Matt Sturniolo imagines.

Cruel summer - 2

I wake up in my childhood bedroom, i see my paintings and stories stuck on the wall and all my childhood stuffed animals on the floor. I stretch my arms and sit up. I smell bacon and im confused. Is someone else here?

" mom?" I shout. " just me." Matt yells back and i head into the kitchen to see him frying bacon in pyjama pants and i wrap my arms around his waist and rest my head on his back.

" good morning." He spins around and drops two Advil into my hand and passes me juice. " what happened last night, my head hurts." I ask and he scoffs. " a whole bottle of wine will do that to you." He says and i take the pills and i smack my hands against my face.

" wheres jess." I ask. I have no clue where he slept. " at her house, i broke up with her." He explains and i tilt my head. " why?" I ask.

" dont ask me why? I didn't come and see you yesterday for nothing. I didn't confess my feelings for you for jess." He says and he lifts me onto the counter and presses his lips into mine while holding onto my neck.

" you better not leave." I say and wrap my legs around his back. " oh i didn't plan on it." He smiles and kisses me back. We sit on the lake deck and eat bacon and eggs.

" when do you leave here?" He asks me. " leave? Why would i leave?" I ask. " you didn't rent this place?" He asks. I shake my head and spoon more eggs into my mouth.

" no this is my house." I say and he raises his brows. " oh i just presumed since i havent seen your family around you sold the house." He says and i shake my head.

" no we moved back to the city, but when my father passed i bought the house from my mother because she wanted to sell. So i came here to write my book." I say and he picks up my plate.

" im sorry about your father, i loved him like a second dad." He says and i nod. " he loved you." I say and he smiles. He pulls me up and we head into the house.

I shower and put on a swimsuit and head for the lake. The sun is blaring and i jump into the lake. I come up to the surface and see matt laid on the wooden panelling, in his swim trunks and his skin glistening.

" if you and jess aren't together then, where are you staying?" I ask. He mentions he has a summer house on the same road as me. Its like 4 houses down.

" is that where you slept last night?" I ask. " god no, no i slept with you in your bed." He says and i smile. I swim around and leave him to sunbathe. Every time i come up for air he smiles at me.

I sit on my porch and get out my laptop. I pour some wine and start to write. I write a chapter and when i stand up matt isn't still asleep on the dock and he's not inside. I send him a text asking where he is.

He tells me to get dressed to go out. I pull on some jeans and shirt. I put on my sandals and apply a little makeup. I sit on the porch and he turns up. He has a bouquet of flowers in his hands.

" well hello." I say and he smiles. I jump down the porches and place a kiss on his cheek. He hands me the flowers and i go inside to put them in a vase. Placing them in the middle of my kitchen island.

We walk down to a nearby restaurant. We used to go all the time as kids. We get seated on the new outside patio. " ooh, they have cocktails." I say and matt laughs. " did going back to the city turn you into an alcoholic." He jokes and i swat his arm.

I order pasta and matt gets pizza. I can smell the food and when i look up to accept the food. Its jess. Her smile stops as she puts the plate down. " anything else for you guys?" She asks and i shake my head and thank her.

" i didn't think she was working tonight. Im sorry." Matt says and i shake my head. " its okay." I say and we eat our meals. We walk home hand in hand and he shows me his house.

It has the same interior as mine but his is kept in way more clean conditions than mine. There isn't loose papers and clothes strewn in his bedroom.

I look around and flop on his childhood bed. The same navy bedsheets and all the lego pieces on his desk. He has some drawings stuck on his wall i drew for him.

He walks in with two bottles of water and he sits at the edge of the bed. I crawl up and wrap my arms around him. I kiss his cheek and get up and to find a t shirt for me to sleep in.

After im changed matts already laid in bed against his headboard scrolling on his phone. I sip on water and slide in bed next to him.

" um, i was thinking." I start. Matt turns his phone off and turns to me. " oh no, here comes trouble." He groans and i smile.

" no, well since we've kissed and more i wanted to see if...we...uh." I stutter and he smiles. " i want you to be my boyfriend!" I sigh and he laughs. " of course i will." He says and pulls me in and presses his lips to mine.

He pulls me close to him and wraps his arms around my back, and i hold his head while i kiss him.

" god, do you know how long I've waited for this." He groans and rests his hands on the back of my neck and pulls me back in for a kiss.

" how long?" I ask. " I've waited since i was 12." I smile and he pulls a face. " 12. Boring! Ive waited since i was 10 and a half, why do you think i have all your drawings and cards?" He asks and i smile back. " I've loved you since i was 10." He confesses. " and a half." I add and he laughs and kisses me.

4 years later:

" mommy." My daughter yells as she jumps into my arms. Im sat on the porch and shes half dressed in her pjs. " Emma, its breakfast time!" Matt yells and comes bursting out the house, he picks her up and puts her on his hip.

" we could go swimming today and then nicks having a bbq at his house, sounds fun." He says and i nod. I close my laptop. Im writing my second book after my first got published 3 years ago.

We all get dressed in swimsuits and take our daughter out onto the dock. We chose to move into my house because mine was bigger, and we planned on having a big family. We have a set of twins on the way. Twin girls.

After swimming we head over to nicks, were just in time for food when we get there, nick is still at the same house but Chris and Jasmine moved into matts old house. They have a 1 year old and another baby on the way.

I sit back and think about my life now. 12 year old me wouldn't believe it.

" you okay." Matt asks me and places a kiss on my cheek. Im putting Emma down for bed and shes already been asleep for a half hour. " yeah, but i cant believe shes 3 next year." I say. " i know." Matt agrees and we get into bed. We decided to make matts old room into the nursery and we take the master.

She smiles before she starts to snore. We both smile and head to bed. Its a Friday ritual for me and matt to get into the lake and drink wine. But i have to drink iced tea for now. Its still summer so the water is mildly warm but its still a shock to get in. I suck in a breath.

" god why do you make me do this?" Matt sucks in a breath and i splash him. " hey im 2 months away from having a baby. Dont even."
I fire back and he smiles and kisses me. We swim around until our glasses are drained and we walk back in and fall to sleep.

" i love you." I whisper. He smiles and kisses me. " i love you so much baby. I. Love . You." He says and kisses me before i fall asleep. In his arms.