Denial

And then he kissed me.

No. No, no, no, no, no, no. No! My brain screamed at me, and an image of Val flashed into my head. It was then I snapped back to reality. I pushed Matt away from me looking up at him disgusted. He was cheating on her again.

"Leny-"

"No! No, don't say anything! Just go, just leave. Get away from me! I don't want to see you, I don't wanna talk to you!" By this time I'd made my way up and was storming away from him and through the house to the front door.

"Helena get back here!" I could here him coming after me.

"No I said get out! You can't keep doing this to me! To Val! To yourself! You can't!" He grabbed my wrist and spun me around so I was standing face to face with him. "I'm not doing anything to us-"

"Yes you are! You are!" I started beating my fists repeatedly on his chest and tears were now pouring down my face again.

"Why don't you see that?! Why can't you see you're only hurting us? Hurting Val! What has she ever done so wrong to you?! Why?! Why can't you just leave and leave me alone?!" I was yelling at him and continuing to hit his chest but I became weaker and so did my voice. He just stood there letting me get it all out. Letting me take all of my anger out on him.

Finally he grabbed my wrists in his hands, but gently. "Leny look at me." My head still hung.

"Now." I slowly lifted my head to look up at him.

"I'm not hurting Val, alright? You need to understand that. I've been trying to tell you that since I got here, but you won't listen. Will you listen now?" I stayed silent.

"Val and I talked this morning. She knew I was with you last night without me even telling her." My jaw dropped slightly. How could she know that?

"She's seen the way I look at you Helena, the way I'm always rushing to your rescue if need be, she knows. I told you that's why we've been having problems. But it's over now. It's over. She told me, from her own mouth Helena, that she thinks we should be together and she'll find the right guy for her." I looked up at him through new forming tears and shook my head.

"You were the right guy for her! I messed everything up! Somehow I always seem to manage to do that!"

"Helena!" He shook me slightly to calm me down.

"You do not mess everything up. You don't, if it were meant to be between Val and I it would be and it's simply not. We have to except what is."

"And what's that?!" I shrieked at him.

"That Val and I over! Zacky's got his head stuck in Gena's rear and can't see past her to know reality. So all we really have right now is me and you. If there wasn't something there between us you would have turned me away last night. That, Helena, is what is." I just stared up at him, partly in disbelief. He sighed and leaned forward pressing his forehead against mine and linked our fingers together on both hands. I closed my eyes and let out a sigh as well.

"Let me take care of you."

"You already do." My voice was low and weak.

"You know what I mean. Let me really take care of you. Treat you like you deserve to be treated. Let me protect you from all those scums out there." I closed my eyes again as a tear fell down my cheek.

"My hearts just been broken Matt."

"Well let me fix it." And with that I found myself wrapped in his arms protectively and we were caught up in probably the sweetest kiss I've ever had.

"Be mine?" He asked as he pulled away. I simply nodded and pulled him back to me.

*******************************************

"Val, I have to tell you something." We were sitting across from each other in the "gathering room" as we call it. Cause whenever we need to discuss something important or we all just wanna hang out and talk, this is where we come.

"What's that sweetie?" She was acting very odd. I mean, if her and Matt broke up like he says they did, shouldn't she be showing the least signs of hurt? Pain? Well she's not.

"Um, well, I don't really know how to bring up this subject." I said, scratching the back of my head lightly.

"Me and Matt are over, Leny." She said abruptly. I looked up at her, stunned. "Come on, don't tell me you didn't know."

"I-I, Matt said you were but I, it's just. You don't act like-"

"I'm not torn up over it, if that's what you're wondering. I told him he should go and be with you, and I meant it Helena. I'm not mad at you. You're one of my best friends." She smiled at me. "Now tell me, my actions better not have been in vain. Are you together?" I looked down shyly and smiled. "Good." She smiled. "Glad to hear it." I looked up at her with suddenly worried eyes.

"Val, this isn't gonna change anything between us or you and Matt is it? I mean it's not gonna be awkward when we're all together and we all go out or someth-"

"Honey!" She laughed lightly. "I'm happy for you! Really, infact, I wanna be the one o announce to everyone that you're together. That way they know it's okay with me and I don't get bombarded with questions." I laughed.

"Alright, if you're sure."

"I'm positive." I nodded. "So when do you wanna tell them?"

"I dunno, Matt didn't act like it was a secret, but I suppose we don't need to keep telling the story six or seven different times, so we should just get 'em all together at your place and tell 'em at once."

"Honey, if you're saying my place as in Matt's place, it's not my place anymore." I smacked my forehead.

"Right, I forgot. Alright, we get 'em all together at Matt's place." She laughed.

"Sounds good."

"I'll call Matt and tell him. Then I'll call Jimmy and Brian and tell them to get Lee and Chelly and get to Matt's house." She nodded.

"Sounds good, I'll take care of Johnny, Zack, and Gena." I suddenly froze. I forgot about him. "You okay hon?" I then loosened up at the remembrance of Matt's words, we need to except what is.

"No nothing's wrong." I smiled at her before pulling out my cell and walking into the living room.

After quite a few calls to our wonderful friends, Val and I decided to head over to Matt's place. "

So you called everybody on your end right?" Val confirmed as we were crossing my yard to get to Matt's house.

"Yup, you?" She nodded.

"Yeah, Zack said him and Gena would be right ov-" She was cut short when Zacky and Gena suddenly strolled up along side us.

"Hey." Zacky said, walking beside Val.

"Hey." She said. Gena was practically hanging off his arm.

I mumbled is a small "Hello." Keeping my attention straight ahead of me on Matt's house. The silence that had suddenly fallen over us was quite awkward and I was more than happy to reach Matt's front door. I didn't bother knocking, just walked right on in. Knowing the guys, they probably thought they were all being drug here probably had something to do with the band. Psh, how wrong were they. Val sat down on the couch, I on the other hand was anxious to find Matt. I think Zacky found this a little odd at first, but brushed it off and sat down next to Gena on the couch. I walked through the living room into the kitchen to see Matt standing there on the phone. I walked over and wrapped my arms him kissing his cheek as he talked to whoever he was talking to which caused him to smile absent mindedly.

"Alright, I gotta go. Yes, I know this. And I will. Alright, bye." He closed his phone and wrapped his arm around me kissing my cheek in return. I smiled up at him.

"Erm, Val wants to announce it to everyone so that they know she's okay with it." He smiled and kissed my forehead. "I told you she was fine." I nodded as I hugged him and sighed.

"What's wrong babe?" He asked stroking my hair with one hand and rubbing my back comfortingly with the other.

"Nothing, just hope they don't all hate me after this." He pulled me back a little and looked down at me.

"They won't."

Soon I heard the opening and shutting of the door and I knew that everyone else was getting here. The plan was for me and Matt to stay in the kitchen until we heard Val announce to them that we were together, then we'd walk out together and let them see for themselves.

"Alright!" We could here Val's voice clearly and I looked up nervously at Matt, he just gave me a small smile and caressed my cheek.

"It's gonna me okay Lanes." I smiled back at him.

"You're probably all wondering why you're here." She said, in return, she got a chorus of yeahs, and whys, and things like that.

"Well it's not about that band if that's what you were thinking. It's something completely different." I could sense the confusion now and I held on tighter to Matt. He rubbed my back some more to try and calm me down. I heard Val take a deep breath before speaking again.

"The three of us, Helena, Matt, and I, have all come to a decision together. And I'm very happy to announce to all of you, that our well known friends Leny and Matt are now officially a couple!" She announced.

I could tell she was smiling bright. I heard silence. It was time for us to go out there and Matt was starting to walk that way pulling me along. I froze. He turned around and gave me a quick, reassuring kiss before pulling me out there with him and rewrapping his arm around my waist. I smiled nervously at them and then began to chew on my lower lip because of the looks on their faces.

"So you stole Val's man away from her Helena?" Brian asked.

"Brian!" Val shrieked. "Don't put it like that you'll make her feel horrible again! I told you, we came to this decision together."

"What do you mean you came to it together?" Zacky butted in.

"Listen to me, Matt has looked out for Leny every time she's hurt, or she's in trouble, or someone breaks her heart." She looked right at Zack when she said this. "He cares about her a lot, he's just recently started developing feelings for her. It was causing problems between him and I and I didn't want to be in a relationship that was based on lies. That he wasn't truly gonna be happy in. I mean, if he can't truly love me and he's just saying it because it's what I want to hear then I don't want it at all. But I think he can truly love her. And her, him. Look at 'em." She gestured to us. "They're adorable. And I'll find the right guy for me someday."

Zacky glared over at us before turning his attention back to Val. "I thought Matt was the right guy for you." So did I. I decided to keep that thought to myself.

"Well things don't always go as planned do they Zacky?" I interrupted. He shot his gaze back to me.

"No, I guess they don't. Who'd o' thought you'd be trying to get your hands on everyone of your life long friends." My eyes went wide and my jaw dropped.

"Excuse me?!" I felt Matt's arms wrap around me even tighter as to protect me from either doing something stupid, or from being lashed at.

"Sure I mean, one minute I hear you're in love with me and then the next thing I know you've taken Matt away from Val." He was standing up now and getting closer.

"I did not take Matt away from Val!" I said, my voice weakening. This was one of my weak points. I didn't want to break down and cry in front of him. I need to shake this.

"Then how come you're the one in his arms and she's single?!" He shouted. "It's not like that!"

"Then tell me what it is!" He was right in my face now.

"Back off her Zack." Matt spoke.

"You stay out of this, this is none of your business. She's my girlfriend, it's every bit of my business." I think that sky rocketed his temper. He smirked.

"See! See it! You think you've got us all wrapped around your little finger Helena! Just look at Matt." He said, still smirking. I could tell Matt was glaring at him from behind me.

"You don't love me, you never did. You can't get over someone within a day. What was this? A dirty little prank to prove that you could get with every guy in Avenged Sevenfold cause you're so close with them? Who in London did you make that bet with?"

"Stop it! Just stop it! You don't know anything! Nothing! I do love you! I do! And you don't know how much it hurts to see you walk around pretending to love some fake barbie doll who goes to her 'meetings' almost every night just so she can come back to you and tell you she loves you! You were supposed to be my best friend Zacky! No matter what! You don't even so much as talk to me anymore! So don't try to tell me how I feel, cause you don't know anything! I made no bet in London, I made a confession to Matt. I've loved you, no, I've been in love with you since the 8th grade! But do you care? No Zacky Baker, you only care about you and your barbie!"

With that I tore myself from Matt's grip and pushed past everyone ignoring the shocked glances and looks I was receiving. And the calls of my name.

I ran outside and didn't think about coming back. I didn't go home. I just kept on running, and I didn't know where I was headed, but I was going there.