Beneath His Cold Charm

13

Princess, princess, why you cut yo' wrists?

★★★

The library was an oasis of silence amidst the chaos of high school life. Rows of books lined the shelves, and the scent of old pages filled the air. Zoey sat at a table tucked in the corner, her textbooks sprawled before her. She was trying to focus on her study material for the upcoming exam, but her mind was a jumble of thoughts—most notably, the strange but significant interaction she had with Matt earlier.

With a sigh, she glanced at her notes, her mind wandering to the vulnerability they had shared. She had begun to see glimpses of a different side of him, one that intrigued her but also frightened her. Could she truly trust him? The question echoed in her mind, but she pushed it aside, determined to focus on her studies.

---

Just as she was flipping through her notes, she felt a presence beside her. Glancing up, she found Matt Struniolo leaning against the bookshelf, his usual smirk plastered on his face.

"Studying? Wow, I must be dreaming," he quipped, sarcasm lacing his tone. "Next thing I know, you'll tell me you actually want to pass this exam."

"Ha ha, very funny," Zoey replied, trying to keep her annoyance in check. "What do you want, Matt?"

He stepped closer, his eyes scanning her papers before settling on her face. "I just came to see what the resident overachiever is up to."

"Can you not? I'm trying to concentrate," she snapped, feeling her irritation boil beneath the surface.

"You're always trying to concentrate. It's not healthy, you know," he said, folding his arms across his chest.

"And what's your idea of healthy? Pushing people around and being a jerk?" Zoey retorted, her voice rising slightly.

---

The tension between them thickened, each word a thread pulling tighter. Matt stepped closer, his expression shifting from playful to serious. "You need to stop pretending everything's fine, Zoey. You can't keep hiding behind your books."

"I'm not hiding! I just have priorities," she shot back, feeling the heat of anger rising in her cheeks.

"Yeah, right. Like your priorities are actually helping you," he said, frustration lacing his tone. "You're pushing everyone away, including me."

"You don't get to act like you care about me, Matt!" she shouted, her heart racing.

For a moment, they stood glaring at each other, the air crackling with tension. Zoey felt a rush of heat in her cheeks, and in that instant, something snapped within her.

"I'm fine!" she snapped, standing up and grabbing her books.

"Are you really fine? Because it doesn't look like it to me," he challenged, his voice low and intense.

---

In her frustration, Zoey turned to leave, but in her haste, she knocked over her books. As she bent down to pick them up, Matt's eyes caught a glimpse of her wrist. There, partially hidden, were the scars—faint, yet unmistakably visible against her pale skin.

He froze, the air thickening around them. "What... Is that?" he asked, his voice suddenly grave, the anger dissipating into concern.

"Nothing," Zoey said quickly, pulling her wrist away. Panic surged through her as she realized he had seen. "Just leave it alone, Matt."

"Don't tell me to leave it alone!" he snapped, stepping forward, the confrontation shifting gears. "Why did you cut your wrist—"

In his frustration, he reached out and grabbed her wrist, tightening his grip without realizing how hard he was holding her.

"Matt, let go!" she gasped, pain shooting through her as the pressure against her scars intensified.

---

As his grip released, the anger within Zoey transformed into a wave of panic. She staggered back, her breath quickening, heart racing uncontrollably. The walls of the library seemed to close in around her, and she felt the room spinning.

"No, no, no... please," she whispered, backing away, her eyes wide with fear. "Just don't say anything. Don't tell anyone."

Matt's expression shifted to alarm as he watched her panic unfold. "Zoey, I didn't mean to—"

"Just don't!" she cried, pressing her palms against her temples, trying to calm the whirlwind of thoughts. "I can't... I can't deal with this right now."

"Hey, just breathe," he said softly, stepping toward her again, concern flooding his features. "Look at me. Just breathe."

But Zoey couldn't hear him. The panic clawed at her insides, and she felt her heart racing faster than she could comprehend. She squeezed her eyes shut, desperately trying to find an anchor in the storm.

---

In that moment, Matt reached out, gently placing a hand on her shoulder. "Zoey," he said, his voice low and steady. "I'm not going to hurt you. Just breathe with me."

Slowly, she opened her eyes, locking onto his. The intensity in his gaze was unlike anything she had ever seen—raw, genuine concern that cut through the haze of her panic.

"Just focus on my voice," he instructed. "Inhale... one, two, three... now exhale... one, two, three."

With each breath he guided her through, the chaos in her mind began to settle, though the weight of her scars loomed heavily in the background.

"I'm sorry," she finally whispered, tears brimming in her eyes. "I just—"

"You don't have to apologize," Matt interrupted softly. "Just... just don't hide it"

Zoey felt her heart twist. He had seen her darkest secret, and the fear of judgment clawed at her. "You can't tell anyone," she pleaded, desperation coating her words. "Please, I can't handle that."

"I won't," he promised, his voice steady. "But you need to talk to someone, Zoey."

---

As the silence settled around them, Zoey realized that the confrontation had stripped away some of the barriers she had built. The anger, the vulnerability—it was all part of the complicated dance they had begun.

"I don't know if I can," she admitted, her voice shaking slightly. "It's just... it's hard."

"I get that," Matt replied, his tone earnest. "But you don't have to face it all alone. You have me, whether you like it or not."

Zoey's heart raced, a mix of fear and gratitude swirling within her. This moment felt fragile, yet there was a flicker of hope igniting within her—a hope that perhaps, just perhaps, Matt could help her navigate the tumultuous waters of her life.

"Okay," she finally whispered, her voice barely audible. "But I can't promise anything."

"That's all I'm asking for," he said, a hint of relief washing over his features.

---

As they stood there, surrounded by the quiet hum of the library, Zoey felt a shift in their dynamic. Their paths had collided in a way that neither had expected, and for the first time, she sensed the possibility of healing through their connection.

But as they turned to leave the library, the weight of her struggles still loomed heavily over her, reminding her that the road ahead would be anything but easy.

With a quiet resolve, she took a step forward, knowing that she would have to confront her demons eventually. But for now, perhaps this fragile bond with Matt was a step in the right direction.

★★★