102 (A Matty Healy fanfiction)

// and when i knock //

The after-party didn't have as many people at it as the show did, but it was just as crowded. One of Ross's friends was hosting it at her house for them. Her name was Ash. When we got there she'd straight away offered me a drag of her joint, and I didn't refuse. I hadn't yet found Matty but Ross had introduced Ash to us girls. She seemed really into Ross. Andrea didn't seem to be worried though. She wasn't the jealous type at all. Sadly I was, and when Nicole left my sight, I knew something was up. Kaci had gone to find George, so I grabbed Isla and told her to find Matty or Nicole, or both. We started milling around the party trying to find them but I couldn't see either of them anywhere. I decided to look outside.

I went out onto the porch and heard Matty's voice. I started towards the sound and then stopped dead in my tracks when I heard Nicole's voice answer his.

I crept towards the edge of the porch but stayed out of sight. And like I was a little kid again listening to my parents talk about me, I tried to spy on them. I could see Matty and Nicole's silhouettes clouded by smoke against the moonlight. Then all of a sudden, her lips were on his. I stumbled a little and made a loud thud on the stairs. Matty pushed her off of him and looked towards me. I don't think he could see me from where I was but then I stormed back into the house, and I heard him yell "Julia?" Then I heard him running up the stairs behind me. "Julia wait!"

I was not waiting to hear about how he and Nicole had just found each other and decided breaking up was a terrible idea and he didn't want to hurt me he just had always loved her.

So I ran. I pushed past all the people in the house. I bumped into Adam and he asked what was wrong. I didn't answer, I just kept pushing. I heard a voice yell after me. It was probably Kaci. I just kept going. I ran out the front door and ran onto the sidewalk. I honestly didn't know where the hotel even was from there, but I knew I had to get away from that house. From Ash's backyard where a girl had kissed the boy I was falling for. I heard Matty calling to me. He was still running after me. I kept walking down the sidewalk, hoping I could disappear around the corner before he found me.

Unfortunately I heard him pick up speed and run to me. I turned around.

"What?" I didn't want him to see the tears on my cheeks.

"Julia. She-"

"Save it Matty." I turned back around to walk away but he grabbed me and spun me around.

He looked into my eyes and then cupped my chin with his large hands and kissed me hard on the lips. I was so shocked by it I didn't push him off me. I couldn't help but love the way his soft lips felt and tasted like smoke against mine. Finally I remembered how angry I was and I shoved him back.

"You have to let me tell you what happened!" He shouted.

I told him I already knew. I told him that he'd found his long lost love and just wished he would've broken it off with me before he cheated.

"You're nuts Julia! Can't you see it at all? I'm so in love with you!"

"What?" I thought I'd honestly heard him wrong.

"I am in love with you. I have been since the day we met. It's you. You are the only thing I want. The only thing I need."

I took an aggressive step toward him and raised my hand to slap him. He closed his eyes and waited for the pain. I didn't slap him. How could I? I was in love with him too. I touched my hand to his cheek and then brought my other hand to his chest. He kept his eyes closed and relaxed into my touch. He wrapped his arms around my waist and pulled me close. We fit perfectly together like puzzle pieces. He hugged me so tight and my head was on his shoulder, and I whispered to him under the street lights on a side walk in some random town outside Ash's house, "I love you too."