Beneath His Cold Charm

15

Behind blue eyes

★★★

The library incident left a lingering unease in both Zoey and Matt, but something had shifted between them. As much as Matt tried to maintain his cold exterior, Zoey couldn't shake the image of his face when he saw her scars—a mixture of shock, concern, and something deeper, something that scared them both.

---

Zoey sat on the floor of her bedroom, staring at the textbooks laid out in front of her. The upcoming exams loomed, but her mind wasn't on history or math. It was on Matt Struniolo. The way his eyes had softened after that moment, and the way she had almost let herself be vulnerable in front of him.

She shook her head, trying to push the thought away. She couldn't get distracted by him. Not now, not when everything in her life was spiraling out of control. Her father's temper was becoming more volatile, and the bruises on her arm from the last time he lashed out were fading, but the pain still lingered.

A knock on her door startled her. It was Chris, holding two cups of coffee, his face full of concern.

"You okay?" he asked, handing her one of the cups.

Zoey forced a smile. "Yeah, just studying. Thanks for the coffee."

Chris sat down next to her, his usual playful demeanor replaced by something more serious.
"I can tell something's up, Zo."

Zoey stiffened. "I'm fine, Chris. Just stressed about school and stuff."

"Is it just school, though?" he pressed. "I mean, you've been distant. Even Emely noticed."

"I don't want to talk about it," Zoey said, her voice sharper than she intended. She immediately regretted it, seeing the hurt flicker in Chris's eyes.

"Okay," he said softly, taking a sip of his coffee. "But if you ever want to, you know I'm here, right?"

Zoey nodded, feeling guilty for pushing him away. But she wasn't ready to let anyone in. Not even Chris, who had been her best friend for as long as she could remember.

---

Later that week, Zoey found herself in the library again, alone this time. She preferred the quiet, the way it drowned out the chaos of her home life. But as much as she tried to focus on studying, her mind kept drifting back to the scars on her wrist. The way Matt had looked at her when he saw them—part confusion, part concern.

She hadn't meant for him to see. It was supposed to be her secret, something she kept hidden from the world. But now he knew, and she wasn't sure how to feel about that.

Suddenly, the chair across from her scraped against the floor, and Matt sat down, uninvited as usual. He didn't say anything at first, just watched her with that same unreadable expression he always had.

"Need something?" Zoey asked, her tone defensive.

Matt leaned back in his chair, crossing his arms. "Not really. Just wondering how you're doing."

"I'm fine," she replied quickly, avoiding his gaze.

"You're a terrible liar," he said, his voice low but not unkind.

Zoey clenched her jaw, refusing to meet his eyes. "What do you want, Matt?"

"I want to know why you do it," he said, his voice softer than she had ever heard it. 

Her breath hitched, and she looked up at him, startled by his directness. "That's none of your business."

"Maybe not," he said, leaning forward, his eyes locked on hers. "But it's kind of hard to ignore when I see you hurting yourself."

Zoey's hands trembled as she gripped the edge of the table. She didn't want to have this conversation. Not with him, not with anyone.

"It's not like I want to do it," she whispered, her voice barely audible. "It just... happens."

Matt didn't say anything for a long moment, and Zoey could feel the weight of his gaze on her, heavy and unrelenting. But there was no judgment in his eyes, just a quiet understanding that made her feel exposed and vulnerable.

"I get it," he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. "I know what it's like to feel like everything is falling apart."

Zoey looked at him, surprised by the admission. "You? Mr. Perfect?"

Matt's lips twisted into a bitter smile. "Yeah, well, appearances can be deceiving."

---

Zoey saw through the cracks in Matt's tough exterior. He wasn't just the cold, egoistic boy she had always thought he was. There was more to him—something hidden beneath the surface, something that mirrored her own pain.

"Why do you care, Matt?" Zoey asked, her voice softer now.

Matt hesitated, his gaze dropping to her wrist. "Because I've been there. Maybe not the same way, but... I know what it's like to feel trapped. To feel like there's no way out."

Zoey swallowed hard, her throat tight. "I don't know how to stop," she admitted, her voice barely above a whisper.

Matt reached across the table, gently taking her wrist in his hand. His touch was light, but it sent a shiver down her spine. "You don't have to do this alone," he said quietly. "We can figure it out together."

Zoey looked down at their hands, her heart pounding in her chest. She wasn't used to this—letting someone in, especially someone like Matt. But in that moment, she felt something shift between them, something that scared her and comforted her all at once.

---

As the silence stretched between them, Matt finally let go of her wrist, sitting back in his chair. "Look, I'm not saying I have all the answers. But maybe... we can help each other."

Zoey nodded, feeling the weight of his words settle in her chest. She wasn't sure what the future held, but for the first time in a long time, she didn't feel completely alone.

"Okay," she said softly, meeting his gaze. 

Matt gave her a small, almost imperceptible nod. It wasn't much, but it was enough. Enough to make her believe that maybe, just maybe, there was hope for both of them.

★★★