Sexual Frustrations

26. Catching up

Carl's plan for our day of fun had ended with the beach. On the way home he did suggest a number of different things we could do. Ice cream, sex, another walk, sex, out for dinner, bowling, and of course sex. Although I was quite content to just go home and watch movies and relax. Because I was turning over a new leaf I was happy to just sit and relax and not overthink what was going on. Carl was quite happy with that decision too, because for him that meant sex. No promises.

As we pulled up in front of his house I got the complete and utter shock of my life because standing on the street by the road was Matt. Yeah that's right, fucking Matt.

"Oh my god is that Matt?" I gasped as Carl stopped the car. He was probably the last person I expected to run into. I didn't even know how to feel, I guess I was pretty happy to see him. I looked to Carl and his expression was unreadable. But he had no reason to be angry because we were just enjoying the moment right?

I jumped out of the car still in disbelief.

"Is this Matt I am looking at right now?" I couldn't help but laugh at how crazy this was.

"And this wouldn't be Ava would it?" He smiled opening his arms for a hug. I wrapped my arms around him and waited for the shock to wear off but it hadn't quite yet.

"What are you doing here?" I laughed again. I looked back to Carl who was awkwardly standing by the car door avoiding eye contact.

"Hey man!" Matt acknowledged Carl but didn't get much of a response back. "I heard you were back in town so I thought I'd try and pay a visit, figured I'd find you here."

"Oh my god I still can't believe it, you look really good!" Which was true, he looked like a grown man now.

"Do you have time to catch up?" He laughed.

"Yeah I do." I nodded I quickly ran over to Carl who looked less that impressed. I almost felt guilty for a moment until I realised I had nothing really to feel guilty for. Like Carl said, stop over thinking. All I was doing was catching up with an old friend.
"I'm just gonna go catch up with Matt for half an hour and then I'll be back okay?" I gave him a swift peck on the cheek and Matt and I began walking off. I had a feeling Carl was a little angry but that was something I'd have to deal with when I got back.

...

We walked down the road to a little coffee shop and sat ourselves down. Sitting here in front of him after all this time still felt so surreal.

"So tell me what've you been up to?" I beamed. "Honestly I find it hard to believe you're still here."

"I'm not really. I moved interstate maybe a year  ago. I'm majoring in business, currently working as an intern in this law firm so I'm actually looking into getting a law degree." His big aspirations and high achievement was honestly no surprise to me, he was working hard.

"Wow, sounds pretty good. Are you enjoying it?"

"Loving it."

"What brings you back here then?" Surely he didn't come back to catch up with me.

"Moms not doing to well at the moment, Cancer." He sighed at my heart dropped.

"Oh my god I'm so sorry Matt." His mom was such a beautiful person and it broke my heart to hear she was now suffering with cancer.

"Don't be sorry, it's only early stages and she's a tough woman, I think she'll be fine." He assured which made me happy to see him being so optimistic about such harsh news.

"Oh I don't doubt that for a second." I laughed remembering how strong and driven she was. A woman like that wasn't going to let cancer slow her down that's for sure. "Let her know I say hello okay?"

"Yeah of course. What about you hey?" He laughed clearly looking for a conversation change. "Where have you been all this time?" Matt was yet another person I didn't get to say goodbye to when I fled. We didn't really keep in contact much but I still considered him to be a huge impact in my life.

"Well, I had to get out of here. Carl and I ended things after about a year. Mum got engaged to that guy she was seeing and she completely left me. I needed her and she just put the house up for sale and decided to move interstate. I didn't know what to do I felt like I was completely alone so I guess I was a bit impulsive and booked a one way flight to Australia." I sighed, recounting that story always made me feel slightly pathetic. "But it was honestly the best decision I've ever made." Matt's face broke into a smile.

"That's pretty heavy but wow. Why Australia?" He laughed and I couldn't help but laugh with him.

"I don't know it was cheap and super far away." I shrugged.

"Well what've you been doing?"

"So I got a job in a TV productions company. I absolutely love it, I'm only an assistant at the moment but I eventually want to get into producing." I beamed, this was always my favourite part of the story to tell, something I was proud of.

"Woah sounds pretty cool. Why are you back down here then?" He asked and the memories of why I originally came back here flooded through.

"Kind of a family emergency too I guess." I shrugged not wanting to divulge any further down that track. "What else has been happening?"  Matt just simply held up his left hand in response. It took me a while to realise what he was showing me was the gold band wrapped around his ring finger.

"Holy fuck what?" I grabbed his hand for a closer look. "Did you get married?" He laughed at my reaction.

"2 months ago." He smiled widely and I felt nothing but happiness for him.

"Oh my god Matt, congratulations! Who is she?" I beamed, in shock yet again.

"Her names Tahlia, same age, she's a nurse, we lived in the same apartment building as me and yeah just sorta happened." He shrugged unable to keep the goofy grin off his face.

"I am so happy for you. She's very lucky."

"Thankyou. What about you?" He asked although my love life was probably not the best topic of conversation.

"Married? No." I laughed and he rolled his eyes.

"So are you and Carl back together?" He questioned and I groaned, I knew this was coming.

"I don't know what me and Carl are but back together? No." I sighed.

"Is there anything there?" He questioned and I didn't really know how to answer.

"I think there always will be." So I answered honestly.

"You know he loves you right?" He smirked and I rolled my eyes. Love is definitely not something that was even in my vocabulary.

"I don't think so..." I laughed awkwardly. God I couldn't even think about having feelings between Carl and I, bare in mind love.

"I do. He always has." Matt said with a knowing expression. I needed to change the conversation ASAP.

...

After half an hour of catching up we walked back to the Gallagher house where we hugged goodbye.

"Promise to keep in contact?" He asked pulling away.

"Yes of course." I smiled. "Send love to your mom for me okay? And look after your wife." I winked.

He gave me another big embrace before heading off. I felt good after saying goodbye. I felt like we had mended a friendship. But I had to go back inside and face whatever mood Carl was going to throw at me after that encounter.
Great.