ONE DAY [ MATHEW BARZAL ]

- fourteen hours -

"OK, you have approximately fourteen hours left in the city of New York and we are taking up two hours of that time whether you like it or not." Austin informs with a respected head nod at the end. I chuckle and nod my head at him, agreeing to spend two hours with my friends and the mysterious dark haired male who sits in front of me.

"So, what have you guys got planned for me?" I wonder leaning back in my chair. I find the hazel eyes of the unknown male on me, I give in to a shiver that wrecks my body under his gaze. Who is he? And why did my body just do that?

"Um, see, we really didn't have a plan. We just we could hang out with you, nothing special." Lily shrugs her shoulders. I chuckle at her confession, I would expect none the less from them.

"Oh, also, we brought our friend with us if you don't mind. Mathew, meet Reid. Reid, meet Mathew." Austin tells pointing between me and the dark haired male named Mathew. I turn to him, my eyes roaming across his facial features. He is handsome, there is no denying that, he is one of the handsomest males I have ever met.

"Nice to meet you." Mathew says with a slight incline of his head, a smile prominent on his lips.

I return the smile. "Nice to meet you too."

"Too bad you only have fourteen hours left here, you'd enjoy having Mathew around as a friend. He's a funny lad." Austin chuckles wrapping an arm over Mathew's shoulders, he brings him into his side while Mathew smiles at me.

"Thanks for that buddy." Mathew says patting Austin's head. I chuckle at Austin's reaction, Mathew turns to me and winks with a cheeky grin on his lips. Weirdly, my stomach flutters at his actions towards me. I try to figure out why my body just did that but I am brought into a conversation with Emiko, and I soon forget my body's reaction to the wink Mathew sent my way.

Everyone gets into conversations around me, I try and focus on the conversation that I am having but my eyes seem to keep moving towards Mathew in front of me. Every time I do, I catch him staring at me and he doesn't seem bothered when I show him that I have caught him staring. Instead, he will always flash me a white pearly grin. Each time I turn away from him, my brow creases as I try to work out why he is doing this. I have only just met him and he is acting like we have been friends for a long time, maybe he is just a friendly person and I am overthinking things like I usually do.

It's thirty minutes later and some of my friends have already left, most of them heading to their university classes for the day. It was hard to say goodbye to them but I promised I'd be back for Christmas, and that I would always stay in contact with them whenever I get to England.

The only ones left now is Austin, Lily, Emiko, and Mathew. Mathew, well, he now is sat beside me, he bought me a coffee saying it was on him to buy me one seeing as he infiltrated my final few hours with my friends. It's weird though, I have only known Mathew for no less than forty minutes and already I feel like I have known him for most of my life. I am so comfortable around him, so able to talk about things I want to and he'll listen to what I have to say. I like this Mathew already.

"So, answer me this, Reid." Mathew starts, his body is turned towards me with his hazel eyes staring in mine. "Do you believe in love?"

"No." I reply instantly with a shake of my head. I don't need to think twice about the question because I don't, love doesn't exist. Anyone who tries to tell me differently aren't thinking straight, it just doesn't exist. Love isn't real, it's a made up feeling that humans created to make themselves feel good towards people. I have never experienced it, so until I do feel it or even if I never do feel it, love isn't real and that will always be my opinion on that topic.