Just Another Man

“Scarlet there’s post here for you!” Her mum called up the stairs, as she slammed her bedroom door shut.

“Yeah whatever,” She huffed collapsing on the bed and knowing full well she’d be hounded by her brother soon enough.

As soon as she’d left the coffee shop, Taylor had got George to give her a lift home. No one had really said much to each other, particularly Scarlet. She just wanted to forget about seeing Matt, it was easy when she could avoid him but seeing him in the flesh made everything so much harder.

It was harder to hate him for saying things when she saw his face, his soft eyes and his sincere look of apology. It was not just that, seeing him reminded Scarlet just how much she missed him. Yes he embarrassed her, made her seem like a little girl, and broke her trust but she still missed the best things about him.

Matt was not all bad, anyone with eyes could see he was the most caring boyfriend ever. He’d never pushed anything on her, now she really thought about it; Matt was perfect. Scarlet had managed to break up with the most perfect boyfriend.

Every other guy she had been with had got annoyed and looked else where for sex, they had cheated or dumped her. Matt was still with her and he had obviously planned to be, if she had not heard those words.

She bit her lip hard, trying to stop the tears that were welling up again.

Scarlet was so confused, she was angry and hated Matt for what he said, but she could see his side. Hell she could argue the fact he was the most amazing boyfriend in the word, everyone slips up now and then.

He just said those words, he never cheated on her.

Though it was those words, he called her a prude, she trusted him never to be so harsh about her. Scarlet trusted him, and it felt as if that trust was broken; what else would he say behind her back?

Though if she was honest with herself what had she said behind his back?

Taylor and Sarah had pestered her for hours about how big Matt was, and she’d told them.

Rhian and Scarlet had, had a right bitch about boys being lazy, when Scarlet moaned about Matt a few times.

Scarlet had admitted to the girls one evening, Matt was talented with his fingers but sometimes a little encouragement was needed; she did that in front of all her friends and yet was ignoring Matt because he moaned about how little he was getting.

Scarlet sighed and shock her head, she was almost as bad as him. However Matt just never found out. Did that make her a bad person?

It was only girl talk though.

Was his just guy talk?

There were more girls than guys at that group meal. Scarlet had watched the group before she’d heard Matt speak, Lynnz and Taylor were having their own conversation, while rhian and Sarah both seemed to just be gazing off and half listening. Was Matt just being one of the lads?

Could she hate him for that?

“Stop it!” Scarlet suddenly hissed, sitting up straight and slamming her face into her hands. This just was not getting her anywhere.

“Scarlet?” Brian called walking into the house, hoping she’d returned home after the scene at the coffee shop.

Scarlet groaned and curled up onto the bed hoping he‘d just give in and go away.

“Scar please?” He called again wondering up the stairs and noticing her door shut and shards of light escaping through the cracks. “Scar face?” He questioned knocking on the door. “Please, I wanna talk about this, I promise that’s all,” He muttered waiting for her. “Scarface?”

“You can’t use that name,” He heard her say through the door. “You know that’s emotional blackmail,”

“How in anyway?” He chuckled, knowing that the nickname made her laugh every time, since they were kids he’d used it when he wanted something from her; be it Scarlet covering for him when he got in trouble or if he wanted one of her sweets or to borrow a cd. “Open the door,”

“I’m still annoyed with you,” She added. “If open this door you have to apologise to Matt!”

“What why?” Brian’s voice suddenly took on a much angrier tone.

“Cause,” Scarlet sighed and opened the door. “love him,” She muttered finally facing her brother. “However much I’m hurting I still love him,” The tears started to pour down her cheeks as she managed to get out the words that had taken so long for her to admit.

Matt might have said such horrible things, but she still loved him, it wasn’t easy to just stop loving him.

Brian sighed opening his arms up and letting her fall straight into his chest, her fists balled up and hitting him softly. He chuckled to himself pulling his littler sister closer and resting his head ontop of hers.

“It’ll be alright kid, promise,” Brian could still feel her crying in his arms as they stood there, the worst bit of this was he felt totally helpless. He’d punched Matt, and it had made him feel no better, instead he felt powerless. The feeling that he couldn’t make this better got to him, if beating Matt up did nothing, what else could he do?

“Scar what did he do?” He asked quietly.

“He said some stuff,”

“What stuff?”

“I can’t tell you,”

“Oh come on,” Brian chuckled letting go of her as she wriggled in his arms. “Scarlet I’ve heard it all, whatever it is I don’t mind!”

“Brian I can’t tell you,”

“Why not?” He huffed watching her go to sit on her bed, pulling her knees up to her chest and hugging them. “If this is about sex?” Scarlet shock her head.

“Not really,”

“Not really? What does that mean? Scarlet did he fucking do something you didn’t-”

“Calm down,” Scarlet muttered watching her brother get all worked up and angry again. “He didn’t do anything, he just said some stuff,” She muttered bitterly, still able to feel Brian’s gaze on her.

“Look Scar,” Brian sighed. “I know you don’t wanna hear this from you brother, but kid Matt, everyone does it, I mean we like to experiment with -”

“Enough!” Scarlet shouted, picking up the pillow and hitting Brian with it. “My god seriously, is sex all you think about?” Brian shrugged.

“I’m not at liberty to discuss such matters with you,”

“Look just accept that Matt and I were in a relationship! Now it’s over and he’s all whiney cause he never got his leg over!” She blurted out, knowing it was all lies but it was how she felt. Brian’s eyes went wide.

“You never?”

“Never,” Scarlet mumbled, almost embarrassed by Brian’s shocked reaction; he’d obviously thought they had. Though Brian and Niki were the only two not there when Matt announced to the world he was getting any.

“Oh,” Brian had to admit he was a little lost for words. He had experience with fucking the wrong person, or it being awkward after sleeping with a friend; that he could deal with! He could have probably offered a lot more advice if his little sister had actually fucked his best mate, but the fact she hadn’t baffled him a little. “I’ll be right back,” He mumbled quietly, Scarlet looked up at him quizzically and almost a little upset. “I said I’ll be right back,” He chuckled rubbing her arm. “Go find us a movie to watch, I’ll get sodas,” Scarlet just as Brian wondered out the room fishing his phone out of his back pocket and hitting speed dial 2.

“Can I ask something?” He asked into the phone.

“What?” Niki replied sounding less than impressed he’d phoned her.

“She didn’t fuck him,”

”What?” Niki repeated.
“Scarlet she didn’t fuck Matt,” Brian almost whispered as if it was the biggest secret going.

“Ah huh,” Niki deadpanned. Brian went silent not sure where he was going with this. ”Brian is that it?”

“Umm I guess so,” Brian heard his girlfriend sigh on the other end of the phone, sometimes words just didn’t come easy to Brian.

“So what if they didn’t sleep together? It’s not really any of your business, Matt’s a good guy Brian, hell he’s your best friend, not the kind of guy you need to protect your sister from,” Brian grunted in response. “You know I’m right, you’re just to stubborn to admit you are wrong Haner!”

“She’s in tears over something! He fucked up!”

“How do you know it’s not just her?”

“Niki!”

“Brian!” She snapped. “Just let Matt talk to her if he comes round alright?”

“No,”

“Brian I mean it, Sarah is right your sister is causing one hell of a riff!” Niki‘s voice got louder, though she hated having to be the one to tell Brian his sister wasn’t perfect, she knew she was the only one with the guts to do it. She loved Brian and wasn’t about to let their relationship be ruined by his whiney younger sister. “I love you, and I know you care so much for Scarlet but she isn’t completely innocent in this,”

“You don’t-”

“Brian, give Matt a chance,”

“Fine,” He hissed. “I’ll see you tomorrow?”

“Yeah maybe, can I phone you tomorrow? Then we’ll make plans,”

“Of course, you angry with me?”

“Amazingly,” Niki chuckled. “SO the sex will be amazing, later sug,”

“Bye,” Brian smirked hearing her put the phone down and putting his own back in his pocket. “Shit,” He sighed rubbing his hands down his face. His best friend and his little sister, the more he said it the less he wanted to kill Matt.

In time he would have been able to put up with their relationship; if they hadn’t lied to him about it, and if his sister wasn’t sitting in her room in tears, he might have accepted this relationship. At least Matt was better than any of the other low life’s she had picked, Matt had always been a decent guy. Of course he liked female attention, but he was faithful when he was with someone; Brian knew that much about him. Matt was faithful, loyal, and fiercely protective, so if anything he was near perfect for Scarlet in Brian’s eyes.

Brian had always trusted Matt with Scarlet, he’d always left her with Matt when things went south; when he beat the shit out of Ross, Brian had left Scarlet with Matt because he trusted him. If anything Brian was probably to blame for this relationship, he groaned letting that thought run through his mind. He always left them together, particularly when Scarlet was at her most vulnerable, he almost encouraged this relationship without even realising.

“Jesus,” He muttered. “Scarlet, stay in your room, or at least the house! I’ll be back in a bit!”

“What why?”

“Just do it!” He heard her huff in annoyance but she did not argue back.

Brian knew he could make this all better.