𝐃𝐄𝐅𝐈𝐍𝐈𝐓𝐄𝐋𝐘 𝐘𝐎𝐔𝐑𝐒 | 𝐁𝐗𝐁

ＴＨＩＲＴＹ ＴＨＲＥＥ

We had a quick start to the night. 

We all hurried to sit at the table because we were very hungry. After dinner, Sam said she wanted to play Scrabble, and so game night began. We were drinking and chatting and it didn't take me long to decide it wasn't as bad as I expected. Sitting right across from Matt was still annoying, but over time I was learning not to pay too much attention to him.

"Hate?" Sitting next to me, Kate grinned at me as she sipped her wine, "Is that the best you can do? It's an odd choice of words to write."

"I had these letters in my hand, honey, but this will still get our team a good point." Completely impulsively, I reached out for her hand and kissed it lightly. There was an awkward silence at the table.

"Ben?" Samantha sipped her wine as she leaned back, but for some reason her eyes fell on me like a hawk. "I want to ask you something and I want you to be honest. Did you and Matt get into a fight?"

I fell silent and my eyes fell on Matt too quickly to avoid saying anything. He wasn't looking at me, damn it. His eyes were glued to his hands wandering aimlessly across the table, and at this point I had no choice but to pray he wouldn't open his mouth. Or I could have done better and ignored Sam's question. "What do you want to tell?"

"Don't get me wrong," Sam explained, looking at Kate, "I think you two are great for each other. I fully support your relationship, but when Matt and I started officially dating, you immediately moved in with Kate and were generally cold towards Matt." 

"Don't, Sam," Matt decided to jump into the conversation. He clasped his hands together, placed them on the table, and continued talking to Sam, never taking his eyes off me as he grinned like a bastard, "We're old roommates, and you know the guys who live together...Guys always find something to fight for."

I was seething with anger. But I must admit that this is the best answer he can give. So he'll play the game this way, and then I'll go after him. "Sure," I said, smiling at Sam, "Guys fight with each other all the time. You know, over trivial things. About moving things around or being too messy."

"Right," Matt flashed a wide smile as he supported me, his gaze utterly unnerving, "Dudes with roommates... God... We were like an old married couple."

A sudden coughing fit felt like it was splitting my body in two. What kind of definition is this? Is he really going to do this in front of my sister and my girlfriend?

"Scrabble is boring." Kate suddenly downed the last remnants of her wine, "Let's do something more fun."

"Maybe we could play spin the bottle?" Matt leaned back as he crossed his arms across his chest menacingly.

"We're not in high school, Matt." Sam nudged his arm, "Why don't you hang out among yourselves while I show Kate my studio?"

"Studio?" Kate looked very curious. "Did you make a studio at home?" 

"It wasn't me, Matt did it!" Sam shouted at her excitedly, "He supports my painting. He said he had a surprise for me last week. He built a studio for me while I wasn't home. This is Ben's old room!"

Should I be hurt? Should it upset my feelings that my old room has been turned into a personal space for my sister? Fuck it.

After a few drinks, Sam, who got along surprisingly well with my girlfriend, took her hand and pulled Kate inside. I sat silently as the two of them disappeared. I had my arms crossed and my eyes were looking anywhere but at Matt. I finally managed to look at him when I saw him slowly stand up and speed across the living room to grab another bottle. He couldn't see me from this angle.