Three Weeks, Nine Months, A Lifetime

Chapter 4

The crowd made my stomach jitter uncontrollably. When I tightened my hold on Matt's hand, he asked, "What's wrong?"

            "I just feel a bit dizzy."

            Matt instantly turned into Captain Concern. "You do? Do you need to lie down? I can take you home. Maybe you need more rest. I'll take you home."

            I smiled. "You're too sweet. Don't worry, it's just the crowd. And the noise."

            "We'll go somewhere quiet," Matt said. I nodded in relief. "Do you know your way around? I bet you came here every day the week you dated Sammy."

            I frowned dramatically. "Is my wittle Mattie baby getting jealous?"

            "No!"

            "You're defensive," I said. "It's cute."

            "Well thanks."

            I leaned into Matt, making him stagger slightly. "Lead the way. You're the real expert."

            "What's that supposed to mean?"

            I smiled mischievously. "Don't for a moment try to pretend to be innocent. I know you made out with five different girls when you came to one of Sammy's parties. It's the night we officially met."

            "And you wouldn't kiss me," Matt complained, remembering.

            "I thought you were a jerk."

            "What made you change your mind?"

            "Who ever said I did?"

            Matt glared at me jokingly. "Do you want me to slap you?"

            "Nope," I said, swinging back on my heels like I had done nothing wrong.

            Matt pinched my cheek and chuckled. "Just you wait."

            I gulped visibly.

            "Where should we go?" he asked.

            I shrugged, looking around. "I don't know. Anywhere."

            "What a Tissa-answer."

            "What else did you expect?" I asked, smiling. Matt shook his head in exaggerated disappointment. I said, "Alright, around the back of the house, there's a swing we could sit on."

            "Perfect."

            We circled around the mess of people overflowing out the front of the house and entered a backyard of peace and quiet. I sighed in relief and swung my arms out to my sides. "It's empty," I said happily, running to the swing.

            Matt made his way next to me with less excited steps, this look on his face saying he had just remembered something. And it was bad. He grabbed my hand and patted it the way he had done when we first started going out, like he was trying too hard not to make any mistakes.

            And now he was doing the same thing, cautiously eyeing me, gently patting my hand.

            "You're not breaking up with me, are you?" I asked, a bit nervous for the answer.

            "No!" Matt said, his surprise making me smile. "Not exactly."

            I let go of Matt's hand, my chest growing too heavy to handle. Matt and I had been together for over a year. Not once had he cheated on me. He asked about sex but he had never pushed it on me before. It had been my decision to do it.