Imprisoned Love

Chapter 20

''I'm so sorry for being late!'' I announced, as soon as I spotted Matt at the table for two in the right corner, ''Traffic's insane.''

He chuckled and stood up to give me a hug, ''That's alright, I haven't been waiting for too long anyway.''

I was seriously glad to hear that. One of the things I disliked very much was the fact that someone actually has to wait for me because I'm not where we agreed to meet on time. Even though Matt assured me I wasn't that late, I was still getting this feeling of him making me feel better, as he was familiar with my standpoint of this kind of situation.

As I sat down, I took in the surrounding of the small restaurant that my college friend picked for us this evening. Matthew knew me as a girl who didn't like anything fancy, unlike him, and that hasn't changed the slightest. I could see how careful he was while choosing the place for us to meet because, although it had beautiful decor and a tiny spark of classy glow, everything was simple and minimalistic in the most stunning way.

He probably caught the look on my face, as he asked, ''Do you like it?''

''I love it.'' I beamed, ''I guess you never cease to please.''

''You do know we're talking about me, right?''He asked in a joking matter and I laughed. It wasn't until now that I realized how much I'd missed him. I could not comprehend what was the event that paused our friendship in the first place. Sure, both of us parted our own ways after college - but we were still living close enough to temporarily hang out or even text. As much as it was a shock for me not to be near his distance, it became a part of my daily life that I, Mia Tennyson, did not have Matthew Gardner for a best friend anymore. Sadly, but truthfully.

He and I talked a little bit about our lives, just to catch up on everything that we had both missed in the past two years. I genuinely enjoyed hearing him speak about his parents; how his mom had been getting better after her way too long fight with a chronic disease and how his dad finally got retired. How his older sister came to a realization that spending money on unimportant things and hooking up with random guys won't help her get anywhere, which led her getting a job in their dad's firm. She might have had help with that but the effort still counted.

He also talked about his work. Being a lawyer was truly something he wished from the moment we'd met. Although he might have seemed like a reckless young boy back then, Matt was always serious about one thing. Getting his degree and working his ass off to become the best lawyer there is. And I couldn't help myself but admire him for that. I loved the passion he shared towards the profession he liked so much. It wasn't that I didn't have the same thing for psychology, but it was a rare sight indeed when it came to a person that is Matthew.

I managed to hear more about Janice, his ex-girlfriend, who despised me from the bottom of her heart. The only reason why was because she knew how much I mean to Matt. She was also aware of the fact that such thing won't change, no matter how hard she'd tried to. It was meaningless, really, to be afraid of me. Never have I ever came between someone's relationship and ruin it for the satisfaction of my greediness. I wasn't that shallow. However, I completely understand her point of view, not the termination she had been planning against me, though. Even with me out of Matt's life, she was literally suffocating him to the point that it became unbearable for him. I knew his personality. He needed his freedom to some extent. Once he'd feel too imprisoned, you'd lose him quicker than the bobby pin.

Of course, it was my turn to talk about my life as well. That didn't go without a ''Do you have someone'' question passing by either. I was quick to respond with a negative answer, added with a tiny chuckle to it, as I assured a man in front of me that my love life was non-existent at this point.