Unforgivable

Chapter 3

The last bell rang, and I found myself walking at a brisk pace. In a way, I was excited, knowing that Matt had asked me to meet him. However, I was also nervous after witnessing his darker side.

I jumped after I felt strong hands take hold of my shoulders. A small breath of air left my lips as I turned to face Matt, his eyes shining with a more passionate blue in the sunlight. 

“Ready?” He asked, his hands leaving my shoulders.

“Ready for what?” My eyes still hadn’t left his.

He took a step forward, nudging me, signaling me to follow him. I did, and adjusted my pace to match his long strides.

“A picnic,” Matt spoke, his voice rattling with every step, “we have to hurry, it’s going to rain later today.” 

I mumbled under my breath, cursing at myself for falling too fast. I couldn’t resist him, no matter how hard I tried. The wind caught my hair, blowing it back, and I reached up to tie it.

I followed Matt as he led me to a spot he had picked out ahead of time. A small grassy clearing, just off the main trail, was shielded with trees, so unless you were specifically looking for it, you wouldn’t find it.  I smiled, knowing Matt must have been planning this for a while, and I began to wonder if he had feelings for me all along. Perfect boy, perfect place, perfect day. 

Matt reached into the crevices of his backpack, and pulled out a blanket, which he proceeded to spread across the grass. He also takes out crackers, ham, and cheese, strawberries for dessert, and a bottle of sparkling soda. 

“Fuck,” he mumbled, digging around through his backpack, “I forgot cups.”

I giggled, and picked up a cracker.

“You did all of this for me?” I asked, nibbling at the edge.

“Yeah,” he replied, brushing crumbs off his shirt, “I figured you would like it.”

I blushed as he crawled across the blanket to sit next to me. He picked at a flower that grew nearby, and I watched as he twirled it between his fingers.

“Do you remember these flowers?” He asked, picking a second one, “they grew along the path we walked home together, you know, near the grocery store. You used to pick them and put them in the pocket of your shirt.”

I nodded, and smiled as he handed me a flower.

“And for years, Rhea, I was too scared to tell you the truth.”

My heart started to pound as those words escaped his lips, and I was speechless. He stared into my eyes, waiting for my response, but I couldn’t say a word.

“I love you Rhea, I have for a while,” he spoke, his voice becoming soft, “you’re the most beautiful girl I’ve met, and you’re the only one I can truly trust with anything.”

His hand stretched up to wipe a tear that escaped the corner of my eye. 

“Don’t cry, it’s alright,” he said quietly, his voice shaking, “I’m here.”

“Idiot,” I sniffled, giggling a little, “I’m just so happy.”

“Will you go out with me?” He asked, his eyes blazing with passion.

“You really think that after all of that, I would say no?” I laughed.

It’d almost been an hour until it finally began to rain- soft, light droplets that are almost warm. I quickly pulled my jacket on and jumped up, prepared to race back to the car, but Matt took his jacket off and reached his arms up, letting the rain fall into his hair, and drip down onto his face, as the sky transformed his white t-shirt transparent. 

Maybe coming here wasn’t such a bad idea after all.

“Matt, you’re so stupid,” I teased, pushing him onto his back. I leaned over him, and wiped the rain off his face. I take a moment to admire him and his dark brown hair plastered against his forehead.

He placed his hand on my cheek and pulled me close. His lips parted slightly as he smiled and closed his eyes for the kiss. I followed his lead as his lips crashed into mine, his free hand wandering from my cheek to my back.

In this moment, I felt like we were one, joined at the lips, and I could pour all my love into this boy. I only pulled away to breathe in deeply, after being interlocked so long. He pressed his lips against mine once more, this time his tongue peeking through his teeth, and finding its way into my mouth. We finally parted, and we were both short of breath and smiling.

“I’ve waited so long for this,” I whispered, running my fingers through his hair.

“So have I,” he whispered back, kissing me on the cheek.