Dirty Deeds

CH 21: Finally!

  I part ways with Punk at the stairs, then head back to my room. I expect to have to knock, but Matt's got the door propped open the slightest bit. I grin and push it open, taking in the sight of a very relaxed Matt Hardy on the bed. He sits up when I shut the door. "So, what was this about Punk?"

I sit down beside him and take a breath. "I guess Layla called him and asked him to come see me."

"Why?"

"From what I gathered, she wanted him to talk some sense into me regarding you."

Matt says, "Do you need sense talked into you?"

I smile. "Maybe. I'm glad you're here, Matt."

"Me too," he says, putting his arm around me. "But don't change the subject."

I chuckle. "So Punk showed up at my door this morning and told me we needed to talk. We ended up going to a coffee shop down the road. That's where I was coming back from when I saw you in the hall." He nods. "Anyway, we had a heart to heart, and Punk asked me what my intentions are with you."

"Seriously?" Matt asks, making a face.

"Seriously."

"So what did you tell him?"

"I said I didn't know."

"Oh."

"I told him the only time I've been happy this whole weekend is when you and I were talking on the phone." That earns me a smile. I smile back, then look down. This next part is tricky for me. "Which made him suggest that I have it bad for you."

"Hm," he says. Hm? I can't help it, I look up at him. Matt's grinning ear to ear. "Do you?"

I feel my heart pounding again. "Yes," I whisper.

Matt pulls me close. "Good," he says, his soft breath tickling my ear. I shiver at the sensation, and turn my head so that we're face to face. The look in his eyes is so intense that I'm scared to meet it for long. My eyes slip closed, and for a moment, there's nothing except the anticipation holding me there. Then, his lips meet mine in a gentle caress. It's a sweet kiss. Nothing else matters in that moment; not my friends, not his ex, nothing. For that one brief moment, everything is perfect.

But of course, that moment ends, and I launch myself up from the bed, blushing furiously. "So, uh..."

Matt blinks at me. "Are you all right?"

"Fine," I say, trying not to feel like an idiot. "I just never... felt anything quite like that before."

He grins. "Thank you?"

I sit back down on the bed. "Don't gloat. It's unbecoming of you."

He laughs. "Sorry. It's just that I kissed you and you bolted. It's adorable."

"It's dorky."

"We'll compromise. It was adorkable." He puts his arm around me again. "So I hate to even ask..."

"What?"

"Speaking of adorkable," he says, trying to keep a straight face, "does this mean that you're my girlfriend now?"

I stare at him. "First you kiss me, and then you ask? Geez, Hardy, way to do things in reverse."

"Is that a yes?"

"I don't know," I say, in my best mock serious voice. "I'm not sure my reputation can take the hit. People are going to talk."

"Some of them already are," he points out. "Believe me. My reputation is more likely to take the hit than yours."

"Please!" I say. "You're going to be well liked, no matter what we do." I pause. "But... just out of curiosity... did you tell your brother about us?"

Matt hugs me to him. "Yep."

"And?"

"Are you really worried about it?"

"Yes!" I say, meeting his eyes.

Matt shrugs. "He's never had any problems with you. He actually laughed and said, 'Good for you!' when I told him. I think he's just happy to see me acting less miserable than he expected. Especially after the Maria thing."

"Oh. Good then."

"But you didn't answer the question." He must see the confusion on my face. "About whether or not you're my girlfriend?"

I laugh. "Yes."

"Awesome," Matt says, which just makes me laugh even more.

"You know, if anyone asks why we're together, I'm going to tell them that we're made for each other."

"Are we?" he asks with a grin.

"Completely," I say. "We're both completely adorkable."

"I guess if we ever tag together, we've got our name. Team Adorkable"

"Sadly, I think it's a team name that would fit half the roster," I say.

"Yeah," he sighs, "but we'd rock it so much better than they would."