Heartburn (Matt Tuck/OFC)

CHAPTER 20

Arial

"Sweetie c'mon, let's go out pleeaseee!

You..need...to...move..!" Natalie said grunting as she tried to remove me from my bed for the third time.

I groaned and hugged my knees to my chest.

"Arial, I'm serious. Get up." She put her hands on her hips and raised her eyebrow at me.

"Sorry. No can do." I shrugged and focused my eyes back on the TV screen.

She sighed and shook her head.

"Look, i'm gonna be right across the hall with Padge, and i'm gonna give you an hour, listen, an hour to get up and get changed, i'm taking you out tonight, and i'm not asking for your permission, got it? ONE HOUR ARIAL." She gave me a serious look and closed the door on her way out.

It had only been two days since the guys had gotten home, and Matthew was doing an awful job at trying to win me back. (Not that he needed to even try)

In fact, he wasn't even trying at all, which only made me feel even worse about myself. Padge obviously knew what had happened, hell, he'd probably even seen it happen, but everyone but Natalie was ignoring me.

I stared up at the ceiling for a solid thirty minutes before deciding I would do as Natalie asked, just because she was the only one who seemed to care at this point.

"Arial?" Someone whispered loudly and knocked. I groaned and wondered how long I could ignore this person before he went away.

After a long silence, I heard the door creak open, so I closed my eyes and pretended to be asleep.

"Arial, darling." As soon as he spoke up I knew who it was.

"Jay...?" I sat up, super confused.

"Hey, sorry to bother you, it's just...you know how Nat is...she wanted me to make sure you were up." He laughed awkwardly and smiled.

"Heh, yeah..actually, I was just about to get in the shower.."

"Oh, oops, okay, sorry." He smiled nervously and opened his mouth to say something else, but nothing came out.

"Um, can I ask you a question?" I wasn't really sure whether it was okay to ask him about Matthew, but that didn't actually stop me from doing it.

"Is it about..Matt?"

Of course it's fucking about Matt! As if I ever talked about anything else anymore, it actually made me sick to not be able to have a normal conversation with someone without having the need to somehow make him the main topic.

"Y-yeah, sort of.....um...did you...uh no wait.."

I couldn't ask what I wanted to ask, only because I didn't actually know what I wanted to ask. I kept trying to form a solid question in my mind, but the words were scattered, and I couldn't even concentrate.

"Why?" Was all I managed to blurt out before I was on the floor in tears.

"Shit..." Jay muttered as he quickly made his way over to me.

"I wish I knew, I've kinda been asking myself the same question." He said putting his arms around my shoulders.

I controlled myself before I became a stuttering, booger-filled tear monster.

"Sorry, I just..sorry." I said trying to compose myself. Jay looked worried but at the same time I could tell he felt awkward. Goodbye dignity.

"It's ok, been there, done that, I know what it feels like. Cry all you need, ok?" He smiled and helped me up off the floor.