Heart Stealer

Chapter 16 Golden Love

I can't lose you, Thea.

I dreamed of Matteo. Over and over again. Every night since I left his house, his heartbroken face haunted my dreams. I couldn't stop thinking about him, one thought playing in my mind; why did Matteo keep his knowledge of me and Pierce a secret? How could he have known all this time and not have said anything about it?

I opened my eyes, the mystery that is 'Matteo' robbing me of sleep. I sat up and tucked my head between my knees. I tried to figure out the reason for his actions. He said he was terrified of losing me, but then he said he would understand if I wanted to be with Pierce. That didn't make any sense. The only explanation for that was—love? Love... Huh. I sucked in a breath.

There was a popular saying: if you love something, let it go. Was that what Matteo was doing with me? Because when I saw him that day he didn't seem mad or upset with me. Not in the way I expected him to be. He was just so hurt...

And I realized it was because he loved me. And not the way Pierce did; that felt different. Pierce wasn't ready to let me go. But Matteo was, knowing that I might reject him. He was being selfless, and it made my heart clench even more. What have I done? I cheated on the only boy who ever loved me selflessly. Now I lost him.

I tried to go back to sleep. What was the point of thinking anymore? It wouldn't undo anything. What was done was done. Making mistakes was easy; moving on from them was hard. And that's what was left for me to do. I had come clean, I had set one wrong right. There was nothing else left to do.

At school, I was no longer part of the golden table. Shockingly enough, Shane was the only one left at that table; Matteo still wasn't coming to class and Pierce was steadily avoiding all contact with everyone at school, roaming the hallways like a bereft, ghostly figure. I felt sorry for him. He seemed so lonely. At least I had Jules and Tom for company when we had lunch in the photography club room (I was avoiding scrutiny too).

"How are you holding up?" Jules asked me a few days after my confession to Matteo.

"I can't wait for spring break just so I can be out of this place," I answered wearily.

"But that's months away, Thea," Tom said. I sighed.

"I know. It's just that school feels like a zombie graveyard nowadays."

"Sheesh, since when did you get all dark and emo?" Jules asked with a little laugh. I put my head down on the desk.

"I can't help it, Jules. I don't know how to get over them."

"Them? Don't you mean him? I thought you broke up with Pierce." Jules said with a frown.

"I did... But..." Ugh, I couldn't explain how complicated it all was. I was grieving over Matteo on one side and wishing things weren't damaged beyond repair with Pierce on the other. It seemed like there was no solution to all this.

"Hey, maybe things will be normal once Matteo leaves school," Tom said lightly. I sat up, bolt upright.

"WHAT?" I asked wide-eyed.

"You know. There's a rumor going around that he's transferring to another school. He's been avoiding classes long enough to confirm it," Tom explained. I stood up abruptly.

"I—I have to go." I fled from the art room, panicking. Matteo was leaving Bellfort? No, it can't be true! There was only one person who could either confirm or deny the fact—and I had to find him even if he wasn't willing to talk to me.

"Pierce!" I called out between my panting breaths. I saw him near the entrance of the school and ran to him. He turned lethargically towards me.

"What do you want?" He asked me. My heart stabbed for a second as I saw how forlorn he looked—because of me.