My Best Friend's Boyfriend | BxB

27. I'd Like To Do It Again

"Son? There's something you want to talk to me about?" Gale's father asked, dropping the local morning paper in his son's face.

Gale was slumped over the kitchen table, having his cup of coffee. He looked the paper front page over, until he saw a strip at the top with a picture from the previous nights match, along the words 'Skipper's shambolic display costs Tigers Win'

As if his morning wasn't already bad enough.

"Your mother also called me on my way back, very upset," his father continued, heading over to the fridge.

When Gale had gotten into the house the previous night his mother had been in the living room, nursing a hot cup of chocolate and watching some talk show. On seeing him, she had been so shocked at his appearance, and angry, she had dropped her mug, scalding her feet which only added onto the fire of her fury.

Long story short, Gale already had a two week grounding glaring at him, and now his father, who had grabbed a jug of blended fruit juice and poured a cup. He sat across from Gale, waiting for him to speak.

"I'm sorry, dad," he apologised, his fingers twiddling with the corner of the newspaper. He flipped it to the back page, where the sport news were in full.

"This is the first time you're drinking, so I'll let it slide, hoping there won't be a second time. If you can't keep yourself in line, I will, and I really don't want to have to do anything that might get between you and your football," his father warned.

Gale nodded, biting onto his lower lip.

His father stood with his juice in hand and picked up his suitcase. "I'm still cutting off your allowance for a month however, and I don't want to see that miserable English grade on your report again. And of course, as I suppose your mother already told you, no more parties for you in the foreseeable future. I'll be in my room."

Gale gaped after him, not believing his ears. "I thought you said you'll let it slide?" He reminded him.

His father looked back at him, stern. "That is me letting it slide, Adrian."

Then he left and Gale was left on his lonesome, cursing and pulling onto his hair. His father didn't pull the middle name card unless he was really furious.

Knocking on her door was what woke Emily up early in the morning. It was followed by her mother's voice. "Honey? I'm leaving, but you need to get down, you got a visitor."

Emily wasn't planning on getting out of her bed any time soon, but she also hadn't expected to get a visitor that early.

"Visitor?" She called out, groaning.

"Matt, darling. He's downstairs, I let him in. Don't keep him waiting, I'm off have a nice day!"

Emily sat up in her bed, her covers sliding off.

Did she say Matt?

She groaned and grabbed a pillow, pushing her face into it. "God, no."

She was sure she knew exactly what he was there to do. To tell her why he changed his mind, and end it with the cursed phrase "I hope we can still be friends, though." To which she wouldn't know what to say, maybe just nod because how could she go through life now without him?

She dragged herself out of bed and into the hallway. She went to the bathroom, washed her face, brushed her teeth and tried to tame her wild morning hair. She felt pathetic, feeling as if she was trying to clean up for him, while he was going to break her heart.

Oh wait, he had already done that.

Sluggish, she walked back into her room and changed into a pair of leggings and a baggy sweatshirt. If she was going to spend the day hugging a bowl of ice cream and crying her eyes out, she would need to be comfortable.

Finally, heart thudding in her chest, she made her way down the stairs. Matt was seated at the table in the kitchen, a steaming cup in front of him, probably something her mother had served him. She lingered in the doorway for a moment, gathering as much bravery as she could. Then she walked into the kitchen, going all the way to behind the counter.

Distance.

Matt's head snapped up, noticing her. His bangs fell into his eyes, and she had the urge to push them back.

She folded her traitorous fingers into a fist and let her nails bite into her palm.

Matt sat back, his eyes worried as they took her in. "Hi."

She attempted a smile, but her throat clogged up, so she just waved back. He shifted on his seat and dropped his hands to his laps. "I wanted to apologise about last night," he said.

Emily's eyes dropped to the counter in front of her. Her heart was going at a crazy rate, as if it could sense impending doom. In the corner of her eyes, she saw the tray sat on the far end of the counter, piled with cookies. Her hand reached out and she grabbed one. Maybe if she was busy doing something, she would be able to take whatever he said without tearing up.

"I enjoyed spending time with you..."

But

"...and I'd like to do it again..."

But

"...and I'm sorry for ruining it at the end after I got Gale, it's just that we had a fight and I was sort of pissed off..."

Emily looked up instantly, eyes widening. "You fought with Gale?"

Matt stared at the table, uneasy. "Not physical, of course."

"What did he say?" Emily demanded, almost ready to go searching for Gale.

"Nothing, he was just mad I took him from the party," Matt replied. "I let it get to me and didn't stay back to talk to you, I'm sorry."

He looked up then, his dark eyes looking into her brown ones. He was biting his lip, and he brought a hand forth to brush back his hair. Emily had no idea what to say. She had waited for him to bring up the but phrase, but all he was doing was apologise.

"It's okay," she muttered. "I know, Gale can be difficult sometimes."

Matt's eyes fell back to his hands, which were now on the table, thumbs twiddling. Emily had the sense that he still had something else to say, and she bit into her cookie to distract herself. He finally looked back at her, his teeth worrying his bottom lip.

"You'd want to go out with me, again?"

Emily froze, holding the cookie between her teeth. She stared at him in shock for a few seconds, then dropped her hand and blinked. She swallowed quickly, trying to form words.

Matt took her silence for rejection and his eyes fell back onto the table. "I totally understand if you--"

"No, no," Emily interrupted out of breath. "I mean yes, I...I'd like that."

Her face was burning up, a fierce blush attacking her cheeks. Matt blinked, taking in her flustered appearance. "Okay, thanks," he told her.

Emily smiled, her heart going on another marathon, but for a different reason this time round. She took the cookie tray and carried it over to the table and, quite bravely, took the seat next to him. When she'd placed the tray down, Matt pulled her into a side hug, and she went happily.

Everything was fine, and she mentally scolded herself for getting worked up over nothing.

At that moment, everything was how she wished it would be, and she hoped she would never get such a scare ever again.

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Matt :-\ What do you think he's thinking? What about Gale? 😨
Gale up next ;) and a very troubling proposition from Emily.