Paint Me an Image

After we ordered I watched as all the guys scarfed down their meals quickly, barely taking time to taste the food that they were stuffing in their mouths. We were done quickly and back outside, wandering around.

"What's there to do in Georgia?" I questioned lamely.

"Nothing," Matt said, causing me to honestly look at him for the first time since that night. He was wearing normal clothes, dark jeans and a T-shirt, his hair was still short and brown, but the one thing that was different about him was his posture. He wasn't standing a cocky or arrogant way. He wasn't angry with anyone, not even me. He was standing in a way that made it easy for me to read him, something I had never been able to do. His shoulders were slouched and his eyes tired and pleading from behind his Aviators. His were in his jacket pockets as he looked to me, waiting for my response.

I nodded slowly, looking anywhere but at him. "I guess you're right."

The rest of the guys, oblivious to our little exchange, starting walking back towards the general direction of the bus, all of them talking to Andre about the 'sick video game setup' that they had installed in the bus while they were on Uproar Tour last year.

I staggered behind them. I could feel Matt walking right next to me but I refused to look at him in fear that he would talk to me again. We walked side by side for over half of the way there before I felt Matt grab my arm and pull me away.

"Let go, Matt!" I shouted, causing the rest of the guys and a few by-standers to turn around with confused expressions.

"It's cool, guys. I just want to talk to her," Matt called out.

"But," I said, "I don't want to talk to you!"

Matt shrugged. "I don't care," he said bluntly and tugged me down the sidewalk towards a little coffee shop. I could see that some of the people on the street looked stricken, not knowing what to do. Zacky and Andre called out simultaneously, "Be back by 6:30, we have sound check!"
"You hurt her I'll kill you."

I glared at the both of them and Matt opened a door of a little coffee shop and yanked me inside, over to a table. I yanked myself free of his grasp and sat down on my own free will, hating being treated like a rag doll. "What do you want?" I questioned with my arms crossed over my chest and a glare in my eyes.

Matt took off his sun glasses and sat across from me. "To talk to you."

"Why?" I asked suspiciously.

He sighed frustratingly. "Because, Image, I fucking like you, okay? Do we really have to act like we're in middle school? I thought you would've picked up on the vibe by now, damn." Matt spoke quickly, rubbing his fingers over his head.

"You..." I trailed off, mouth open, "You what?"

Matt rolled his eyes, shook his head, and sighed simultaneously. "I think you're beautiful," he said, but continued before I could cut him off, "You're talented, smart, and you can put me in my place. Always have been able to." Matt smiled an honest smile and I had to look away knowing that his dimples would make me cave. "Image," Matt said, his tone wanting me to look at him, so I did. "You're the only woman who has ever been able to keep up with my shit and dish it back twice as hard."

"So you like me because I treat you like crap?"

Matt chuckled but shrugged, "I guess you could say that. But it's more that you can put up with me, type of thing."

I stared at him, hard. Wondering if this was just at plot at getting in bed with me, again. I studied every inch of him with my lips pursed and my jaw set, my arms still crossed as I leaned back in my chair. After about two minutes, I spoke: "So what?" I asked, "I'm supposed to just forget everything that's happened and fall in love with you?"

Matt looked down dejectedly and then back up to me. "So we have a history, so what. But does it really matter? I know you like me, Imogen. I can feel it in my bones." Matt spoke not as if he were telling me these things, but trying to prove them.

I took a deep breath and shook my head. "I just..." I sighed, "I don't see how we can possibly go from disliking each other so much in the last 2o years, to what you want us to be."

Matt smiled and leaned forward across the little table that was separating us. I felt his fingers on my cheek and then his words as his breath danced across my lips. "One date," he murmured, "that's all I'm asking for."

I looked up to him and studied his face. He seemed innocent enough, honestly. So I nodded and asked: "When?"

Matt grinned and then leaned in just a little bit to touch his lips to mine briefly, before I could even realize what was happening his lips were gone. "Tomorrow night? After the show? We'll be in Florida, I think."

I nodded and tried to hide the little smile that was taking over my lips. "Okay. One date. So don't mess it up."