After | Matt Daddario

Chapter 32

I am so sorry that I was gone for so long! December was a busy month and especially when I tried uploading every single day for my Christmas story! I am so sorry that it took so much time for me to upload!
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MATTHEW'S POV

Angrily, I got in the car and drove away from home. What did Lauren even think? That I was her Damon? Why was she even including The Vampire Diaries? There is seriously something wrong with her.

It's a really Lauren thing to describe us as fictional characters. Wasn't Damon a jerk anyway?

I couldn't really hear whatever she was saying. Only that something was stuck. The loud rain didn't allow me too. It was like it was preventing me from hearing what Lauren was saying. Maybe it was a good thing.

Lauren only says boring things anyway.

The rain was getting louder and faster minute by minute. For a second, I would think that there is a storm coming but if that was the case, an amber alert would have been announced and nothing like that happened.

As I drove to Kat's house, I saw messages from Vivien. Confused, I looked down at me phone. My sister and I never texted each other. Hell, we didn't even speak as much as siblings should. We were not close at all.

Sometimes, I blamed myself for it. It was my fault that Vivien lost many friends and that she couldn't really fit in anywhere. I always made it hard on her but god knows how much she means to me and what limits I could cross to just keep her safe.

Stay away from Lauren.

I was still looking confused at my phone screen. What was wrong with her? I know that Vivien hates that I am always close to her friends and to be honest, I don't blame her.

I always used girls. Even if they were my little sister's friend. This is how she had lost too many friends. It was all because of me but there was nothing going on between me and Lauren.

Hell, she would start comparing me to a Vampire. I don't need that shit.

I sighed and just ignored Vivien's message as I pulled over and parked my car in front of Katherine's house.

There was loud music as always and hundreds of people were in her house. She would always do this and sometimes I wondered how she kept her house so together. I mean, at those parties, people would fuck, fight and get drunk.

There is always a mess.

When I got out of the car, I saw people looking at me and smiling. I couldn't even bring myself to smile at them. They looked disgusting.

They were miserable and they thought coming here getting drunk would help them to get a break from their lives but in all reality, it just made it worse for them.

I walked inside and the smell of alcohol hit me straight away. I wanted to hold my nose because this shit was too strong. I walked until I saw Dominic and the rest. They were sitting on the long couch. Dominic had a cigarette in his mouth and the others had a glass in their hands, definitely getting drunk.

"You guys do know that we have to stay alert." I said. Parties like this meant that anyone else from another gang could come and we could be in danger.

Alberto chuckled as he took another shot.

"Give yourself a break, Daddario." He said. His words were slurring. I rolled my eyes as I shook my head. I let myself fall on the couch next to Harry.

"Want a drink?" He asked and I shook my head as I looked at him unbelievable.

"Are you deaf? Did you not hear what I said before?" I asked and Harry chuckled. I could smell the alcohol. Disgusting.

"I guess it's the alcohol." He chuckled like a teenage girl. I sighed and just looked around. No one looked sober to me. Each one of them were worse than the other. It was a complete joke.

"I think I should head home." I said as I tried to get up. Everyone started looking at me and for some reason, I could see their disappointment.

"But you just got here, mate." Dominic said. He sounded high. Too high to be able to talk. Just keep yourself calm, Matthew. It is okay.

"Yeah, I have got something to do." I lied. I rather wanted to come home and be annoyed by Lauren than sitting here next to drunks.

"Is that something Lauren?" Emeraude asked with a slight smirk around her face. I was shocked when I heard what she said and I wanted open my mouth to deny it but heard Katherine sigh out of annoyance.

"That girl has made him soft." Katherine said annoyed and looked at me. I wanted to shout at her because I wasn't. I couldn't care less.

"That's not true." I said annoyed and Katherine laughed.

"Is that the reason why you traveled all the way to England to save her family?" She asked and I could see she was enjoying all of this. She was amused to see me... vulnerable?

"She got dragged into the shit because of me. I owed her." I said and Katherine just rolled her eyes.

"Yeah, convince yourself otherwise." She said and I just shook my head.

"I am out of here." I said and stoop up and walked away. I heard them shout something but I couldn't care less.

I got in the car and drove away without even looking back once. The same anger was overflowing me again. Me and soft for Lauren? Are they kidding me? I owed her. I owed her to save her life and protect her. She was in this mess because of me. I couldn't care less.

The rain was still very heavy and in the streets, I saw it overflowing with water. I don't think that's a good sign.

I tried checking my phone again but there was no message, not even from Vivien. As soon as I got home, I looked at Lauren's balcony. I chuckled when I remembered about the Elena and Damon thing.

Why the fuck are you chuckling, Matthew? I shook my head and closed my eyes as I felt the water making me completely wet as if I was taking a shower in my bathroom.

When I opened my eyes, they widened quickly. I saw a hand hanging lifelessly from the balcony and I remembered those bracelets from far. It was Lauren.

"LAUREN!" I shouted loud, hoping she would hear me but there was no answer. I quickly ran inside and because of that, I was about to slip but at that moment, I couldn't care about it.

I ran quickly towards her room and when I saw her laying down in the balcony unconscious, guilt overwhelmed me. Her balcony door was stuck... That's what she was trying to say but I didn't even listen...

She was stuck here for a good few hours... Her whole body must be too cold. She could die... I quickly opened the door and kneeled down before her.

"Lauren..." I said softly but she didn't even respond. Her face was pale. It almost looked like she was dead...

I quickly picked her up and that's when I felt her over soaked clothes... Her whole body was ice cold as if she just came out of freezer.

Oh my god, Lauren...