LES || matt sturniolo

𝟎𝟑𝟔. tulips

CHAPTER 036 -
╰┈➤ ' tulips ' ೃ⁀➷
「 real life 」

─ real life ☾

MATT STOOD BY RIO'S CAR, glancing around to make sure no one was watching. it was late afternoon, and the street was mostly empty. he felt the rush of adrenaline coursing through him, part nerves, part excitement. he knew leaving flowers on rio's car for vivienne was risky, but then again, everything about their relationship had a sense of thrill to it.

he wasn't the kind of guy to do things like this. grand gestures weren't really his style, but vivienne had gotten under his skin in a way no one else had. she was different, special. and he wanted her to feel that. the tulips he had picked up were her favorite, something he had learned through their long conversations. the fact that she had mentioned them in passing, and he had remembered, felt like his way of showing her that he was paying attention, that he cared.

it wasn't just the flowers, though. it was the note.

matt unfolded the small piece of paper in his hands, the words scrawled in his messy handwriting: 

"i saw these today and immediately thought of you. remember when you told me how much you love them? – m"

he knew vivienne would understand the hidden meaning behind it. they couldn't be together publicly yet, but he wanted to remind her that he was always thinking about her. that they were in this together, even if it meant sneaking around behind rio's back.

as he tucked the flowers in the handle of the door, matt felt a pang of guilt. he didn't like lying or hiding things, especially not from vivienne's brother. but rio had made it clear that he couldn't stand matt. and matt couldn't blame him, not after what had happened between them. but vivienne wasn't rio. she saw something in matt that no one else had, and that was enough to keep him going, to make this risk worth it.

he stepped back, surveying the flowers one last time before turning and walking away. his heart raced, not out of fear, but out of anticipation. he knew rio would find the flowers before vivienne, but the note was subtle enough that rio wouldn't suspect it was from him.

for now, it was enough. soon, though, he'd have to stop hiding. he couldn't keep pretending he didn't care about her, not when it was so obvious he did.

─ real life ☼

vivienne stepped into the house, her mind still buzzing from the excitement of spending the afternoon with matt. everything with him felt effortless, like they'd known each other for years, even though they were keeping things under wraps. the way he made her feel, seen, cherished, was something she hadn't expected.

she'd barely had time to process it when she noticed rio walking in, holding something that made her heart skip a beat.

"viv, you should come look at this," rio called, his voice carrying a note of suspicion. he was holding a small bouquet of tulips, her favorite kind, the ones matt had learned she loved. they were bright, colorful, tied with simple twine, and perched on top was a small folded note.

"what's that?" she asked, trying to sound casual, though her pulse quickened as she got closer.

rio lifted the bouquet, his eyes narrowing. "these were on my car. any idea who they're from?"

vivienne's heart raced, but she forced a casual shrug. "i don't know... maybe? someone's clearly trying to get your attention," she teased, hoping to throw him off track. she reached for the note, her fingers trembling slightly. opening it, she found the words written in matt's familiar, messy handwriting:

she smiled despite herself, her heart swelling at the gesture. but she quickly folded the note before rio could read it, trying to play it cool.

rio wasn't convinced. "vivienne, who's sending you flowers?"

"i don't know, rio," she lied smoothly, hoping her voice didn't betray her. "maybe someone's just being nice. not everything has to be a big deal."

rio's frown deepened. "nice? you think this is just 'nice'? someone leaves flowers on my car for you, and you don't find that suspicious?"

she bit her lip, struggling to keep her emotions in check. "what's there to be suspicious about? people do sweet things sometimes."

rio crossed his arms, clearly not buying it. "you need to tell me if there's a guy. i can't let this slide."

vivienne's frustration boiled over. "it's not your job to monitor who's interested in me! i'm not a kid anymore."

"yeah, but you're still my sister," he shot back, his tone sharp. "and i know the type of guys that hang around. you need to be careful, viv. what if he's some loser who doesn't care about anything except partying?"

her chest tightened at the subtle dig, even though he didn't know he was describing matt. she fought back, though, keeping her cool. "i can take care of myself. and i don't need you interrogating every guy who's interested in me."

rio shook his head, clearly still unconvinced. "you're not telling me everything."

vivienne bit the inside of her cheek. "you just need to trust me."

with that, rio finally walked away, leaving her standing there with the flowers and note. she exhaled, clutching them tighter, a smile forming on her lips despite the tension.

as she looked at the flowers again, vivienne couldn't help but feel a surge of warmth. she knew matt had left them, his secret message just for her. it was risky, but that only made the gesture more meaningful. even if rio was suspicious, it didn't matter. what mattered was that she and matt had something special, something that felt real.

for now, though, it had to stay hidden.

evie speaks
a chap based on the flowers from their moodboard!