As night drifted on, silence swamped the house. Matt sat on the sofa, too restless to sleep, too tired to search for a bed. His stomach knotted tighter and tighter as the minutes stretched into hours. Returning to Nicholls' house worried him. The memories of the last time he had entered that building still clung to him, the smell of death burnt in his mind. He had been so certain that Charlotte's dead body was all that would greet him there, lost among the other dead, the ones Charlotte had killed herself. Perhaps she was close to death. She had to be. Emaciated and starved, too weak to stand by herself. And what they had done to her. Her bones broken repeatedly, it didn't bear thinking about.
He couldn't imagine what she was going through. He wondered if that place haunted her as it haunted him. Though for him the memories were coupled with the guilt that it was his own grandmother who had condemned her to such an ordeal. He loved his grandmother, had believed she was infallible, untouched by the greed of Kingston, but money corrupted her too. And what was worse she used the notion of protecting him as an excuse.
Matt sat forward. He didn't know why tomorrow worried him so much really. He knew it was dangerous. He knew that the likelihood of him surviving it was minimal, but the thought that they might defeat this, was hollow. It was pointless because at the end of it, they would have defeated the true villains and the world's fear and hatred would still be pointed at them. They would still be feared, hated. Ramsey and his fellow politicians were not going to leave them escape blame so easily. And as long as powers like Charlotte's existed they would always be feared. People would always be frightened of what they didn't understand, and there was no way they could ever understand what Kingston had made them into.
He wished he could prove to the world that they were being framed, but that in itself was an impossible feat. It wouldn't make Charlotte or Wallace or Annakiya any less dangerous. He sighed, closing his eyes. His head pounded at the whirlwind of thoughts in his mind. And the longer he sat there, the more frustrated he was becoming. He needed sleep. He needed to be alert the following day if he was to have the slightest chance of surviving this. If he was ever to see Freddie and Rhian again he needed to be smart about tomorrow. If he was ever to have the chance to tell Wallace... tell her what? He had no idea. All the notions in his head seemed childish. Yet he didn't know what his real feelings were. He liked her, but enough to make things complicated between them? He wasn't sure. And then the looming doomsday before him, made his head ache with what-ifs. And then was he just exaggerating? They spent all their time together and they got on well, but was that only because they were both outsiders in this? Or was it because they genuinely liked each other?
Matt groaned. He was being an idiot, overthinking it. His head was close to exploding, too many thoughts jostling for attention. He needed to voice some of it, and why not his concerns to Wallace... about Wallace. In all honesty he reckoned he would be lying dead in Nicholls' house within twenty-four hours, so what had he really got to lose. If he freaked her out, well he'd be dead so he was off the hook and if not... well he might have at least some happiness during his last day on earth.
Matt stood up, his blood pounding in his ears. He felt as if he was floating, but knew better than to allow his mind to over-analyse and question his actions.
He had to tell her before tomorrow. Before their potential deaths at the hands of The Mimic. He rubbed his hand across his jaw. The house was quiet. Most of the others seemed to have made some effort at sleeping. Matt wandered through the kitchen and dining room, not knowing where he would find her. Matt sighed, glancing up at the ceiling wondering what room she was in, or if it was even worth waking her.
"Wallace if you can hear me..." he thought, frowning at his own discomfort. "I'd like to talk to you".
He had no idea if it would work. He presumed it wouldn't, but he wasn't going to disturb everybody in the hopes of finding her.
He turned into the hall, one hand resting on the staircase, when the light from the front room caught his attention. Voices drifted out towards him. He placed his hand on the door pushing it open ever so slightly, straining his ears to catch Wallace's voice.
"I don't think this is the best idea," Annakiya said. "I mean if the others find out..."
"They won't find out. It just has to be done," James breathed.
Matt frowned. "With the likes of Wallace around though, you're going to get caught. And it implicates me too".
"Stop worrying, Kiya. I've thought about this long and hard and I can't see another way. I know that the others might be... angry, but..."
"Angry? James they will be furious – betrayed!"
"Oh what are you complaining about? I see you with O'Connell, you've bought into this".
"Bought into this? These people actually care about us, and if you would stop for one second and accept that maybe you would be happier here".
There was a long, drawn out silence. "I can't. I don't want this. I've made my decision".
"James... you don't have to do this". Kiya's voice softened.
"I do Kiya. You may not see it anymore, but we're not like them. I know where my place in this is, and no matter what the rest of you believe it is not between Jansen and Owens. I just don't want it".
"Sleep on it, please," she breathed. There was a pregnant pause.
"You won't tell them, will you?" James whispered.
"James this is going to hurt us... I'll be putting everyone at risk..."
"Kiya, I'm asking you this as a friend. We went through everything together. You're the only one who can come close to understanding why I'm doing this".
"You don't care about them do you?"
There was a long pause. "I have to put my priorities first".
"Okay. I'll help you... cover for you... whatever you need, but think about it James, think about the fallout from this".
"I'll think about it," he sighed. "And thank you".
"Matt?"
Matt jumped, spinning around to see Wallace watching him from the stairs. Her hair was braided, but curls had escaped around her face and her eyes seemed more vivid and alive than he had ever seen them. Matt glanced back to the door, the voices inside falling quiet. His heart was hammering in his chest, his face flushed with guilt at being caught eavesdropping. Matt put his finger to his lips and grabbed Wallace's hand, leading her back up the stairs as quickly and as quietly as he could. He stopped on the landing, straining his ears to hear if James or Kiya were following them, but only silence enveloped the house.
"What's going on?" Wallace whispered, an uneasy tone in her voice. Matt realised he was still holding her hand; her fingers cool against his. He glanced down at them, knowing he should let go, but not wanting too. He glanced up to find Wallace watching their hands too. She turned her hand in his, linking their fingers. He could just make out the slightest blush kissing her cheeks.
He smiled at her, deciding in that moment he didn't care. Whatever Alexander was up to he didn't want to know. Alexander's issues were not his. He was finished living in Alexander's shadow. And in that moment with Wallace he felt free of everything that had come before.
Matt drew Wallace towards him, sliding an arm around her narrow waist, his other hand tracing the contours of her cheek. For a moment he rested his forehead against hers, lost in her hazel eyes. She stepped as close as she could to him, pressing her body against his, her arms looping around his neck. He could feel her breath rise and fall in her chest, feel it on his face. Her lips parted, her nose grazing his. Matt wanted to hold that moment forever, afraid to break the spell, but he couldn't resist her. He sought out her lips, her mouth parting beneath his, a sharp inhale as they tightened their embrace. In that moment everything else faded away and to Matt is seemed they alone were the only two that mattered.
Thanks so much for taking the time to read this! I hope you enjoyed it and that you are excited for what is in store for these next! So close to our final battle now and let's just say... I plan to mix things up! Please vote, comment and share this story and help to bring Charlotte's world to as many people as we can! Sorcha x
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Science Fiction'Play the game, she thought, remembering the only three words that had helped her to survive at Kingston. Only back then she had known the game, she had known what they wanted her to be, what they had wanted her to do - this man was different. She d...
