Obsessed With You

chapter 22

Sophia_ the photo

I sat on my bed, my legs tucked under me, my mind racing with everything that had just gone down. What the fuck was Mattia even thinking? Leaving like that... no words, no explanation. Just gone. Where the hell did he go?

I stared at the wall, trying to piece it all together, but every thought felt like a dead end. Why do I even care? He's always been unpredictable, and yet here I am, sitting around, obsessing over it.

Suddenly, my phone buzzed, pulling me out of my head. Goddammit. I reached for it, expecting some random notification, but when I saw the message, my stomach twisted. Unknown number? Hhh, this is gonna be some bullshit, I can feel it.

I opened the message, and bam-a picture of Mattia. With a girl. Kissing her. What the actual fuck? It was at some party, some chick all over him. My breath hitched as I scrolled down-another one. A bedroom. The girl in a red nightgown. Mattia was in the shot too. Holy fuck.

Wait. No. No way. I stared harder at the image. That costume. The one he wore at the Halloween party. My chest clenched. This can't be happening.

That son of a bitch left me to hook up with her? I know exactly who that is. Gigi. The same bitch that was in his room, the same one that's been lurking around.

Fuck you, Mattia. Seriously, fuck you.

I'm sitting in my room, mind racing, when I hear the sound of footsteps on the stairs. It's slow at first, then gets closer, like someone's trying to make their way toward me. My heart skips a beat, and I stand up without thinking. I don't want to see him, but I know I have to. I open the door, and there he is-Mattia. His eyes widen as soon as he sees me, his face showing a mixture of surprise and tension. I can feel the anger rising in me instantly.

"What the hell is this?" I snap, my voice cold and harsh.

Mattia doesn't respond immediately. He just stares at me, his face full of confusion as if he didn't expect this. Without giving him a chance to explain, I pull my phone out and shove it in his face, showing him the picture. It's the one with Gigi-her in that damn red nightgown, holding his shirt like they're the closest people in the world.

His eyes flicker to the phone, and his face pales. He looks back at me, clearly nervous.

"I... I don't know what it this " he stammers, his voice tight, like he's struggling to find the right words.

I'm not buying it. Not anymore.

"You don't know?!" I shout, taking a step forward. "Is this not you in this photos? Is this not you and her looking way too close for comfort?"

Mattia takes a step back, like he's trying to distance himself from what I'm saying. He looks down for a second, clearly trying to figure out how to fix this.

"Yeah, that's me, but it's not what it looks like," he says, his hands lifting in an attempt to calm me down, but it only pisses me off more.

"Not what it looks like?" I laugh bitterly. "Really? You expect me to believe that this is all just some accident? Some misunderstanding? What the hell is going on, Mattia?"

Mattia's expression shifts to one of frustration. He opens his mouth, then shuts it again, as if he's second-guessing every word. He rubs his face, clearly torn between trying to explain and realizing he's getting nowhere.

"I swear, she tried to get closer, but I didn't want her to. I pushed her away... I didn't want this to look like what it does, okay?" He pauses, desperate. "Please, just let me explain."

I'm beyond angry now. This doesn't feel like the Mattia I thought I knew. My vision is blurred with frustration, and I take another step toward him.

"Oh, you pushed her away? Is that why she's holding on to you like that?" I scoff, my hands shaking with rage. "You think I'm that stupid?"