HIDDEN FATES [Mattheo Riddle]

TEN

CHAPTER TEN
—
Unspoken Truths

Before I knew it, a month had passed. Time slipped away quietly, like water through my hands, and I spent nearly every moment of it with Mattheo. If he wasn't around, one of his friends usually was, though they were much different than I'd expected. Despite the rumors, they were far from the terrifying figures people made them out to be. In fact, they were decent. Good, even. There was a strange warmth to them beneath their rough edges—a sense of loyalty and camaraderie I hadn't anticipated.

I found myself blending into Mattheo's world, becoming a part of it more easily than I thought possible. His friends didn't seem to mind. They never made those snide, backhanded comments like Sarah and Dean had. They didn't get annoyed when Mattheo and I decided to skip lunch or disappear for hours at a time. No one gave me dirty looks, or accused me of stealing their time. It felt... comfortable.

But even in that comfort, I knew I didn't really belong. They were Mattheo's friends. Not mine. Their loyalty was his, not mine. I was still an outsider, tethered to him by a secret neither of us could talk about.

The rest of the school had mostly gotten used to seeing us together, though I noticed the differences in how we were treated. It didn't go unnoticed that the harshest whispers and cruelest comments were aimed at me, not him. The hate-filled messages I received online were constant reminders that no matter how accepted I felt with Mattheo and his friends, I was still being judged.

People liked to pretend they knew what was going on. They thought we were dating, that it was some passionate love affair between a Ravenclaw and a Slytherin. And while they were quick to criticize me for being with Mattheo, no one said a word to him. It felt like I was bearing the brunt of all the judgment, while Mattheo walked through it unscathed.

"Try again," Mattheo said, interrupting my spiraling thoughts.

I sighed, rubbing my temples. We had been practicing for hours, trying to help me control the strange, wild power I'd discovered. My head was pounding, and my body ached from the effort. "I'm exhausted," I muttered, stretching my arms above my head.

"You're getting there though," Mattheo said, his eyes bright with encouragement. "We're making progress."

I stared at the apple in his hand, focusing all my energy on it. Slowly, it began to lift into the air, trembling slightly before slicing itself into neat halves.

Mattheo smiled, watching the apple hover between us. "Just like that," he said, his voice filled with quiet pride.

I groaned, the strain of the magic taking its toll on me. I collapsed onto the cold stone floor of the Astronomy Tower, staring up at the darkening sky. "I'm done for today," I muttered, closing my eyes. I was wearing one of Mattheo's oversized Slytherin sweaters, and the sleeves pooled over my hands, offering a small comfort in the chilly evening air. It smelled like him, warm and familiar.

He sat down next to me, his presence steady and grounding. "You did well," he said softly.

I opened one eye, glancing at him with a small smile. "Thanks," I hummed, letting the tension slowly drain from my body. The cool breeze played with the strands of my hair, and for a brief moment, everything felt... peaceful.

But then Mattheo spoke again, breaking the fragile calm. "Are we ever going to talk about it?" His voice was low, careful.

I knew exactly what he meant. I could feel the unspoken weight of the question lingering between us, but I wasn't sure I was ready to face it. "Talk about what?"

He gave me a look, one that told me he wasn't buying my act. "You know. About... your friends."

I sighed, feeling the familiar heaviness settle over my chest. "What about them?" I asked, trying to sound casual, but my voice betrayed me.

He grew quiet, shaking his head, as if telling me to forget about it. "Never mind."

Silence rested over us momentarily before Mattheo spoke again. "Do you ever think about telling someone? About our arrangement?" His tone was gentle, but there was something underneath it, something hesitant.

I shook my head. "No. Not really."

"Why not?" he asked, his eyes searching mine.

I hesitated, not sure how to explain the gnawing loneliness that came with keeping this secret. "I don't know," I admitted, my voice quieter now. "I guess... telling someone would make it more real. And I'm not sure I want that. Or maybe it's that... even if I told someone, I don't think it would change how I feel. I'd still feel... alone."

Mattheo's brow furrowed slightly, and he looked down at the ground. "You're not alone, though. I'm here."

I smiled sadly, appreciating his words but knowing it wasn't that simple. "I know. But no one else knows. No one knows that we didn't choose this. No one knows that this was decided for us, that we don't have control over it." I sighed, staring up at the sky. "And even if I did tell someone, what would they say? 'Oh, poor you, you have to marry Mattheo Riddle'?" I laughed bitterly. "It's not like anyone would understand."

He was silent for a moment, his eyes distant, as if he were weighing his own thoughts. "Do you think we would've even known each other if it wasn't for this?"

His question hung in the air between us, heavy and unspoken for so long. I turned my head to look at him, really look at him. The moonlight cast soft shadows over his face, highlighting the sharp angles of his jaw, the small bruises that seemed to always linger on his skin. "No," I answered honestly, after a moment. "I don't think we would have. We're too different. Different houses. Different lives."

He nodded, his gaze falling to the floor. "Yeah... I guess you're right."

I swallowed, unsure if I should say the next part, but the words tumbled out anyway. "Do you ever wonder if there's someone else out there? Someone... better for you?" The question felt dangerous, but I couldn't stop myself from asking it.

Mattheo's eyes flickered with something unreadable. "Do you think there's someone better for you?" he asked, deflecting the question back at me.

I paused, thinking carefully. "I don't know. Maybe. But I won't ever know, will I?"

He let out a breath, his jaw clenching briefly. "Maybe this is how it's supposed to be," he said quietly. "Maybe... maybe the universe had to arrange things this way to get us to know each other."

I shook my head. "Or maybe the universe is just cruel."

He looked at me then, his eyes darker than before, something unreadable swirling behind them. "Maybe," he murmured, but there was a softness to his voice. Something that told me he didn't believe that. Not really.

We sat there in silence for a long time after that, neither of us knowing what else to say. I could feel the distance between us—both the physical and the emotional space that seemed impossible to close. And yet, in that quiet moment, it felt like something had shifted. Something I couldn't quite name.

"I guess we'll never really know," Mattheo finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. He looked away again, but not before I saw the flicker of something vulnerable in his eyes. Something he wasn't ready to admit.

And I wasn't sure if I was ready to hear it.

⋆𐙚₊˚⊹ ᡣ𐭩 .