Secret Diaries (Heartlake Cliche #1)

Chapter Thirty

August 2, 2004

Boys know a lot more than they let on. I know, ‘cause my brother’s a blabbermouth.

     “What?” Matt heard Grace shriek in a sudden burst of anger. “You know? You’re just about the most exasperatingly annoying person I’ve ever met!” She stood and began to pace, occasionally directing jabs at his character. “What’s wrong with you? Are you some kind of—of psychotically sadistic madman who—who gets his fix toying around on unsuspecting people? You’re everywhere I go, you interfere with my life, and you either intimidate me or manhandle me! God! Between the two of us, you’re the one I should be calling a stalker!” He saw her took a gulp of air then immediately continued, “And now, here you are, lying to me and twisting around the stories in my head and I have no idea which one to believe!”

     What’s with this girl and her red shoes?

     He frowned at the red straps of her gladiator flats, hoping to tune her tirade out of his mind. It wouldn’t do him well to force her to listen to him when she was still steaming with fury. 

     When he kept silent after she finished her rant, she glared at him then angrily asked, “What? You’re not going to say anything?”

     Matt waited for three more seconds before replying, his expression innocent. “Are you sure it’s not annoyingly exasperating? ‘Cause I think you find my exasperating attitude annoying instead of the—”

     Her eyes had turned into cold, icy orbs before white-hot fire suddenly burst in them making her stomp her foot and raise her hand in an attempt to hit him.

     “Ugh! I hate you!” she roared instead, successfully stopping herself from getting violent.

     She turned away from him in a desperate attempt to keep calm. When he saw that most of the fight had gone from her, he decided to get serious.

     “I just thought you don’t want anyone lying to you anymore.”

     He saw her wince at his indirect reminder of Grace’s recent dilemma.

     “What did you just say?”

     “After what happened to Rachelle, I just don’t think I can handle keeping any secrets right now.” He shrugged. “I want what happened between us off my shoulders.”

     “Go on,” Grace demanded stiffly.

     He nodded once. “You were drunk and heartbroken so obviously, you didn’t know what you were doing.” He observed her reaction and was rewarded with another glare. “I had no idea what was going on in your head but you suddenly asked me to kiss you. I started to refuse but you pulled me down and planted your lips on mine. End of story.”

     No need to tell her about the feelings she evoked during their kiss.  

     Her glare slowly turned into an expression of pure shock as her face paled, her mouth hung open and her eyes wide like mini saucers. He would have laughed his head off had he not been the one who caused her distress.

     He wasn’t quite as rude as that.  

     “I can’t believe it,” Grace whispered as she sat back on the bench. “What’s wrong with me?”

     “Perhaps you should stop asking that question,” Matt answered casually, hoping that treating it lightly would make her feel less upset. He gave her a few more seconds to digest what she just heard then, “I think it’s best that we forget about it,” he surmised.