Boundless

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟑𝟎

The morning of the spring ball arrived quickly, but I couldn't match my friends' excitement as we sat down in the Great Hall for breakfast.

I noticed a figure sit in front of me. Looking up through my lashes, I made eye contact with Mattheo. His eyes desperately avoided mine, but I focused on the fresh cut under his eye.

He'd been absent for almost two weeks, and I couldn't piece together how he had gotten hurt. Before I could ask, Theo interrupted everyone's conversations.

"Back to take Stella to the ball tonight?" Theo asked Mattheo with a charming smile, playing with his cereal.

My eyes widened at his assumption, and I felt sick at the thought of telling Mattheo I was going with Cedric. If Theo was right, Mattheo might never forgive me.

Pansy scoffed beside me and spoke, "Stella is going with Cedric."

I felt their eyes burning holes through me.

"Oh, S," I heard Draco mumble under his breath. My eyes wandered everywhere until I was forced to look at Mattheo.

His tongue poked the inside of his cheek as he shot daggers at me. "Matt, I can—" I tried to explain myself, but he stormed away from the table in a rage.

"Shit," Pansy breathed, sending me an apologetic look. I huffed and got up to follow the storm brewing in Mattheo's head.

"Mattheo, stop!" I yelled from the end of the hall. Unsurprisingly, he ignored me and turned the corner. I groaned and decided to run up to him. "Please, Mattheo," I pleaded again, stopping behind him to catch my breath.

"Don't tell me what to do, Black," Mattheo snapped as if it were second nature to him. I almost flinched at his reaction but held my head up. "Seriously? We're back to last names again," I scoffed.

He rolled his eyes and turned to walk away again. Out of impulse, I gripped his shoulder and turned him to face me. "Don't you dare ignore me," I said firmly.

He didn't move or push my arm away, but I felt that if I didn't move my hand soon, I wouldn't have one left. I let go, and he hit me with harsh words, "I can't even begin to think of what the fuck you have to say to me right now."

My lips parted, and my brows furrowed in annoyance at his outburst. "Don't play the victim here! You've been ignoring me since that stupid party. How was I supposed to know if we were together?"

"So you throw yourself at Diggory instead?" he spat. I shook my head in disbelief and folded my arms. "He asked me. You didn't," I said bluntly.

"I thought we were going together, Stella. Why the fuck wouldn't we?" he snapped again, this time with a crack in his tone.

I blinked uncontrollably and forced myself to keep looking at him. "I... I don't know. I thought that maybe we weren't getting anywhere after what happened with Sebastian," I admitted.

He tilted his head, his face cold and biting back anger. "You didn't even hesitate, did you?" he said quietly.

"Are you really that into me like you said you were, or was that date just a charity service for you?" he asked in a rough voice. My face softened, and I watched our relationship crumble in our hands.

I understood why he thought I felt this way, but he was so far from the truth that I wanted him to see himself through my eyes.

"Mattheo, no. Of course it wasn't," I breathed. "It feels like that."

He sighed, frustration evident. "You think this is easy for me? Seeing you with Cedric? I've been dealing with a lot, Stella. You have no idea."

"Then tell me, Mattheo. Help me understand," I pleaded, my voice trembling.

He shook his head, looking away. "I can't just spill everything, not when I don't even know where we stand."

"I want to be there for you, but you shut me out," I said, my voice breaking. "I didn't mean for this to hurt you."

He looked down at me with disappointment. "Yeah, well you've done a hell of a job, Black." Mattheo immediately walked off without looking back, leaving me standing alone in the hall.

I stood there, feeling the weight of everything unsaid pressing down on me. I wanted to scream, to cry, to chase after him and make him understand. But I couldn't move. The walls of Hogwarts felt like they were closing in, suffocating me with regret and frustration.

Finally, I took a deep breath and started walking, each step feeling heavier than the last. I replayed the conversation in my head, trying to find a way to fix this, to make Mattheo see how much he meant to me. But no matter how I twisted the words, it always came back to the same painful truth: I had hurt him, and he had every right to be angry.

As I turned the corner, I spotted Pansy waiting for me. Her expression softened when she saw the look on my face. "You okay, El?" she asked gently.

I shook my head, unable to find the words. She pulled me into a hug, and for a moment, I allowed myself to be vulnerable, to let the tears fall.

"We'll figure it out," Pansy whispered. "Mattheo's stubborn, but he cares about you. He'll come around."

I nodded, wiping my tears and straightening up. "I hope so," I murmured. "I really hope so."