A Girl in Glass

I woke up with Matt in my bed once again. Except this time his arms were wrapped around me, pressing me to his chest. Edgar was perched carefully on top of us, I looked at my clock, ten-thirty, it was probably time for him to eat.

“Ready for breakfast buddy.” I scratched his chin.

“If you’re making breakfast.” Matt rubbed his face into the pillow.

I chuckled, “I’ll make you breakfast if you want.”

“Like I said,” With a yawn, “I’ll eat if you cook.”

I crawled out from underneath his strong body and planted my feet on the floor, pushing myself up off the bed. Matt caught me by the hand and pulled me back into his embrace, nuzzling his face into my disheveled hair. His hot breath on the back of my neck sent a wave of warmth through my body that started in my center and worked its way outward. I hadn’t felt something like that in so long that my most carnal need rose to the surface.

“Mmm,” I let out, “I got to feed the cat.”

“He can survive a little longer.” Matt’s embrace tightened. All I wanted to do was turn around and send my lips crashing into his. ‘Restrain yourself’ is all I could think. As much as I didn’t want to break his embrace, I did.

“I’m hungry too.” I playfully whined.

“Me too.” He let me go and stretched his arms over his head, flexing his muscles as he moved. “I’m gonna hop in the shower, is the towel I used yesterday still there?”

I nodded my head, “Do you drink coffee?”

“Yeah.”

With that I took my leave and made my way into the kitchen. I brewed a pot of coffee, strong enough to knock an elephant on its ass. Now for the cat and to figure out what to make for breakfast. I decided on making sausage and pepper Frittata and fried thin potatoes. I heard the shower turn on upstairs then continued to prep for breakfast.

I diced a green pepper, potatoes, some homemade Italian sausage my aunt sent me. I started heating the cast iron pan with oil to fry the potatoes. I started to crack the eggs into a mixing bowl when Matt came down the stairs in a pair of basketball shorts that I recognized as belonging to Nick. He must have found them in the hamper that was in the corner of my bedroom. I had to admit, his chiseled figure was quite the sight. I always enjoyed a man covered in tattoos that had muscles.

“What are you cooking?” He asked as he rubbed his bare stomach.

“Sausage and pepper Frittata.”

“Sounds delicious. Where are your mugs?”

I pointed, “Cupboard above the coffee machine, there is milk and creamer in the fridge.”

We sat at the table, quietly eating, Edgar sat across the kitchen meowing because we would not give into his begging. He acted like he was starving once again. Matt just laughed at him, but I could tell he just wanted to give him one little bite. Knocking at the door interrupted our nice quiet breakfast. I excused myself and went to the door. When I opened it, I immediately had regret.

“Hi Reagan.” Nick tried handing me a bouquet of roses. “I’m sorry about the other night.”

I pushed the roses back at him, I hated roses. “Well thank you for that.” I replied with sarcasm.

“Can I come in?”

“No, you can’t.” I stepped out onto the porch and closed the door behind me.

“Why not?”

I hated doing this with Nick, but I had to tell him that we were done and never going back.

“Nick, I wanted to tell you this the other night, but we are done.”

All sarcasm aside, I was telling truth. I was finished with him. The other night made feel slightly uncomfortable and unsafe. I couldn’t trust him anymore, he betrayed me in so many ways. The cheating and now I knew he could turn violent very quickly. I wasn’t going to let myself fall into his charming ways.

“Why? We can’t be done.”

“Yes we are.” I was almost to my breaking point, “You got so angry you hit the door so hard it snapped the security chain and caused the door to fly back into my face.”

His hand darted out towards my face, “I did that.”

I dodged his hand, “Yes you did. Listen, you need to leave. I am trying to eat my breakfast and I got a busy day a head of me.”

“Can we at least talk about all of this?” He was desperate. “I’m going to try. No more drinking, no more screwing other women, you are the one I want.”

And I couldn’t help myself and started yelling, “Try? How ‘bout when I caught you in my bed with another girl or at that bar that time. You can’t try to fix things that are un-fixable. You tell me that I am the one you want, but it never ends that way!”

I didn’t hear the door open, but I immediately felt Matt’s presence looming behind me.

“Is everything okay?”

“Who is this?” Nick got snotty with me.

“I’m with her.” Matt squeezed me to his body tightly.

Nick went red in the face, “So this is why we can’t talk about this?” He put a finger in Matt’s chest.

I felt Matt flex his muscles and crack his neck, it probably wasn’t a good idea on Nick’s part to do that. Matt had at least 4 inches on him and twice the muscle mass. Matt gently moved so that I was directly behind him and took a couple steps towards Nick.

“I would leave right now if I were you.” Matt was hovering over Nick, “Because after what you did the other night, I should beat you within an inch of your life, but I’m not. But if I ever catch you around here or the shop again, I will not think twice about it.”

Matt took another step towards him, making him back down the stairs carefully.

“This isn’t over Reagan!” Nick shouted as he ran off to his truck.

I had backed myself into the house, ready to cry at any moment. Matt slammed the door forcefully, I couldn’t help but break down as the house shook. I began sobbing, my whole body was shaking.

“Shhh,” He took me into his arms and tried calming me, “Everything will be okay, let it all out.”

“I’m sorry.” I got out between sobs.

Matt rubbed circles on my back, “It’s okay. You’re lucky I was here.”

I just nodded me head up and down as I cried. I hadn’t cried once since the break up, maybe that’s what I needed, a good cry. When I finally calmed down, I sat on the couch, Edgar came running up, knowing well enough that I was sad. He bumped his forehead to my chin and started purring, rubbing his furry face all over me.

I scratched his chin long and hard while telling him he was a good boy. He was the only man I ever needed, besides a human one.

“Are you okay?” Matt asked very concerned

I nodded again, “I think I am fine. I’m sorry you had to be here for that exchange.”

“No, I am glad I was here. He could have done something far worse to you.”

“Honestly, I am glad you were here.” I said between sniffles.

“Take a shower, put on your finest, I texted Zach the directions and then we will hit the batting cages like you two talked about yesterday.”

I nodded. Matt was about to walk away from me towards the door, I grabbed his hand.

“Thank you. I mean that from the bottom of my heart.”

Matt just nodded and headed for the door, I stopped him, “Please, if you are going take this.”

I ran to the closet and pulled out my messenger bag, I pulled out a garage door opener, “Don’t lose it. Ash has already lost two of them.”

He took it from me and wrapped an arm around my waist, placed a kiss on my cheek, “I’ll be back soon.”

I took a shower when Matt left to get a change of clothes. When I was finished I headed for the kitchen, there were dishes to be done. I turned on the stereo, then went for the pile that was building in the sink.

I danced and cleaned around the kitchen while singing.

They will sum it all up in a sentence
A verdict made by those who know
I'm ready to make a commitment
I'm willing to make love to concrete

Smiles
Bruises
Smiles
Bruises

The last time I heard the word bruises someone bust into my kitchen while singing. When I turned and looked towards the living room, it was Jenny and Jimmy. He was dancing around and singing to the song. I couldn’t help but laugh as the tall lanky guy danced around the open space in my home, singing to Faith No More. When the song finished he ran up to me and picked me up and swinging me around in his arms.

“She loves Faith No More!!!” He squealed like a little kid squeezing me tight.

I started feeling a little light headed, it wasn’t until I was pulled from Jimmy’s grip that I went back to normal.

“Ah, Jesus Jim, are you okay Ray?” Matt set me down on the tiled floor.

“I’m fine, just a little light headed.”

“What did you do?” Matt playfully scolded Jimmy

I pat him on the back, “It’s okay. He just got excited. I was in the kitchen dancing around to Faith No More.”

Jenny grabbed my arm, “I’m gonna borrow her for a second.”

She then proceeded to drag me up the stairs into my bedroom.

“What the fuck?” She pushed me down on the bed, “What’s Matt doing here?”

Here we go.

“It was him, that was in the shower yesterday, wasn’t it?”

“So…”

“You do realize he has a girlfriend, right?”

I crossed my arms over my chest, “No he doesn’t and it’s not like I am fucking him. We have just been hanging out. That’s all. He is super nice and all we do is talk or watch movies.”

“Alright.” She huffed, “How do you know he doesn’t have a girlfriend?”

“She left him the night that Nick did this to my face. That and he came into the shop earlier that day for a new pair of gauges. Anyway, Zacky will be here soon. Zack, me, and Matt are going to the batting cages. I need to clobber a ball so bad.”

Jenny smirked, “You need to clobber a ‘ball’ for sure.”

I knew what she was eluding to and smacked her shoulder. “Fuck you.”

“No, fuck yourself or…” She dragged out or for a bit, “A man, maybe Matt, now that he is single.”

“Shut up.” I shoved her.