Yours, Eternally(2015 Revision)

Chapter Sixteen

I awakened to a beautiful spring morning; the sun was shining and birds were chirping right outside my bedroom window. It was ironic, a perfect start after an even more perfect night. I rolled over to see Matt was still sleeping, facing me with the blankets half covering him, exposing his torso as the sunlight danced across his skin. His chest was rising and falling with each breath he took. I just laid there, studying his handsome face and ran my fingertips over his lips, continuing down his chin and to his belly button, fascinated by him, and disbelieving this perfect being was here with me. I moved in closer to him and pecked him on his lips. Matt stirred and started to come around.

“Good morning, beautiful.” He said, groggy, in a low voice. His eyes were still closed.

“What time is it?”

I sat up to look over at my clock on the nightstand and laid back down, facing him. “Eight. It feels like we just went to sleep.”

“Mmmmm. Too early.” He groaned and put his arms out. “Come back to sleep with me.”

I snuggled deeply into him and woke up again about two hours later, but I kept my eyes closed to replay our night together in my mind. I felt Matt moving and stretching around next to me, breaking me from my thoughts. He kissed my lips and moved my hair from my face so he could see my eyes. “I know you’re awake.” I could just feel his smile spreading across his face, even with my eyes closed.

He rubbed his nose with mine, tickling me. “Open your eyes, Addison. I have something to tell you, and I have to say it now before I lose my courage.”

I opened my eyes to see him propped up on his left elbow, smiling as I predicted. I looked back at him in admiration and smiled back. “What do you have to say?” I cooed.

“Well, I know this is obviously not great timing, considering, well...you know, but, I've kept it in for so long and I feel as if I'm about to burst.” He bit his lip and paused. “I really care about you.”

“I care about you, too Matt.” I didn’t know where this was going.

“You don’t understand.” He breathed out an exaggerated sigh. “I..I'm completely in love with you. I cannot see myself with anyone else.”

As his words sank in to my head, the butterflies came, but my smile changed to a scowl. I didn’t know if I was more scared of his words or angry with him. How could this happen? I pushed Matt away from me and hopped off the bed, tearing around the room looking for clothes to throw on. I found a shirt and clear pair of panties, threw them on, and bolted into the bathroom to put on my robe.

“Addison!” He called behind me.

I slammed the bathroom door behind me and locked it, ignoring Matt's calls. I pulled my hair away from my face and took a long hard look in the mirror. My head was scrambled with visions of him and I together, something I secretly wanted more than anything. I ran the cold water, letting it pool in the sink, scooping some with my hands and splashing the water onto my face.

There was a light tap on the door. “Addison, let me come in,” Matt pleaded.

“I don't want this.” I said loudly enough for him to hear. Grasping the sides of the sink, I leaned over, feeling sick.

“Well it sure as hell didn't seem that way last night.”

“I can't, Matt. This was a mistake.”

“You know it wasn't.”

I toweled off my face and opened the door, avoiding Matt's eyes and pushing past him, and running downstairs to the living room where this whole mess started. I stepped into the kitchen and sat at the kitchen table as the room spun around me. I cradled my head in my hands. I didn't know how to handle all these emotions of doubt and anger at myself for letting things get so far. Last night should have never happened.