The Rhythm Of Our Lonely Hearts

Chapter Five: You Are the Best Romance I've Never Had

Chapter Five: You Are the Best Romance I've Never Had

The look on Andy's face shattered Matt's heart. He couldn't even get a word out before Sarah walked up behind him. Her caramel eyes darting between the two men. She raised an eyebrow, noticing the tension between them.

"Is this your roommate?" She asked, biting her bottom lip.

"Roommate?" Andy scoffed, the rage in his chest masking any pain he was feeling.

He looked at the woman standing beside Matt, dark brown hair pulled up in a ponytail. Her mascara slightly smeared, and her dress wrinkled as if it had been thrown on hastily. She stood there awkwardly, her eyes only occasionally meeting his. 

"Is that what he told you?" Andy shot back at her, not even giving thought to the fact that he was in essence outing himself to her.

She didn't seem to know who he was, which he'd be thankful for later. What she did know was that there was more to the situation than whatever Matt told her. A look of embarrassment on her face as she clutched her purse in her hands.

"Fuck... Sarah, uh... you know how I said it was complicated?" Matt interjected, trying to defuse the situation that was threatening to blow up in his face.

"... I see... this is..."

"Yeah." Matt cut her off, not looking her or Andy in the eyes.

The woman nodded, glancing back over at Andy and the bandages around his torso. "Well... I think I should leave then... uh... yeah... good time." She stuttered out before slipping past the singer, hurrying down the street to her car.

Matt hung his head, bracing himself for whatever Andy was about to do. Waiting for the screaming to start, or even a punch to the face. Whatever it was, he deserved it. He'd never seen the man look so hurt before, and to make matters worse, Sarah probably thought he was a jackass too. Not only had he lied to her but then his ex shows up with broken ribs; who knows what she thought about him now.

"Andy..."

"Really?! That's what you were doing?" Andy choked out, his voice teetering on the edge of hysteria.

Matt forced himself to pick his head up, seeing the tears falling down the younger man's face. "Andy, please... please don't cry..." he pleaded.

"Fuck you." Andy gasped, trying to wipe the tears away with the back of his jacket.

It felt like he'd been shot in the chest. His stomach clenching and making him feel sick at the thought of what Matt had been doing. Now he understood why he'd lied about what he was doing, the only question was how long had it been going on? Was it a one-night stand or had Matt already moved on?

"Andy, we're not even together. You can't get upset about this." The older man regretted the words the second he spoke them. Cursing his drunk brain for being stupid enough to think that would calm the singer down.

"Why the fuck were you at the show last night then?! Why did you stay with me at the hospital and promise to be there for me?" Anger was starting to overshadow the hurt in the younger man's voice.

Matt rubbed his temples, a headache starting to form from all the yelling and booze. "Fucking hell... you don't need to yell. I was there because no one else was going to be, Andy. You don't have any other friends."