right where you left me

𝐼𝐼 || 𝒔𝒌𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆

I've made a few dumb decisions in my lifetime. Outfits? Some of them didn't turn out the best. Financially? I wasn't the best with money either. But getting into Matt's car? Going home with him? While drunk may I add. This has to be at the top of the list of the most careless things I've ever done. But here I was, in the passenger seat of what made out to be his souped-up porche. The car was quiet most of the drive, the faint hum of the engine giving way to the awkward tension in the air. Getting bored of mindlessly scanning over the blur of the cityscape through my window, I break the silence.

"I didn't take you to be the rich kind," I comment, this manages to pique his interest as I take note of his expression that changes ever so slightly. "the rich kind?" he questions, his tone somewhere in between amusement and something else I couldn't place. "yeah, you didn't strike me to be the type of guy to own a porche, let alone with all the attachments." I turn slightly in my seat. Taking into account the way the streetlights light up his face ever so slightly, his eyes fixed on the road ahead, bringing me to wonder how Elliot devalued him the way he did so easily. "and I didn't take you for the type to jump into random guys cars." now this caught me off guard, leeching a glare out of me. damn this guy was good. " hey, you made it feel like I had no choice!" I let out a dramatic breath in protest of his testament "Touche, touche." he chuckled before going quiet again to focus on the road ahead of us. "so what do you do?" I ask remembering I hadn't asked him if he had a job, though the answer was obvious. his eyes widened. "you're going to laugh" he shook his head stifling a nervous laugh "I won't" I reassured him confused on why id have any reason to laugh "I do youtube videos.." I cant help but be a little shocked, all this from youtube? "that's...actually super cool."  

About five minutes after that conversation, we pulled up to a large penthouse-type complex, the height ascending higher than my neck could crane over. I wasn't sure if it was the fact I was down at least 3 bottles of wine, or the fact that the building in front of us genuinely seemed to surprise me, because the look of pure look of amazement that shone over my features was almost childlike. "whats the matter? you look shocked," he smiled. he smiled like this was a regular reaction to what I imagined to be his house "Shocked?" I looked at him in exasperation. Is he joking? he must be. "this is where you live?" I almost whisper yell, this seems to be the highlight of his night, given the amused smile on his face that hasn't moved from its position on his lips since we got here "Only the top floor, wanna go inside?" to this I nod, and he leads me into what I would probably tell my kids was the empire state.

                                                  ˚˚ʚ♡ ♡ɞ˚˚

the elevator ride to the top floor was mostly unspoken, I ended up begrudgingly explaining to him how Elliot and I had met, the high school havoc that was our relationship, and what led me to where I was now, in this moment with him. Though it was short-lived, I managed to take into regard the fact that the man beside me had grown to have much more confidence in himself than he did before. The mechanic hum of the elevator came to a muted halt as the doors spread apart to what I predicted to be a penthouse. each piece of furniture strategically placed over the surroundings in front of us  "Pretty nice huh?" I could almost hear the smirk in his voice as he placed a hand on the small of my back to lead me out of the entrance and into his home, a small act that didn't go unnoticed. "Pretty nice? It's beautiful.." My eyes scanned across the high ceilings and glass walls giving light to the city view below us as he gestured to the couch in a silent request to make myself at home, and I did. Having no regret for the possible repercussions of my actions and just enjoy the fact I won't have to sleep on the street tonight.

"so there's a guest bedroom down the hall with a bathroom you can stay in for the time being, the kitchen has all kinds of food or none...I can't remember" I watched Matt dig through the pantry in search of food he presumably didn't have "I'm so sorry damera I thought I still had something in here." he looked at me with an expression near one of a puppy, the softest I had seen his profile fall to all night, to this I return an adjacent smile. "it's ok I didn't need any food anyway," he shot me a confused look, one that makes me feel like whatever he was hoping to serve me was my last meal on death row, and I just denied it. "you're kidding me. Food? At what, two am in the morning? I might as well wait for breakfast." I laugh and on cue, he shrugs it off voicing a "Suit yourself, I guess." before walking off down the hall.

The master bedroom Matt had left for me was more or less two hotel rooms compiled into one than anything else, which led me to question how much money he genuinely had. The bed was large enough to accommodate at least four small children, but for someone as inebriated as I was it masked as a cloud, ready to hold me for the night. I take note of the Claude Monet painting displayed over the headboard as I make myself comfortable, in no hurry to get into anything comfy because one, I had no clothes. And two, he'd most likely want me gone by morning. But as I did so I couldn't help but let a wave of gratefulness wash over me, people coming to aid in a time of need was extremely rare in my life, but for a stranger to was beyond me. I needed to pay him back. I didn't know how it would happen, yet I was going to find a way to make it work. but for now, I needed to focus on getting rest. pulling the covers over myself I let consciousness slip into the void as I fall into a much-needed sleep, praying tomorrow is a better day.

                                                                    ୨୧