Finch.
9.
The last time I had seen Matt Fletcher, I had thought I was going to kill him.
I didn’t. I drove back my anger, and simply said “I know what you did.”
He said nothing back. He just stared at me. I waited for him to say something more, but he didn’t. He stared without blinking and my rage grew so I walked away. What he had done was horrible enough, maybe that would be enough punishment.
Or so I had thought. And now Mattie Fletcher was back in my life for good.
So help me if he lays a hand on my sister.
“Who was that?” William asks. I am sliding back into the seat in the diner.
“Norah.”
“Oh, Norah!” Ellie exclaims, setting her fork down and looking at me, waiting.
“What did she say?” Louis asks, but doesn’t really seem interested.
“She talked about the wedding. She wanted to make sure I’d be home,” I spit out, despite the fact that I don’t want to at all. William is looking at me, and Ellie looks hurt.
“W-Wedding?” Birdie says. I nod. “You didn’t tell me about a wedding.”
“Norah’s getting married,” I say.
“Oh, to who?”
I don’t want to answer. I don’t want to answer. I can’t answer. I can’t. Fucking won’t, fucking can’t.
I look at William, then back to Birdie. Now everyone is staring at me.
“Matthew Fletcher.”
Birdie looks ill. Her eyes fill with tears. I try to touch her hand but she pulls away.
“And you’re letting her?” Birdie whispers.
“I told her everything. She doesn’t care, or doesn’t believe, I don’t know which.”
“You’re letting her.”
“It isn’t exactly what I want, Eleanor.”
I almost never call Ellie Eleanor, but she’s being irrational with me and I don’t know how to respond.
“You can’t let her!” Ellie yells, and leaves the table. I follow her out.
“Eleanor, wait!”
She waits. She stands in the parking lot with her back to me.
I put a hand on her shoulder. She flinches, then puts her hand on top of mine. I kiss it.
“If I could change anything I would. You know Norah, she’s stubborn.”
“Then how will I go to the wedding?”
“You will go with grace, and look beautiful as always. And we will both remain silent as we let fate run its course. It is not my place nor yours.”
“That can’t be so,” Ellie whispers again.
“It is. If you just do as I say, I promise you’ll be safe, and so will my darling sister.”
I didn’t. I drove back my anger, and simply said “I know what you did.”
He said nothing back. He just stared at me. I waited for him to say something more, but he didn’t. He stared without blinking and my rage grew so I walked away. What he had done was horrible enough, maybe that would be enough punishment.
Or so I had thought. And now Mattie Fletcher was back in my life for good.
So help me if he lays a hand on my sister.
“Who was that?” William asks. I am sliding back into the seat in the diner.
“Norah.”
“Oh, Norah!” Ellie exclaims, setting her fork down and looking at me, waiting.
“What did she say?” Louis asks, but doesn’t really seem interested.
“She talked about the wedding. She wanted to make sure I’d be home,” I spit out, despite the fact that I don’t want to at all. William is looking at me, and Ellie looks hurt.
“W-Wedding?” Birdie says. I nod. “You didn’t tell me about a wedding.”
“Norah’s getting married,” I say.
“Oh, to who?”
I don’t want to answer. I don’t want to answer. I can’t answer. I can’t. Fucking won’t, fucking can’t.
I look at William, then back to Birdie. Now everyone is staring at me.
“Matthew Fletcher.”
Birdie looks ill. Her eyes fill with tears. I try to touch her hand but she pulls away.
“And you’re letting her?” Birdie whispers.
“I told her everything. She doesn’t care, or doesn’t believe, I don’t know which.”
“You’re letting her.”
“It isn’t exactly what I want, Eleanor.”
I almost never call Ellie Eleanor, but she’s being irrational with me and I don’t know how to respond.
“You can’t let her!” Ellie yells, and leaves the table. I follow her out.
“Eleanor, wait!”
She waits. She stands in the parking lot with her back to me.
I put a hand on her shoulder. She flinches, then puts her hand on top of mine. I kiss it.
“If I could change anything I would. You know Norah, she’s stubborn.”
“Then how will I go to the wedding?”
“You will go with grace, and look beautiful as always. And we will both remain silent as we let fate run its course. It is not my place nor yours.”
“That can’t be so,” Ellie whispers again.
“It is. If you just do as I say, I promise you’ll be safe, and so will my darling sister.”
♠ ♠ ♠
And we will both remain silent as we let fate run its course. It is not my place nor yours.