Coming Home

(28) Matt

Chapter 28 – Hannah’s POV

I needed to pee. That was my first thought when I woke up, but I couldn’t move. What the heck? I noticed that I had an arm draped around my waist. Definitely a boy. My legs were intertwined with his, who is he?  I turned on to the other side to see Nate looking at me like a lost puppy. For some reason I didn’t want to push him away, I just wanted to keep him here next to me in bed. Wait, in bed? That’s when it all came crashing back to me.

The nightmare.

Nate comforting me.

Me telling Nate everything.

The rape.

The abuse.

Our old friendship.

Everything.

Well fuck.

“Hey love, you okay?” He spoke softly whilst rubbing my cheek with his thumb.

“Yeah, I’m fine, thank you for last night” I whispered. I put my head down feeling embarrassed.

 “Don’t worry about it, I’m always here understood? You didn’t deserve that, nobody does. You’re beautiful believe me, that idiot didn’t know what he had” He smiled at me warmly. It felt so sincere. There was something bugging me though, should I ask him or not?

I decided to stop being scared and ask him.

“Nate” I began.

“Yes?”

“Why didn’t you answer my question last night?” I closed my eyes waiting to hear his response. I needed to know why he didn’t contact me for the past 10 years. After a few seconds of silence, I heard shuffling and saw an empty space beside me, I instantly felt cold without his touch.  I saw Nate walking out without a word back. A stray tear rolled down my cheek. He left me once again.

That’s not the only thing that was bugging me though.

Why didn’t he answer my question?

What exactly happened that he couldn’t even face me?

Nate’s POV

I just walked out of that room without a glance back towards her. Yes I know that was a bit rude of me but there wasn’t anything else I could do. I couldn’t tell her why I didn’t speak to her for the past 10 years, I just couldn’t.

Don’t get me wrong, I’m ecstatic that she remembers me and our friendship but some things need to stay hidden from her.

Last night when I heard her screaming, it was in my instinct to comfort her, when she broke down and started opening up to me, I couldn’t believe the things I was hearing. I just wanted to beat that stupid idiots face so much that nobody would be able to recognise it. He pissed me off so much. I just find it unbelievable that so much has happened to such a beautiful, broken girl.

She’s broken.

And I’m going to be the one to fix her.

I’m going to get back the Hannah I once knew, I’m going to cheer her up and make her forget about those awful memories. I’m going to fix her. I don’t know how, but I will.

Hannah’s POV

After about half an hour of crying, my phone buzzed.

‘Hey, do you want to hang out today? – Matt (:’

That made me smile.

‘Of course! What time should I meet you? – Hannah’

‘1? I’ll be outside campus – Matt’ I looked on the clock beside me and saw it was 11:30. Perfect.