Matt called me around 9:00 that night. I hesitated before answering – I had just had a lovely afternoon, no guilt, no problems. However, I couldn’t ignore him, he was Matt after all. Anyway, if I didn’t answer, chances where he would send someone to me.
“Hi Matt,” I answered as I sat down on my couch.
“Hey Bit, you in?” Matt greeted.
“Yeah, not long back from the mall,” I answered.
“Excellent, can you let me in?” He hung up.Send someone to meI thought – no, notsend; someone was already here. I flung my door open just as Matt topped the stairwell. He was wearing dark jeans, a black t-shirt and black leather jacket. I glanced at his feet, black bike boots.Hmmm, someone’s heading out.
I stood back to let him in. On his way in I was pulled into a hug. He closed the door behind him and I was half-carried through the hall. He let me down as he entered the lounge and I grinned at him, all tension leaving me.
“I can walk, you know,” I reminded him as I sat on the couch. “Where you going?”
He shrugged his jacket off as he sat beside me. “It’s family weekend – the first weekend of October,” he started, pressing on quickly on as he saw my smile fade. “Mom and Dad and my little bratty sister Amy are coming. Mom knows you’re here and you’re with us, so she told me to tell you to book what events you want to go to and we’ll sort out a timetable.”
“She doesn’t have to do that,” I said quietly.
“Are you serious? My mom adores you, plus it means you can organise everything and I just have to show up.” He grinned at me. I rolled my eyes at him but then I laughed.
“Amy is not bratty.” I poked him in the side. Amy was 15 going on 35 and she disapproved of everything Matt did. She had a huge crush on Theo though, which made Matt nervous and Theo laugh at how uncomfortable Matt got about it. Matt’s mom was wonderful. I loved her. She was a proper southern belle – however, she also had a sharp tongue on her. She needed it; Matt had two older sisters who fought constantly.
Matt slung his arm over my shoulders and pulled me into his side. “You ok? I’m sorry the other day wasn’t so great,” he admitted softly.
I snuggled into his side and smiled as I shrugged. “It was what it was. Cole is hard and doesn’t like being questioned. I don’t like you fighting, any of you, and I still don’t knowwhyyou are doing it, or why you were in a police station. But Colton is your best friend, you would do anything for him and he for you. There must be a reason and if I am not to know, then fine.” I wiggled out of his arm and stood, then I turned to look down at him. He was assessing me doubtfully.
“Really?” he asked.
“No, you asshat! But I know you won’t tell me – so I am pretending to be a better person.”
Matt threw his head back and laughed, then he jumped up and I was in a death crush of a hug.
“Can’t breathe Matt,” I protested. He let me go and then swooped down and kissed my cheek. That was unexpected, and I smiled shyly at him for the sweet gesture.
“Right. Get changed. We’re going out.”
“Where?” I frowned and looked at my watch – it was almost 9:30.
“Bar.” He was grinning at me in a way that made me cautious. “Colton’s off to his dad in Denver, Theo hasn’t fallen out of whoever’s bed he is in and Connor is painting his nails with Corey.” I burst out laughing. “Well he may as well be.” Matt grinned.
“You need a wing man?” I joked.
“No, I need my girl Bit, with no crap and no secrets.”
I looked at him, and I saw the twinkle in his eye. I grinned.
“Five minutes!” I dashed into my room as I heard him laughing behind me.
I quickly changed into skinny black jeans and a sheer white floaty blouse. As I slipped it on over a white silk camisole, I couldn’t help but think that Corey would approve. I half-tucked the front of the shirt into my jeans, leaving the rest hanging out as Corey had with the scarf and jean skirt the other week. Then I flung a black jacket over my arm and slipped into a pair of buckled ankle boots, tucking the jeans into them.
Finally, just as I was stepping back out of my room, my eyes landed on a black beaded necklace Corey had given to me, insisting she had two of them and didn’t need the second one. I wrapped it round my neck. A quick coat of mascara and a tinted lip balm application later and I was ready. I dashed out to find Matt in the kitchen drinking a bottle of water. He scanned me quickly, grinned and grabbed my hand, leading me out of the apartment. As I locked the door, he questioned my lack of purse. I tapped my inner coat pocket to indicate my wallet, as I slipped my key into the same pocket. I tucked my phone into my back pocket and grinning like naughty school children, we headed down the stairwell.
Matt’s huge SUV was outside and he held open the door for me as I hopped in. As we headed out of the city, I felt nice and relaxed. Ok he wasn’t going to tell menowbut that didn’t mean he wasn’t going to tell me at all. I guess I was going to have to be ok with that. Besides, we were going out just me and him, no awkwardness or anything, this was what we needed.
I knew we needed to go outside of the city to go to a bar what with us both still being underage. To be fair Colorado had quite a loose interpretation of the legal drinking age, but not in the main tourist areas. Matt drove to one of the back-lying bars. There was a bouncer outside it and a lot of motorcycles. I felt quite apprehensive as we got out the car. I could hear Shinedown’s ‘Monsters’ blaring out the bar, it couldn’t be that bad with such good music. I looked at Matt as he came around the side of the SUV. His grin was enough to settle my nerves.
The bouncer nodded to Matt as we approached, which implied he was known here. Matt reached back and took my hand. The doorman glanced at our clasped hands and smirked at him and I wasn’t carded. Slightly resenting the fact that Matt had just implied I was his date. I slipped my hand free from his.
He headed into the bar, there was a pool table at the very back and a crowd of guys hanging around back there. Matt reached back and hooked my arm, tugging me forward to the bar. I looked around as he ordered two beers, which was weird for him to do but I guess my drinking the other weekend had promoted me to beer drinking.