Love Is Symphony |✓

| 45 |

It was a mistake, I knew it was, damn it. I would be making the biggest mistake of my life, but the constant ringing in my ears and the uneven beats of my heart that seemed to have faded away into shallow echoes kept me feeling intoxicated. My head was pounding and my feet were hurting. I looked down and saw blisters on the soles of my feet and winced. I couldn't think straight.

The metal casing of my phone was biting cold against my tear-stained cheek. I kept on tapping my fingertips on my bare thigh, crouched down on the street and hoping that he'd pick up soon. What would I do if he didn't? It was way past midnight and the cars were getting fewer and fewer. I only had five dollars in my pocket and my phone was barely alive at eight percent—I had nowhere else to go. Imogen was the last person I could ask to give me a ride, she'd only repeatedly boast about how she was right all along. I didn't want to hear that, I couldn't—

"Hello?"

My ears perked up at the familiar sound of his sleepy voice. My grip on the phone tightened. "Matt? Where are you?"

He was silent for a long torturous moment and I bit on my lip. Maybe this was really stupid, idiotic and unfair. What was I thinking? Right, I wasn't thinking at all. 

"Serenity? Oh wow. I wasn't expecting this call at all. I'm sorry, but are you—it's two a.m. Are you alright?"

"I'm coming to you," I said, voice uneven and hoarse, "are you home?"

"What? What do you mean am I home?"

"Are at your old place? Maybe you could pick me up? I just need shelter for the night, that's all." And a place to gather my wits, I wanted to add, but decided against it. He'd probably reject me if I told him half the truth of what was going on with me; what went on with us, Sean. The lies, deceit and the agonizing pain I willingly put myself through. "You know, maybe I'll just go there myself. You don't have to pick me up. I can walk."

He let out a deep sigh, a nostalgic sound that brought me back to the past. Unprepared and taken aback, it took me back to the time where Matt and I were okay and I loved him and he promised that things would stay that way. I wasn't prepared for it, Sean, I wasn't prepared for anything that our past could bring. Especially not now.

"I'm picking you up. Stay right where you are. Send me your location and don't move. I'm coming." And just like that the call ended and I began waiting for the man who took a piece of my heart to the other side of the world with the promise that he'd give it back.

-

Matthew looked different.

I wish I could say that it was only an intuition or an illusion, something that I made myself believe, but he didn't look like the same person that he was two years ago. His golden blonde hair that used to be trimmed short and clean was now falling in soft waves against his broad shoulders. Five-o'clock shadows traced his jaw that got sharper over the years and his eyes... his emerald green eyes weren't hidden behind a thick pair of glasses anymore. They were free and glistening with mischief and a kind of maturity I haven't seen in the before. Even the way he carried himself was different. The usually timid and conscious Matt was now a taller man with a bigger physique and a swagger to his walk. He was even wearing cologne and a pair of faded ripped jeans that he said he used to abhor.

"So this is it," he said, pushing the door to his hotel room open. I peaked inside and saw a white room with dark gray carpets and a queen-sized bed. "Come on in."

I hugged myself and gave the room another long look before glancing up to meet his tired, but smiling eyes. "Are you sure? I can just leave if you want. Maybe I'll just call Imogen and have her pick me up."

He shook his head. "You're good. I'll just take the couch and you take the bed."

It was safer to go through the wrath of Imogen, but I wouldn't lie and pretend that I wasn't craving for this moment to be with Matt again even for just a little longer. I didn't know what I was looking for, we just had our messy breakup for goodness sake, Sean. But the opportunity to know what happened two years ago was nagging at me. Now was the chance. I couldn't miss that. Maybe by talking with him, something would at least make sense. I walked inside the room.

It was a modern interior with sharp gray lines and crisp white walls. The star of the room though, was the huge glass window that went from the ceiling to the floor, depicting another twinkling night for Los Angeles. It was the exact opposite of the rustic and paint splattered room he had back then.

"I'll just move my stuff..." Matt searched for a good spot for his black duffel bag that was sitting on the bed while tying up his hair in a low ponytail. "Ah! Here." He pulled the bag by its straps until it slid down the floor with an audible thud and dragged it into the corner of the room.

It turned out not everything have changed. I smiled, watching silently as he began flattening down the sheets and emptying his pockets, placing his phone, wallet and an assortment of what looked like receipts onto the nightstand. He even went as far as fluffing up the pillows and asking me to lay down.

I shook my head. "It's alright. I can do that later. I'll just go and um, use the bathroom first."

Our eyes both turned to the glass encased bathroom at the far-end of the room. It was transparent. A blush rose to my cheeks. "I'll just brush my teeth, don't worry," I hurriedly said.

Matt scratched the side of his face. A new habit, I thought. It was probably from the growing beard. How much had he changed? "I won't peak, I promise. Oh better yet, I'll just wait outside until you finish using the loo."

My brows knitted together. "Loo?"

"Dunny? Toilet?"

"But isn't that a British term?"

He grinned and my eyes widened. That was when I finally noticed the real difference in him. "It's also used quite a lot in Australia. When I first got there actually, I was quite confused myself..." he continued on, telling me the tales of his adventures back in Australia and how he loved the beach there better than what we had here in California, waving his hands back and forth. But Sean, I couldn't hear anything else. My ears seemed to have turned off along with all my other senses that was slowly dwindling down. Because all I could see was the biggest, face-splitting grin on his face and the glimmer in his eyes. A look he never once wore when he was with me.

And in that second, it became clear to me, maybe I just couldn't keep a man happy no matter how loving I could be.

-

hey guys so I'm back! I was supposed to update days ago but I had a fever so this got delayed.

Anyway, what do you guys think?

I bet some of you are happy to see Matt?

What are your thoughts about him?

Guesses on what will happen next?

Is Serenity stupid for calling him or just really heartbroken?

Is anyone missing Sean?

So about the Q&A part of the story, you guys can just comment your questions down bellow and I'll answer them on a different part, yeah?

Thank you so much!

With all the love, Cass