Addison
After being thoroughly traumatized, I managed to fall until a fitful slumber somewhere around dawn. As I entered a hazy dream state, my subconscious thrusted me back into Matt's driveway. The golden rays of sunlight that had illuminated his silky skin were abruptly cast behind a dark storm cloud.
I tilted my face towards the sky just as droplets began streaking down my face. The world shook with a sudden rumble of thunder. Wait, that's not thunder. That's the heavens bellowing with laughter at my misfortune. Wait...that's not it either...
My consciousness instantly channeled from my brain to my eyelids, and I cracked one eye open. A shadowy figure hovered over me, and it occurred to me that the chuckles I heard in my dream weren't just a figment of my imagination.
I bolted up as Matt continued to trickle water upon my face from the cup he was holding, snickering, and giving me a devilish grin. Throwing back the now damp covers, I sprung from the air mattress and shoved him out of the way. "You're a dick," I mumbled, storming past him towards the kitchen.
"Nah," he said following me. "But I do have one which you already know because you saw it."
With a low growl, I whirled to face him, stopping short in my tracks. He stood before me, his dimple piercing his cheek and his arms folded over his bare muscular chest. But what really caught my attention was the bulge that was highlighted by the grey sweatpants that hung low on his hips. "It's too early for this," I murmured, rummaging through cabinets for a cup. "I need water."
Shrugging, he fiddled with the knobs on the stovetop before placing a fry pan on one of the coils. "Would you like some breakfast?" he asked nonchalantly, glancing over his shoulder at me. "My cooking skills leave quite a bit to be desired, but I think I can manage some scrambled eggs and toast."
He gave me a wink and I sputtered my drink down the front of my nightshirt. "I'm not hungry for whatever it is that you're trying to feed me, Matthew. I have no desire to put...your eggs...in my mouth. Is that understood?"
He arched a brow at me. "I'm not that lousy of a chief, Addie. You act as though you'll be poisoned if you taste my food." I shot him a glare and he rolled his eyes. "Fine, then how about sausage then? Is my sausage good enough for you?"
My eyes bulged as the glass slipped from my fingertips and shattered onto the floor. "What?!" I squeaked.
"Sausage," he repeated, giving me a funny look. "Do you want the sausage or not?"
"No!" I yelled. "Stay away from me with your sausage! Don't you think your girlfriend might mind?"
Matt placed a hand on my shoulder as he moved behind me to open the refrigerator. "Addison, I can assure you that it's fine. She can have it later when she wakes up. There's plenty to go around."
"What's the matter with you?" I cried, backing up and slamming against the wall with a thud.
"What's wrong with you?" he asked, spreading out the pork onto the frying pan. The meat hissed and smoked as the heat began transferring. "Why are you being so weird about breakfast?"
"Matt..." I replied, staring at him evenly. "You and I don't have breakfast together. That's not what we do. We're friends."
He scrunched up his nose, glancing over at me with an expression of befuddlement. "Huh? Isn't that exactly what friends do? Share meals?"
Stabbing a fork into the meat, he brought the food close to my lips. "At least try the sausage. Let me know if it's up to your satisfaction." He blew on the steaming pork gently as he raised his gaze towards mine. "I think you might find that you'll enjoy it after all. I haven't received a complaint yet."
Panic gripped my chest, and I smacked the utensil out of his hand, sending the sausage sailing through the air and the fork skittering across the linoleum floor. Matt instantly scowled at me. "Alright, that was downright dramatic, Addie. You could have just said no."
"I shouldn't have to say no! You should understand that it's wrong!" He stared at me in amazement over my sudden outburst and my cheeks instantly flamed hot. "Uh..eating meat..." I stammered. "It's wrong. Eating meat is wrong. I don't want you...er...sausage. I don't want your sausage! I mean...I want avocados!"
I sprinted across the kitchen, opening the door to the fridge and frantically rummaging through the contents for the fruit. I spied the green egg-shaped object in the back and pulled it out. "I just love them so much, don't you?" I began laughing for no good reason other than bordering on the edge of hysteria.
Then taking a knife, I tried to slice through the outer layer but was instantly triggered to find that the fruit hadn't yet ripened and was solidly firm. "Damn it!" I wailed, fully enraged at that point by a stupid mossy colored rock. "Can't I have anything I want, or does it all have to be off limits?" Tears pricked the back of my eyelids, and I pressed the palms of my hands to them to stop from crying.
The smell of Matt's cedarwood aroma indicated his presence near me before his footsteps did. Wordlessly, he pulled me to him in a hug and smoothed down my hair. "Is everything alright?" He soothed. "I'm getting the sense that you're not this passionate because you feel that strongly about animal rights."
My shoulders shaking, I let out my sobs of frustration. "I just don't understand why it needs to take seven to ten business days to be able to eat a freaking avocado. Why can't they be ready to go when I want them?"
He chuckled as he moved away from me. "Wow. I knew you were cranky in the morning, but I wasn't prepared for you to reach the fire-breathing dragon tier."
Rolling my eyes, I turned my back towards him, mortified that I had let him rattle my nerves. He's Matt. The only time he should be anywhere near your nerves is when he's getting on them from how annoying he is. "I'll be fine. I just need some coffee."
Yes, surely that's it. Caffeine is the magic cure for all. Headache? Drink caffeine? Tired? Consume caffeine. Unsettling dreams about sleeping with your best friend's boyfriend? Chug caffeine.
As the fragrant aroma of the strong brew filled the kitchen with its comfort, Vanessa groggily stumbled into the room. Her hair was mussed, and her cheek was imprinted with creases from her pillowcase. Yawning, she greeted Matt with a peck before rubbing her eyes. "Good morning," she announced, her sights settling on me. "Addie, I'm surprised to find you up before me."
Matt leaned in close, muttering into ear, "The extra sleep probably would have done her good. She's especially moody this morning."
"I am not!" I piped up, folding my arms across my chest. They exchanged glances, knowing better than to press any further.
Matt squeezed past the both of us, gently patting Vanessa's behind as he moved past her towards the oven, where he began filling plates with eggs and sausage. The action was enough to remind me how inappropriate my dream had been, and I would do well to distance myself from him.
Settling onto a stool at the island, he placed my breakfast in front of me and I promptly shoved it away.
"For fuck's sake," he grumbled. "What's your complaint about it now? Are the eggs too yellow? Do they clash with your outfit?" His gaze settled upon his t-shirt that I was still wearing, and he narrowed his eyes. "I would like that returned to me before you leave, by the way. One clothing thief is enough. My meager wardrobe can't afford to be dwindled anymore than it already has been."
I shrugged, feigning a grimace as I stared at his fingers. "I just don't know where your hands have been recently and I'm not fully sure you washed them before cooking." Pushing off my chair, I headed in the direction of the living room. "Besides, I'm not hungry. I think I'm just going to head home and go back to bed."
I grabbed my wrinkled dress from the previous night, pulling Matt's shirt up over my head before slipping into the garment. Folding the item of clothing carefully, I set it down on the couch and began stripping the mattress of its linens.
At that moment, Matt appeared the doorway, leaning against the frame as he frowned at me. "Addie, don't worry about cleaning up," he instructed. "I'll take care of all of that. You're the guest."
I ignored him, instead fumbling with the bedspread and struggling to fold the corners. Who designed these things not to be able to stow away into perfect squares anyways?
He sighed. "Well, if you insist on doing it now then at least let me help." He moved to grab one end from me, but I yanked the linen away from him with enough force to rip the fabric.
"I got it!" I shouted, swirling the sheet around before balling it up into a pathetic heap and chucking it onto the ground. "Stop trying to be so freaking nice all the time! It's irritating and makes you seem like a spineless people-pleaser."
Matt took a step back, hurt flashing in his grey eyes. "What is going on with you this morning? This is far more than just your usual crabbiness."
I jabbed him in the chest, instantly regretting touching him as I made contact with his firm muscles. "Back off. You have no clue what you're talking about."
He held up his palms. "Alright, I'll drop it but if there is something you want to talk about, you know I'm here for you, right? We're friends."
I scoffed loudly. "Yea, okay. It hasn't really felt like that lately but sure. Whatever you say."
The stare in his eyes softened into a pool gunmetal. "What are you insinuating?"
Tossing up my hands in defeat, I flopped down onto the couch before gazing up at him. "You and Vanessa exclude me all the time," I softly stated, my tone rife with sorrow. "And when you do include me, I'm just the ghost watching from another dimension and being ignored."
Blowing out a breath, Matt settled in beside me. "Addie, I don't want you to think that you don't matter to me anymore now that I'm with Vanessa, but she is my girlfriend and there are times that you won't be included in everything we do. That's just the way relationships work. I need my alone time and privacy with her, but I promise that it doesn't make you any less of my friend."
I rested my head on his shoulder, toying with the fringe of a throw pillow. "I'm sorry for refusing your sausage. I'm sure it tasted perfectly lovely."
He flicked the ends of my hair. "I've known you for three years, Addison Miller. I'm used to your theatrics by now. If anything, you've managed to make a mundane morning routine far more entertaining."
I smiled. "Boring is so boring." But perhaps, maybe there was something to be said for a perfectly quiet and uneventful morning that didn't leave my nerves on edge and my heart thudding against my ribcage.