his girlfriend. "I'm sure Jenna would agree, too."

Everyones faces got somber as the sadness and weight of Jenna's predicament descended over them in a cloud of black and grey.

Arthur came down, and as his eyes met everyone else's eyes. His expression clouded over.

Lily slipped her arm around Matt. "It's okay, Matt. It'll be okay. I promise."

Matt slumped. He put his head in his hands. "It's all my fault."

Lily's fingers tightened around his shoulders slightly. "It's not your fault," she responded.

He sighed, dragging his hands down his face, trying to hold back his tears. "But it is."

Lily turned to him and looked him directly in the eyes. "Then tell me why."

He rubbed his eyes. "Because... I gave her the first shot. I'm the one who gave her the idea to drink. She told me no, she said she didn't want any, but I begged her and then she just.... wouldn't stop drinking."

The sadness in his eyes was overwhelming. Arthur ruffled Matt's hair affectionately. "Hey, Matt, look."

Matt raised his head to look at Arthur, his eyes red and his cheeks stained with the tracks from his tears.

"Whatever you think, it's not your fault. You didn't know that Jenna was anorexic- you couldn't have known. She never told you."

Matt sighed. "But I should've noticed, she's always been so damn skinny..."

"None of us knew, Matt, and we all knew her just about as well as you did until you guys started going out."

Richard slapped Matt's back gently. "Look, Matt- whatever you say, even you know that honestly, it's not your fault. Jenna should've told us."

Matt nodded, wiping his face. "Yeah." He shook his friends off of him. "Why didn't she tell me? Jenna should've trusted me, as soon as we started going out, she should've told me..."

Richard smiled sadly. "She didn't tell me, either, and I was her boyfriend for a damn sight longer than you've been."

Matt laughed hoarsely. "I'll have to ask her about that when I go visit tomorrow."

Richard nodded. "Yeah. But tonight we're just gonna hope to God that Jenna Coleman is going to pull through this shit."

Karen and Lily nodded in agreement.

"Yeah," Arthur said a finely timed second later.

—-

Sorry, another short chapter :P

Thanks for being wonderful, guys! :) ❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️

-Rina ❤️❤️❤️❤️💖💖💖💖❤️❤️💖💖