Chapter.9
One hour. He had one hour to make it back in time for Evan's party. Since early this morning all I could think about was what Matt had been doing? How could he leave at 7AM and still be running 'errands' at 6PM? Of course all I could think about was the worst case senarrio. Did he get into an accident? Did he get hit by a train? Did he get a flat tire on the high way and break down, only to have a serial killer pull over and kidnap him and hold him for a cash reward? I shook my head and faced the harsh realization that my fiance is a Hollywood actor who always lost track of time and was still a little self absored at times.
Yes, he proabably forgot about the party and that we were going together and that we needed to be there in, now, fifty three minutes. Not to mention, it is his best friends birthday. You'd think he'd care just a little bit about other people's time and not just his own. Would this be my life now? Living in the constant worry of Matthew Palmer's life. If he was safe, where he was, or what if he forgot about me?
No. That would not become my life and it isn't really my life now. This doesn't usually happen. He proabably just lost track of time and would be back when he realizes where he has to be. He just forgot. He isn't purposely late. He isn't.
I decided to fix up my hair and touch up my make up while I was waiting for Matt. I tried not to dress too formal or too casual. I knew Christina would still want to look the best, baby bump and all. I checked the time again . . . twenty minutes. He had twenty minutes.
I flipped through the station on the TV, trying to destract myself from the anger bubling up inside of me. Christina was probably livid when she saw the first guests arrive and they weren't Matt and I. I knew she'd want us to be the first to be there to make sure everything was exactly how she wanted it to be. Afterall, it was a surprise party and if your late to the party it kind of ruins the fun. I looked around for the present Matt said he bought earlier today. I checked the closet, under the bed, in the kitchen, the living room, even the bathroom, and nothing. Ten minutes . . .
I picked up the keys from the kitchen table, walked out the door, and started up the car. I counted to ten , praying that by some chance Matt would pull up in one of his three cars and sprint over to me, begging for me not to be mad, saying he got stuck in traffic. But I heard no reving of an engine, saw no headlights, no one running over to me to beg for forgivness. Eight minutes . . .
I got to Christina's house just in time for her to drag me in and pull me behind the sofa. Everyone else was already there: friends, old teammates, cousins . . . but no best friend. No Matt. Seconds later, Evan walked through the door with one of his cousins, holding a whole watermelon.
"Surprise!" Everyone cheered together, causing Evan to drop his jaw and almost the watermelon, but he quickly caught it.
"Oh my God! I thought you wanted watermelon Chris!" He shouted in disbelief.
"Of course that would be your reaction," Christina rolled her eyes, laughing. "Just a distraction, baby."
"Are you surprised?" Evan's cousin Alex asked. He was the closest to Evan and closest in age, only a year older.
"Hell yeah I am!" Evan gleamed, walking in and hugging everyone.
Once the music was turned on and the food was put out, everyone kind of settled in and began catching up and dancing. I tried, I really did, to forget about why I was mad and to talk to everyone, but once I did, all anyone asked about was Matt. And that just sped my heart rate up.
"Nicole?" Christina asked, walking closer to me and resting a hand on my shoulder.
"Yeah?" I answered, sounding a little more irritable than I had meant.
She tilted her head and squinted her eyes. "What's wrong? I know somethings wrong, Iv'e been your best friend for years. So don't even try to trick me."
I tried to smile, but I just shook my head. "It's Matt. I have no idea where he is. I've been calling him and texting him and nothing," I sighed.
"Start from the beginning. When was the last time you talked to him?"
I rolled my eyes and huffed. "This morning. He was acting so weird, making phone calls out in the hall way, not telling me who he was talking to, he was already dressed and said he had already been up. And then he left again after he stuffed his breakfast in his face. He was supposed to meet me so we could come here together, but he never did and he never even called to say why he was late. I mean, what do you think he's up to? Do you think he forgot or he had something else to do or--"
"Nicole. Breathe. Matt just walked in," she spun me around to face the front door and pointed.
I could feel the anger building up inside of me and I was ready to explode. He better have a damn good excuse this time. As I looked over, I noticed that Matt looked nervous and not his usual at ease self. He was anxious as his eyes darted around the room looking for someone . . . or just looking for me to avoid. I made eye contact with him and he sighed. He looked even more stressed as I stomped over to him in the corner.
"Nicole--"
"You better have been doing something extreamely important," I glared at him, arms across my chest.
He rolled his eyes, his cockiness showing, and tugged at my arm, leading me upstairs. He stopped at the door to Christina's room and pulled me inside, turning me around to look at him.
"I'm so sorry Nicole, I should have called you or texted you and told you where I was. I know that I was wrong." It almost looked like he was begging me to forgive him and he didn't even tell me what for yet. I still didn't know where he was or what he was doing. Was he trying to soften me up before the blow?
"Do you understand what you put me through this entire day?"
"Nicole I--"
"No. Listen." I spat. He stopped talking. "Since the second I woke up I have been filled with nothing but anxiety. Instead of waking up to my fiancee next to me in bed, I hear him talking on the phone in the hallway to someone you kept a secret. Then you fly out of the house like your ass is on fire and don't tell me where you're going. And then to top it all off, you don't pick me up for Evan's surprise party, you don't even call to tell me you were running late. I have to come here by myself, almost late because I was waiting for you! I thought you got into a car accident or something!" I shouted, my cheeks burning as I got closer to Matt's unmoving body.
"Nicole, I completely understand why you are so mad. I know my actions today must have seemed a little suspicious--"
I scoffed. "A little?"
He waited and then continued. "But you just have to trust me. In this industry you have to get used to me making phone calls at strange times. It's just what I have to do, especially with this movie running behind schedule."
I waited for him to continue with his explaination, but that was it. He didn't say anything else, he just waited for me to react.
"That's it? I have to get used to you making phone calls and you not telling me who they are to and you running out and not telling me where you are going and me calling you and you not answering? Is that what I have to get used to? Is it? Please tell me if it is Matt because I'd love to get the rule book of how our marraige is going to work!"
"No it isn't, but sometimes I'll have other comitments having to do with my job and that's what you'll have to get used to," he answered, matter of factly.
I just stared at him. I felt like I was being talked down to, like I should have already known all of this and he was surprised I was being this dumb.
"Can you not speak to me like I'm beneath you?" I snapped.
"Oh please Nicole," he rolled his eyes.
"Are you kidding me right now? You're going to get mad at me?
"I'm not talking to you like you're beneath me Nicole, are you serious?" He crossed his arms firmly across his chest.
"No, seriously. I feel like you're looking at me like some dumb ass that just started dating you and knows nothing about your job. I know that your job is important and I know that you have other things going on besides this relationship and trust me, I've had my fair share of examples for the past few months, but I thought I was a priority in your life. Or at least important enough for a phone call."
"You are the most important person to me. You are just overreacting right now."
"Do you not understand that I'm humiliated right now?" I began to get emotional. "I thought that everything was great between us. I thought that calling you or sending a text wasn't a big deal and that you'd actually answer me and let me know what's going on--"
"Please calm down Nicole--"
"No! Don't treat me like one of your employees that you boss around all day and don't need to give answeres to! Today really served me up a big plate of reality if this is how things are going to go from now on." I held in my tears as I turned around to walk away. "By the way," I peered over my shoulder to glare at him. "I know you didn't buy Evan a birthday present this morning. Let me know if you'd like to really explain yourself. I'm going to try and enjoiy the party that me and Christina have been working on for weeks. Not that you care."