Save Me. (Matthew Espinosa)

Chapter 5 - Carter

Matt's POV

The whole escape went much smoother than I had figured it would. I thought at least one person would find out about me basically kidnapping someone from the hospital and bringing them to my hotel room. However, as far as anybody else will know, Lacey and I are really close friends that go way back, and she's going to be staying with us for a while. Nobody else is at the hotel at the moment so we still have time to figure everything out. We sit on the couch, television playing some sitcom that neither of us are really paying attention to and are using purely for some background noise.

"Matt?" Lacey's soft voice asks, breaking the silence.

"Yes beautiful?" I turn my head towards her to see her cheeks flushed pink. I find it adorable that she gets flustered at the littlest of compliments.

"Well, I'm just curious.. Why did you rescue me? I mean, you could have just left me there and made it easier on yourself.." she trails off. I had been wondering the same thing but in all honesty, didn't I do what anyone would have in my situation? How cruel would someone have to be to just leave a defenseless girl in that position? I suppose she takes my thoughtful expression as an answer on itself. She asked me to save her, and I did.

"Well, why do you trust me? After all, wouldn't it be a little hard to trust people after what you've gone through?" She ponders over it for a bit.

"Well," she begins, "you seem genuine and unlike anybody I've ever met. You make me feel safe and.. happy, which is something I haven't felt in a long time." I look around the room, at a loss for words. She doesn't know my true self and if she did she'd most likely not want anything to do with me.

"Lacey-" I'm cut off by her sweet voice.

"I know it sounds stupid." But it doesn't. I feel the same way towards her but at the same time I know that this is not me. I'm Matthew Espinosa and I use girls without thought of their feelings. All I know is that I will not do the same to Lacey. She doesn't deserve that. Just as I glance at her, my phone starts buzzing. I look to see it's just the person I was hoping to talk to.

Lacey's POV

Matthew stands from the couch and steps into the hall to answer the phone call and I'm left alone to my thoughts. Why did I say that? He probably thinks I'm just some lovestruck, naive girl now. It seems like I screw everything up. I really like Matt, even if it seems a little early to think that, I just don't think he feels the same way. I understand why, though; we haven't even known each other for a full day.

Soon, he enters the room again, no longer talking on the phone. He walks over to me, towering over me as I stay seated on the couch. My head tilts upward to see his face.

"Good news!" he grins. I look up at him with confusion twisting my features. What could possibly be so exciting at a time like this? All I feel is nervousness that something is going to go completely wrong.

"You're coming to Orlando with us!" I feel my jaw drop open. Complete and utter shock fills my entirety. I sit for a few moments letting the news sink in until a smile lights up my lips and I spring up to hug him. I ignore the sharp sting of pain that comes from my leg and arm at the actions and wrap my arms around his neck. His arms circle around my waist, pulling me close, both of us adorning joyful smiles.

The embrace comes to an abrupt end when the hotel door swings open, making Matt and I jump back from each other. "Hey Ma- whoah-oh-oh!" The boy that just barged in exclaims as he spots us. He looks around our age and he wears black skinny jeans, a black shirt, and, unsurprisingly, a black snap back situated backwards on his head.

"My bad!" He clears his throat a touch, eyes wide. He then spins on his heel, beginning to make a quick escape from the awkward situation before Matt stops him.

"Carter. It's cool bro. This is my friend Lacey." Matt speaks, gesturing to me with his thumb. Carter turns around once again, making his way over awkwardly. He does a weird handshake-hug thing with me that seems to be a common greeting guys tend to have and I just awkwardly follow along with his movements. I feel a little relieved that he doesn't make a comment or judge me for the damage that must be on my face and body.

"So are you a friend? Or are you a friiiieeend?" He asks after pulling back, eyebrows bouncing up and down hintingly on the last part. With a mischevious smirk his eyelid drops down in a cheeky wink.

"She's just a friend!" Matt hurridley answers for me, stopping the thought of us being anything more than friends from entering Carter's head. "We went to school together in Virginia and I ran into her at, uh.. Taco Bell." Matt comes up with on the spot.

"Well, Matthew Lee Espinosa, I can't say you have ever brought a lady back that's quite this-" Matt sends him a stern look, causing Carter to close his mouth in the midst of his sentence. He raises his hands up in surrender before sitting on the couches arm rest.

"We missed you at the hospital bro. Why didn't you come? You could've brought your 'friend' with you.."

"Well, you know, I haven't seen her in a long time and I just figured Cam would be back by tonight so I can see him then." Carter gives him a puzzled look even with the small explanation Matt offered. However, it's gone just as quickly because Matthew gives him another intense looking stare, pretty much telling him to drop it without the use of words. He seems agitated all of a sudden.

"Matt? You okay?" I ask and realize it's the first thing I've said since Carter walked into the room.

Carter's POV

"Why wouldn't I be?" Matt snaps but his features soften at her hurt looking expression.

"Oh, uh.. I just.. never mind." she sits down on the couch, head dropping to look into her lap, brown hair falling around her face and acting sort of like a curtain.

Matt crouches down in front of her and he reaches out, grabbing hold of her chin to tilt her head up to him. "I'm sorry Lacey. I didn't mean to snap at you, okay?" She nods her head faintly in response.

Okay, what is going on? Because this is not the Matt I know. Since when is he so sympathetic and caring? He never brings girls home during the day, especially not ones with cuts and bruises all over their body. This isn't right. There's something he's not telling me and I don't like it one bit. I'm glad to see my friend acting polite towards a girl but something's weird here. He didn't run into her at Taco Bell and they aren't just long lost friends. Instead of voicing my thoughts, however, I keep quiet and decide to figure this all out as time goes on.