LES || matt sturniolo ( ✓ )

𝟎𝟒𝟒. ghosted

CHAPTER 044 -
╰┈➤ ' ghosted ' ೃ⁀➷ 
「 real life 」

─ real life ☼

VIVIENNE FLOPPED ONTO HER BED WITH A LOUD SIGH, her head spinning. she grabbed her phone and stared at the unanswered messages from matt. there were only a few, but each one made her chest tighten.

"okay, spill," hope said, kicking the door shut behind her as she plopped onto the bed next to vivienne. "you've been weird all day. what's going on?"

vivienne groaned, rolling onto her back and covering her face with her hands. "it's matt."

"oh, big shock there," hope said with a smirk, crossing her legs. "what about him? you two have been all flirty and secretive lately, did he finally do something to piss you off?"

vivienne shook her head, her voice muffled by her hands. "no. well, not now. it's something from the past."

hope tilted her head. "past? like what?"

vivienne hesitated, sitting up slowly. "rio told me what happened between them. like, the real story. how they stopped being friends."

"oh." hope's smirk faded, replaced with genuine curiosity. "what did he say?"

vivienne stared at her hands. "it's bad, hope. like... matt said some awful stuff about me back when he didn't even know me. and then rio went off the rails. it's this whole mess, and now i can't stop thinking about it."

hope let out a low whistle. "okay, yeah, that's... intense. but viv, that was ages ago. matt's not that guy anymore."

"i know," vivienne said quickly, her voice rising a little. "but it still sucks, you know? like, how am i supposed to look him in the eye knowing he said those things? and rio? he'd lose his mind if he knew i was still talking to matt."

hope leaned back against the headboard, chewing on her lip. "okay, let's break this down. first of all, do you actually care about what matt said back then? like, does it change how you feel about him now?"

vivienne hesitated. "no... i mean, i don't think so. he's not that guy anymore. but it's just hard to shake. i keep hearing rio's voice in my head, going on about how matt's trouble, how he only cares about partying and himself. and, ugh, i've been ignoring matt for days because i don't know how to deal with it."

hope raised an eyebrow. "you ghosted him?"

"not completely!" vivienne said defensively. "i just... haven't replied to his last couple of texts."

hope snorted. "girl, that's ghosting. no wonder you've been spiraling."

vivienne groaned again, falling back onto the bed dramatically. "i feel so stupid. he probably thinks i hate him now."

"okay, first of all, you don't hate him. second, you've got to talk to him. matt's not a mind reader. if you're upset, you've got to tell him why," hope said firmly.

"but what if he gets mad? or thinks i'm overreacting?" vivienne asked, her voice small.

hope rolled her eyes. "matt's crazy about you, viv. trust me, he'll listen. you're not overreacting, but you can't just ignore him forever and hope the problem goes away. that's not how this works."

"i know, i know," vivienne said, covering her face with her hands again. "it's just... rio's words are stuck in my head. and i feel like, if i go all in with matt, i'm betraying my brother. but if i stay away from matt, i'm betraying myself. i don't know what to do."

hope reached over and pulled vivienne's hands away from her face. "listen to me. you like matt, right? like, really like him?"

vivienne nodded, her cheeks turning pink.

"and he makes you happy?" hope pressed.

vivienne nodded again, her voice barely above a whisper. "yeah. he does."

"then that's what matters," hope said simply. "rio's a big boy. he'll get over it eventually. or not. either way, it's your life, viv. not his."

"but what if matt hasn't changed as much as i think he has?" vivienne asked, her voice cracking.

hope gave her a pointed look. "you know he has. don't let rio's grudge mess with your head. matt's done nothing but treat you like you're the most important person in the world. do you really think he'd do that if he was still the same guy from back then?"

"no," vivienne admitted, her voice soft.

"then stop torturing yourself and talk to him," hope said, leaning back with a satisfied smile. "you've been moping long enough. go fix it."

vivienne let out a shaky laugh. "you make it sound so easy."

"it is easy," hope said with a grin. "text him. call him. go see him. whatever you need to do, just do it. because trust me, you're both miserable right now, and it's painful to watch."

vivienne laughed again, this time a little more freely. "okay, okay. i'll talk to him. but if this blows up in my face, i'm blaming you."

hope smirked. "fine. but it won't. you've got this, viv."

as hope pulled her into a reassuring hug, vivienne felt a little lighter, though the uncertainty still lingered. she wasn't sure how the conversation with matt would go, or what it would mean for her relationship with rio, but one thing was clear, she couldn't keep running from her feelings.

evie speaks
next chap is gonna be sooooo good