Chapter 73

Background color
Font
Font size
Line height

There is no such thing as the perfect moment, this is a lesson I learned the hard way. You wait and you wait for the perfect moment and it never comes, then one day you step back and you realize you missed the opportunity completely because you waited too long. Life isn't perfect and if you wait for that rare, highly sought-after perfect moment, most of the time you will never get your chance. If you want to tell someone you love them, do it. Do it while laying in bed looking like a hot mess, who cares. You want to marry someone? Do it. Kiss them? Do it. Get a new job, switch majors, get a new hobby? For the love of God just do it! If you learned nothing else from me I hope I can teach you two things: one, always pee after sex, and two, just fucking do it! Ok, I might have stolen that second one from Nike but still the idea still stands. 

As I regain consciousness my head is still spinning and someone is holding me. I crack my eyes open assuming it is Matt but instead I am met with a pair of eyes I was positive I would never see again. "Oh thank God, you're awake. How is my baby sister?"

"Aaron," I croak out wondering if this is real or just a side effect of being drugged.

"Right here Sydney, you're ok." The shock of seeing Aaron finally wears off and I shoot up pulling him into a hug.

"You're alive!" I half scream, half sob as I cling to my big brother. "Are you ok? Did they hurt you?" I pull back and examine him as I fire off more questions. He looks clean, well-fed, has all his fingers, and it looks like he has shaved and has gotten a haircut recently. Even his clothing is a clean pair of joggers and a new t-shirt. Far from the torture I thought he was facing and the horrible state he was in in that picture not that long ago.

"I am ok. I mean I was pretty bloody that first day but they sent in a doctor to fix me up, and I have a shower and clothing and everything I could need. Honestly being kidnapped wasn't all that bad if I am being honest." He smiles and points to the bed in the corner and the small door that must be the bathroom. "Enough about me, you were just drugged, how do you feel?" he asks, going right back to overprotective brother mode like he hasn't been gone for nearly 10 months.

"I still feel a little fuzzy and my body feels heavy but I am ok," I assure him. Things are still out of focus and my limbs feel like they are weighed down, but I could be so much worse.

"Thank God, when they put you both in he-"

"Matt!" I yell looking around the room. The events are still fuzzy and waking up to Aaron distracted me instead of me trying to piece together how I got here. I notice him laying on the ground a little ways across the room and frantically crawl over to him.

"You know him?" Aaron asks as he follows me looking confused.

When I reach Matt I automatically sigh in relief, noticing his chest rising and falling steadily. I pick his head up and move it into my lap, gently rubbing my hand over his cheek. "Matt wake up. Matt, please wake up," I beg while Aaron walks over to the little mini fridge, wait a mini fridge? Is he being held hostage or on a really shitty vacation, what the fuck?

Aaron comes back with two waters and hands me one, "Put the cold bottle on his face, it might help." I put the cold bottle against Matt's forehead, playing with the hair on the back of his head with my other hand. "Who is he?" Aaron asks sitting next to me just watching.

"He is m-," before I can finish Matt stirs in my lap and I turn my full attention back to him. The second his hazel eyes open and look into mine I am overcome with so many emotions. "Hi," I whisper, the tears streaming down my face with no signs of stopping.

"Hey Barbie," he replies softly pulling my face down to his. The second my lips hit his everything around us disappears. Matt pushes me back so he can sit up and pulls me onto his lap while my arms find their normal spot around his neck. My tongue runs along his bottom lip and he opens his mouth without a fight.

"Ummm yeah hi, I am still here, and nauseous now," Aaron interrupts, clearing his throat and fake gagging mere inches from where I am straddling Matt's lap.

"Ops," I flush, climbing off Matt but still holding onto his hand. He looks confused before looking between Aaron and I and realizing who he is.

"No way," Matt says looking at Aaron again.

I look at him and nod, "Oh yeah, this is happening."

"Wait, does this mean I win?" he asks looking at me now. Out of the corner of my eye Aaron is looking between us extremely confused.

"Yeah you win. I owe you road head, but like can we do it not while driving please, I have had enough near death experiences for the year."

"Beach?" he suggests and I nod.

"What the fuck!?" Aaron yells covering his ears. Oh my poor big brother, if he thought dating Brock was bad he is so unprepared for mine and Matt's bullshit. "That's my baby sister," he whines laying on the ground in the fetal position.

"Sorry dude," Matt apologizes looking down and rubbing his neck. I catch the sly smile on his face and know he is only partly sorry for his comments.

"So formal introductions, Matt this is Aaron but you knew that already. Aaron this is Matt, my boyfriend."

"Boyfriend! How?! When!? But I barely got to enjoy life without Brock and you have another one!?" Aaron groans and Matt just sits silently not getting involved. "Wait. . . what month is it?"

"It is the end of March, my birthday is in a week and a half," I tell him gently. It is clear from the look on his face he had no idea so much time had passed.

He gets up and begins to pace. "It's been nearly a year. Almost 10 months. I missed my entire senior year. Did you guys still move to New York?"

I nod and move closer to Matt trying to stay strong. Aaron is slowly losing his positive demeanor and beginning to break as the reality sets in. He missed so much of his life, of my life, of his friends' lives, our families'. While I was living every day, going to school, the gym, holidays, and everything in between, Aaron was stuck here. My heart breaks for my brother as he tries to grasp how much time he lost.

"Aaron, I missed you," I squeak out, a few tears spilling over. Matt quickly scoops me up into his lap, kissing my head gently as Aaron shuts his eyes and takes a few deep breaths.

"I missed you too baby sis, so much." Aaron finally comes and sits back down with us and Matt lets go of me so I can hug my brother. "So Matt, right?"

"Yeah," Matt answers with a small smile. I notice for the first time a small cut on his cheek, probably from trying to fight back. I grab the water bottle from earlier and a tissue I find on a little kitchen table. Both boys watch me as I kneel in front of Matt and clean the little bit of dried blood off his face. "This feels familiar," he remarks while staring into my eyes.

"You bleed easily," I remind him, kissing his nose, "but it is ok because I will always take care of you, you bloody mess."

"Ew gross," Aaron gags and I laugh. "I liked it better when you were chasing Brock with the bat."

"Wait were you there for that?" Matt asks in excitement.

"Of course I was! It was in the middle of my football practice!"

"I want to hear the whole story! It is my favorite story. That and when you got stuck on the roof babe." I pout but both boys just laugh as Aaron begins to tell the story. By the end they are both laughing hysterically and I am sitting between them pouting.

"So before I declare I like you Matt I need to know more about you, but so far you're beating Brock."

"Well, what do you want to know?"

"Anything that could potentially make me hate you honestly," Aaron tells him bluntly and I watch Matt's face pale. I want to cover for Matt saying there is nothing but I don't want to lie anymore. Whatever Matt says is what he says, and no matter how Aaron reacts I will still love Matt because I know whatever he says that isn't him anymore.

Matt rubs the back of his neck not looking at anyone before taking a deep breath and looking back up at Aaron. "Well if I were you, I would hate me for these reasons: I slept around a lot before I met your sister, like a lot a lot. Also I hooked up with your cousin but she ended up pretty much hating men because I was such a dick. I get into fights pretty often. I tend to run whenever things get too real for me and your sister has unfortunately had to deal with that already. And well, I am sure I forgot some shit but yeah, those are the big ones."

Aaron is silent, stunned Matt so openly laid it all out for him like that. I am quiet too, looking at Matt who looks disgusted. Disgusted at himself. No matter how far we have come since September, Matt still is haunted by his past. I don't know how I missed it. I guess I just assumed he moved past it but clearly not.

"But that isn't you Matt, not anymore," I speak up but he just ignores me.

"People don't just magically change overnight Sydney, deep down I am still that same asshole." Aaron gets up and walks into the little bathroom, giving me a nod as he closes the door. With the little bit of privacy we now have I crawl into Matt's lap and force him to look at me.

"You're still that same Matt at your core, but that Matt isn't the one you just described. That Matt is the one that stands up for Blake and Cory, who no questions asked lets Lance sleepover whenever he needs an escape, who takes care of me or Celia or anyone else when we don't feel good." I kiss Matt's face all over as he just holds me on his lap.

We stay like this for a while, me kissing random parts of Matt's face while he sits there, eyes closed holding me tightly. "I am sorry I broke my promise," he says and I look at him confused.

"What promise babe?" I ask.

"The one to always protect you. You shouldn't be here, you should be at home safe. I should have protected you and I didn't." The tears welling up in Matt's eyes hurt more than his words. No one could have stopped this, and while I am beating myself up for Matt being here, he is doing the same over me.

"I was the one that hid things from you and got you into this mess Matt. Please, this is my fault, not yours Matt." Matt is full on crying at this point, his face buried into my chest as his body shakes. God this is a fucking mess. I can't believe this or the fact that Seth was behind it all.

"Sydney, I would rather die than see something happen to you," he announces, that determined look in his eyes. It is the same look he gets before every fight too. My blood runs cold, I can't lose Matt, and if something happened to him I better be next because I don't want to live in a world he isn't in.

"Matt we are all getting out of here. Alive. Just don't do anything stupid. I promise Sasha and my dad are going to find us." Matt doesn't answer and we end up curled up on the floor together just watching the other. I commit everything about Matt to memory for the millionth time since I met him. He does the same, neither of us talking. A while later Aaron comes out and some food is dropped into the room.

After we eat there is a bit of a fight over the beds since there are only two, but finally I calm Aaron down and let him let me sleep with Matt. Matt is the first to bed, just completely emotionally drained. While I got some peace despite all of this knowing Aaron was actually alive today, it has been all around draining for him, from visiting his mom to now.

"I like him," Aaron says as I sit at the table watching Matt sleep.

"I love him," I say back, my eyes never leaving Matt. Aaron looks over at Matt and nods before looking back at me. "I know I sound crazy, but he is everything to me. I will never love anyone the way I love Matt and that I am sure of."

"I know Sydney, I can tell. I am happy for you. I know me going missing must have been hard for you but I am glad you met Matt, he clearly loves you a lot."

"I am too."

"So tell me all about Matt, fill me in, Beans." I laugh at the stupid nickname but fill him in on everything. Aaron fills me in on life here and how there is one girl who is pretty much the reason he is so well taken care of. Her name is Nadia and from what he has told me she doesn't like all of this but she is in love with whoever the head guy is, who I am assuming is Seth but Aaron doesn't know. After some time of talking we both head to bed.

"Night Aaron," I call out in the dark room.

"Night Syd. Oh and remember, hands to ourselves please, there are no condoms in this place and I am not ready to be an uncle."

"We already don't use those," I blurt out without thinking.

"Oh my God! As soon as everyone is up we are having a long discussion about safe sex! Clearly Mom and Dad are slacking!" I laugh and snuggle into Matt knowing tomorrow will probably be hell, but as long as both my boys are ok right now I don't care about anything else.

You are reading the story above: TeenFic.Net