Maybe It's Been You All Along - Alex Turner

21

"I know I shouldn't be but I am," Rosanna said. "What the hell do I do Matt? I thought it'd be too soon to even look at someone else so close to me and Andy breaking up but...I feel like Andy was just a roadblock..."

"What do you mean?" Matt asked, confused.

Rosanna audibly sighed through the phone, "I think I stopped loving him a long time ago. But I didn't want to admit it. And then as time passed I think he just became a reason for me to push back any thoughts about Alex that went beyond friendship."

"When do you think you...?" Matt said carefully.

Rosanna shrugged and sighed again, "I don't know. I think it's built up over time. Every time Al would do anything nice for me, I think it just added to it more. He always puts me first and he makes me feel loved, even though I know it's not in this way. I only came to this... 'realisation' yesterday, but I think it's for real."

"Wow," Matt said, still in surprise at the whole situation. He couldn't believe how exact Alex and Rosanna's feelings were toward each other.

  "I'm just so confused and...I don't know what to do with myself," Rosanna said. "It was probably easier for me never to admit this to myself but I had to. Because...I really love him Matt."

  Matt didn't know what to say. He couldn't give her tough love like he did with Alex. Mostly because he knew that Alex felt the same way. There was nothing stopping them from reaching each other anymore.

  Matt felt so helpless. They way she spoke about him, he knew she meant everything she was saying. He felt so bound. He wanted to tell her and Alex that they shared feelings for each other but worried that it might ruin things. He wanted it to happen organically and he knew Alex and Rosanna would too.

  "Wow...I mean...wow," Matt said, scratching the back of his head. "You really have fallen for him, haven't you?"

  "Mhm," Rosanna said nervously, she was worried at what Matt was going to say. He was the only person she'd told her raw feelings to. What if he told her she shouldn't feel the way she did and that she should get her mind straight because Alex would never feel the same way back.

  "He won't feel the same way back though," she said before Matt could respond. Her self-doubt consuming her. "So you have to promise not to tell. The last thing I want is for me to ruin our friendship with my feelings."

  "I don't think you could ever ruin your friendship with Alex," Matt said honestly.

  "Yeah but...this is different," Rosanna sighed.

  "You do know how much you mean to him right?" Matt asked. "I mean, you could probably cut his hands off so he could never play an instrument again and he'd still adore you."

  "But that's—"

  "I'm not saying you have to tell him because of you don't want to you don't have to," Matt clarified. "I'm saying that if you did, he wouldn't get mad or anything. I'm certain it wouldn't ruin anything between you two. In fact, I'll promise it."

  "But is it wrong? To feel like this about him?" Rosanna asked.

  "No of course not!" Matt said. "Honestly, I were always surprised that nothing happened between you two. Or that either of you had feelings for the other. You're like two peas in a pod. And it doesn't matter who he is to you, if you're in love with him, then it's not wrong at all."

  "Are you sure?" Rosanna asked warily.

  "Of course I am," Matt said. "And I understand why you're confused but you really don't have to be. You've just gotta trust your gut feeling and if your heart is saying—"