Adored..

"You really love me, huh?", Bridgett asked, her baby blue eyes holding a glint of amusement, as she took a small sip from the mug of coffee she held in her hands. The younger woman sitting across from her at the table, looked up from her plate and smiled, adding a nod to answer her best friend`s question, setting her fork down to tuck some loose blonde strands behind her pierced ear.

The two girls were having breakfast in Bridgett`s kitchen, eating what she had prepared. Or maybe we should say, failed to prepare. Rory was a little sceptical to eat what her friend cooked, especially since Bridgett couldn`t cook to save her life. She had demonstrated it on many ocasions.

So when she walked up in the kitchen that morning and saw the smile on her friend`s face, she knew she couldn`t say something bad about her lack of cooking skills. After all, she did took time she could have spent doing something else, just to make her breakfast. Eat what seemed to look like burnt bacon and eggs, was the least she could do. And, surprisingly enough it didn`t taste that bad. Yes, the bacon was a little burnt, but it was okay. The gesture was what mattered.

"Rory, i know i`m not the best cook ever and it must taste like shit. You don`t have to eat it, babe", Bridgett said, setting down the mug, looking apologetic.
"Don`t be so hard on yourself. It actually doesn`t taste that bad", Rory said as she grabbed the fork and took another bite. Bridgett shook her head and crossed her arms across her chest, looking at her friend, a ghost of a smile on her face. She was happy Rory was finally eating and acting normal again. It had been way too long since she saw a genuine smile on her face. She furrowed her eyebrows as she stood on the stool, sipping slowly from her cofee, thinking about her next question.

"Why don`t we go out and eat?", she said softly, trying not to upset her friend. She knew it was a touchy subject for her, but she could still try. As soon as the words left her mouth, Rory`s eyes snapped in her direction, glaring at Bridgett.
"Come on, you haven`t been out of the house in like a week", she whined,slightly pouting, watching as her friend`s face softened. A frown soon found it`s way on Rory`s tired face as she shook her head and got up, setting her empty plate in the sink and filling a glass with orange juice from the fridge.

" I`m not going out ", she started in a soft voice, not in the mood to argue with her friend. "I don`t want people to see me like this", she continued after a few moments of silence between the two of them, making it clear from her tone of voice that the subject was not open for debate. This,however did not make her brunette friend shut up.
"Rory, stop acting like a child", Bridgett said, her tone slightly annoyed.
"I am not acting like a child! I don`t want people to pass me on the streets and look at me and think i`m a freak! Or even worse, pity me", she said throwing her arms in the air. Bridgett rolled her blue orbs and looked at her friend, her eyebrows raised.
"Don`t give me that look, Bridgett !", Rory said, putting her hands on her hips. She was expecting her best friend to be by her side on this, to understand and support her. Bridgett snorted and glared at Rory.

"I`m going to give you that look till you realise that you have to get over it and get out of this god damned house ! You can`t stay in here forever, Rory.T his is fucking ridiculous !", she said, her voice rasing.
"And what am i going to do about this, huh ?", she asked pointing towards the bruises and cuts on her face, her voice slightly shaking. Even tough they weren`t as visible as they used to be just days ago, she was still bothered by them. She couldn`t even look at herself anymore without getting flashback from those horrible nights. Every cut, every scar and bruise reminded her of the nightmare she has been through in the past. Even if she could cover them up with makeup, they would still be there, as a reminder of how stupid and naive she had been. Bridgett`s face softened when she saw the pain flashing through Rory`s brown eyes. She got up from the stool she was sitting on and walked towards her friend, enveloping her in a hug. Hot tears fell on her bare shoulder and she hugged Rory`s sobbing frame closer to her, letting her know that she was there for her, as always.

*

Matthew hated waking up early. With a passion. So when Val basically forced him to get up at seven thirty in the morning, so that they could get to the airport at nine o`clock to pick up her sister and Brian, he was crabby and all he wanted to do was go back to sleep. But he knew Val would chop off his balls and serve them on a silver plate if he wouldn`t get up. For such a small woman, she was quite scary when she was angry. He knew better. So with the image of an angry Val in his head, he threw the covers aside and ran his hands over his face, rubbing his eyes, a tired yawn escaping from those pouty lips of his.

He stretched his long arms and cracked his knuckles, getting up from the warm bed he would love to stay in all day long. He decided a cold shower would wake him up. He grabbed a pair of clean boxers and stepped into his bathroom. After he stepped out of the shower, feeling more awake and fresh, he got dressed and went downstairs, to grab his wallet, phone and keys and a water bottle. After that task was complete, he hastily opened his front door and put his aviators over his hazel eyes, shielding them from the sun.

He got into his car and made the ten minute drive to Val`s house. As he turned up the radio, different thoughts plagued his mind. It`s been quite a long time since he and Val broke up and he hadn`t had a girlfriend ever since. Sure, he hooked up with a groupie here and there, but there were moments when he sat down and thought about were his life was heading. He was 27 years old, he was a rock star, had money, fame,amazing friends..what else could he ask for?

The answer is quite simple. He wanted, needed a woman by his side, to love him and be there for him. To wake up every morning and cuddle every night with. He believed that everyone had a soulmate on this earth and that he would find his sooner or later. He hoped sooner. He once believed Val was his soul mate. She was perfect for him. She was his lover, his sister, his best friend, his everything. He had no idea when things changed, but one day, he and Val talked and realised that their lives were headed in different directions. It was a shock to everyone, even to them, when they announced their separation. But they all understood where they were coming from and supported their decision.T hey weren`t like most ex`s, tough.

They were still close, and they still loved each other. Just not in that way. Val took care of him and visited him every day. She made sure he had clean clothes, enough food and that his house was neat. There were moments when he wanted to get back with her, but he knew that would lead to a disaster and that it would destroy their friendship. He hated feeling lonely. Especially after his best friend`s death. Val was there for him tough, and he was more than grateful. Everywhere he looked, every photo album he flicked through, he was constantly reminded by Jimmy. Not that it was a bad thing, but it hurt so fucking bad.

He still couldn`t understand why God was being so unfair and did this to them. He had been his best friend, brother, band mate for 18 years. They`ve been through all sorts of situations together and he had so many memories of him. He never thought that one day, he would be there with them and the next day he won`t. He couldn`t even go back to the studio and see his drum kit and know that he would never see him again behind them. He would never call him in the middle of the night to talk about songs and tell him that “this shit is gonna change the world.” The first few months were the hardest on them. They were lost without him. There were times when they decided that thery can`t move on and that that was the end for Avenged Sevenfold. He knew the rest of the guys were suffering as well as he had and he knew it was going to be hard for them to move on, maybe impossible.But they decided to finish the album for him. In his honor. They wanted people to remember him and honor his memory and genius. Because that`s what Jimmy was- a fucking genius.
The slam of his car door brought him back to reality and he looked over to see Val sitting in his passenger seat, worried etched on her face. She caressed his cheek, wiping the tears from his face. He didn`t even noticed he was crying. She reached across the center console and hugged him, already knowing the reason for his tears.