The One

🔨 Chapter 10

 🔨 Matt POV

I brush the dirt off my clothes, throw my bag in the backseat and get into the passenger seat of Bryan's car. I'm pissed and I'm sure he knows it. 

"What the fuck was that? What gives you the right to talk to her that way?!" His jaw is clenched as we bounce down the driveway. "You send me under the house so you can yell at my client? I assured Prim..."

He cuts me off, "Client? Is that what you're calling her now? Why is she here, Matt? Why are you working on this project?" He glances over at me. I don't have to explain anything to him. "I can see in your eyes you want to get back together with her. Damn it!" He hits the steering wheel.

I text Prim.

Me: Text me when you wake up from your nap, okay? I want to see you tonight.

"Bryan, calm down. I'm the one that should be mad here, not you."

"You would seriously let her do this to you all over again?! What the fuck is the matter with you? That girl DEstroyed you! FOR YEARS! I had a front row seat to the entire shit show! You are just starting to get your life back together. You've graduated, you've got a good job." He shakes his head, "And she comes back into the picture?! Now?!" He's shaking his head again. "No, I won't let you do this again. You need a God damn intervention or something."

I run my hand back through my hair. "If you had a problem with Prim you should have fuckin' talked with me about it! I'm so pissed at you right now for sending me out so you could yell at her. You have no idea what she's been through."

He gives a mirthless puff of laughter, "Just like I told her, I DON'T CARE what she's been through! I care about you, Matt. You've been doing so much better these last years. Don't screw this all up. She's like drugs to you or somethin', Man. It's like you're addicted. But she's bad news, just like drugs are. You've got to get her out of your system. Purge her."

I run my hand back through my hair. "Oh God, you sound like my mom. Pull in here, we can eat at the diner."

"Listen to your mom. And me. We are the sensible people in your life. Ditch the toxic girl, make a clean break of it."

I sigh, "I don't think I could even if I wanted to, Bryan. God I love her every bit as much as I ever did."

"Fuck, don't say that! Matt, don't do this to yourself. Why would you put yourself through this again? You know how this ends, she's done it before."

"You don't even know her story. You don't know why she left me."

"Do YOU?" When I don't answer he adds, "Do YOU know why she left you?"

We walk into the diner. "I know a little bit more about it but she hasn't told me everything yet. Hey Shirley, table for two."

His voice gets quieter now that we are seated. "Of course she hasn't told you why she left. Why would she tell you the reason she disappeared from your life for four fuckin' years then shows back up at your graduation like it's the most normal thing in the world?" 

His voice is low and luckily it's still a little early for dinner so the place is fairly empty and we are seated in a corner. "If you ask me, I think she's psycho. Who knows what she did during those years? She could have been a prostitute, had a kid, murdered her whole family, been in jail. You have no idea."

I look down at the menu. "Stop it. She was making art and living with her aunt, you don't need to assume the worst." I look up at him, "You owe her a fuckin' apology, you know that?"

"The hell I do. I'll cut out my tongue before I apologize to that bitch."

"Bryan! Shut the fuck up. She's my client. I recommended you for this job. I can't believe you were so unprofessional."