Whispers of Truth | Matt Sturniolo

𝒳𝒱𝐼

𝙈𝙖𝙩𝙩 𝙎𝙩𝙪𝙧𝙣𝙞𝙤𝙡𝙤
(𝘈/𝘕: 𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘴𝘪𝘵𝘪𝘷𝘦 𝘵𝘰𝘱𝘪𝘤𝘴, 𝘢𝘯𝘹𝘪𝘦𝘵𝘺 𝘢𝘵𝘵𝘢𝘤𝘬)

The weight of the situation hung heavy in the room. None of us had moved an inch, frozen in place as the minutes ticked by. My gaze remained fixed on the shattered camera, a symbol of the trust and friendship that had been broken.

Chris sat there, his face buried in his hands, the weight of the situation pressing down on his shoulders. Nick had taken to the stairs, leaning against the railing as he finally broke the suffocating silence. "WHAT THE FUCK?" he screamed his voice trembling with a mix of disbelief and frustration.

I shook my head, my expression was a blend of anger and disappointment. I stepped closer to Chris, voice laced with frustration, "Chris, you're such a dumbass. You couldn't wait til things with Bells and me were sorted?"

Chris met my gaze, eyeing me up and down as he gave me an assessing look and said, "Kid, what things? You don't tell us anything." His words held a tinge of exasperation, as if he felt he was kept in the dark about the complexities of my life.

"Matt you have to tell us so that we can fuckin' do something." Nick insisted as he descended the stairs and took a seat beside Chris. With a heavy sigh, I ran my trembling hand down my face, my eyes darting around the room, searching for answers in the silence that weighed heavily upon us.

"I can't, okay?" My voice wavered, frustration and vulnerability bleeding through. "I just can't, not right now." My shoulders slumped, and an air of helplessness enveloped me.

"Okay but can someone tell me exactly what happened?" Nick inquired, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes in response. I slumped onto the couch across from both of them, my posture reflecting my frustration. My legs sprawled apart, head hanging low, elbows resting heavily on my thighs.

"The prank I pulled on Ara went too far," Chris confessed, his voice tinged with remorse. He continued, "We started having fun, and one thing led to another. When I was about to tell her the truth, she found the camera."

"Okay, but how does that even end up going too far? Like if it's a prank, I would assume you wouldn't go all out," Nick inquired, his brow furrowed in confusion.

Chris hesitated for a moment, then finally spoke, "I took her to Abe & Louie's."

My head jerked up, eyes wide, and jaw dropped. The name of the upscale restaurant hung in the air, and I couldn't help but share Nick's surprise. The realization of how far Chris had taken this 'prank' was sinking in.

"You stupid fuck" I erupted, leaping to my feet. I grabbed Chris by his shirt, my fingers curling tightly into the fabric as I pulled him up to meet my eyes. Chris stared down at my knuckles, the white color taking over as my grip increased.

He pushed me back, disengaging from my grip. "Okay, first of all, never do that typa shit again," he warned, his voice stern. "And second, I only took her somewhere nice because whatever you did fucked her up" His index finger jabbed into my chest, causing me to stumble back a step.

Chris's words stung, and my anger simmered, but I couldn't ignore the guilt that crept into my conscience. "Low blow" I muttered, my tone deflated.

With anger coursing through my veins, I forcefully brushed past Chris and ascended the stairs, each step echoing my frustration. The door to my room met my wrath with a resounding slam, and I collapsed onto the bed in a storm of emotions.