How He Broke

Can't Remember (Matty's POV)

"Okay! You boys be good okay?" Sage instructed once we had reached her house.

Tate and I were sitting on the couch in her living room, a reasonable 5 feet of space between us.

"We will, baby." I smiled, making sure to seem like I was going to be on my best behavior.

"Great. We won't be too long." She added before kissing my lips and making her way towards the stairs.

Skyler kind of just waved at Tate before following closely behind Sage up the stairs.

Once they were out of sight I relaxed, allowing my body to sink down into the cushions.

Silence between Tate and I, neither of us seeming to want to even try speaking to the other. I had managed to get into Sage's mother's liquor cabinet, both Tate and I drank in silence until the alcohol finally set in, causing me to feel a little tipsy; letting my curiosity get the better of me I decided to ask about him and Skyler.

"So..." I finally spoke, breaking the silence between us. "You and Skyler huh?" I asked. "Didn't see that one coming." I chuckled.

"Yeah that makes two of us." Tate laughed, looking down at his feet.

"So, what's the story behind that one?" I asked. "What do you mean?"

"Like how did it happen? How long had you two been talking? I'm just curious dude, she doesn't really seem like your type." I explained.

"Yeah well Sage doesn't really seem like yours either." He retorted.

I laughed, deserving that one. "Touche dude."

"Why, Sage, Matty?" Tate asked, his tone softening, nonthreatening.

Normally I would take offense to that question, especially from him, but for some reason it seemed more like a genuine question rather than a rude remark.

"She's different." I answered. "Different how?" Tate asked.

I chuckled, "So many questions." I shook my head as I began to think about it.

"She's... unique." I said. "She sees these things in the world, these colors where as I had only seen black and white. She stuck by my side through my darkest moments. She picked me up and dusted me off when I could hardly stand, she gave me air when I couldn't breathe. She reminded me that not everything on this earth is a complete shit hole, that I'm not a fuck up... that I'm not my father and I have the capability to change who I am." I answered. "She saw something in me that I didn't even see myself. Where I saw a fucked up monster, she saw someone damaged. She held her heart open for me even when I refused to accept it. She loved me when I didn't even love myself... and I never noticed that until you came along." I finished, allowing my thoughts to flow out. Never would I have ever imagined that I would be telling Tate Langdon all of this; maybe the alcohol really was getting the better of me right now.

"What do you mean, "until I came along"" Tate asked.

"If you hadn't came along, I never would've seen how precious Sage truly was." I said. "I saw the way she looked at you and it helped me to realize that for so long I was oblivious to all her wonders, so concerned about guarding myself that I had let the one girl who ever gave a shit about me, slip right through my fingers." I explained. "I saw how incredible she was... I realized all she had done to help me, and when she snapped at me it made me take a step back and reevaluate everything about myself and about her. I became someone I couldn't even recognize because I was so concerned about my own suffering that I didn't even notice her's... If you hadn't come along Tate, I never would've seen that... and I guess for that... I'm forever grateful and indebted to you." I said, not even believing the words that came out of my mouth. I had taken myself off guard, but everything came straight from the heart.