Wait for Tomorrow
Part Three
"Leigh, please. Just let me explain."
"Explain what? How you let Andi into your pants?" Leigh snapped. "Oh yea, there's a lot of explaining to do there."
"Just listen to me, Leigh." Matt said, his anger starting to show. A smirk appeared on Leigh's face, she knew that he was getting pissed. "It's been four years. You're still mad?"
Leigh stared at Matt, shocked. "Yes, I'm still mad! Why wouldn't I be? I found my boyfriend fucking my best friend. That's like you catching me with Brian. Are you telling me that if you found me and Bri in the bedroom, you wouldn't still be mad?"
"N-no." Matt hesitated.
"You're a rotten liar Matthew Sanders."
They stared at each other, the tension so thick that they could barely breathe. Other customers looked on to their argument. Some looked scared. Others looked like they were about to step in if things got too heated. But Leigh knew Matt would never think about touching her. He knew better than that; he was raised better than that.
"Give me a second chance."
Leigh looked at him incredulously. He seriously wasn't asking her that! "I can't believe you just asked me that. I haven't spoken to you in four years! I don't even know who you are! Things change Matt. I'm sorry."
Matt expected as much. "Okay, then at least let me take you out to dinner."
"Fine."
[][][]
Leigh sat on her couch, bouncing her leg nervously. She wasn't at all prepared for this date, and she didn't think she ever would be; she really wanted to try and make things right. Her mind reeled with past thoughts, knowing just how perfect things were before graduation. Oh how she wished for those days. How she wished for everything to be the way it was. . .
March 20 - Senior Year
Matt squeezed Leigh from behind, whispering softly in her ear. "I love you, Leigh Walker."
"And I love you, Matthew Sanders."
Leigh turned in his arms, kissing him square on the lips. Their one year anniversary was more than she could ask for. First, he took her to her favorite restaurant, then took her to the movies; he even let her pick the movie. And finally, Matt brought her to the beach to watch the sunset. It was too much.
"You are too good to me," she said.
Matt smiled down at her and kissed her again. Other night-time beach dwellers watched them. Many older couples would walk by, looking at them with nostalgic eyes. Every now and then you would get one of them pointing, whispering about young love. Leigh looked up at Matt, a smiled permanent on her face. But that was exactly how she felt: Young and in love.
"Where do you see yourself in twenty years?"
He chuckled. "I see myself rocking out with the guys, selling millions of albums! And later on, settling down. Possibly getting married."
"Wow."
"What?"
"You." Leigh smiled wide. "You simply amaze me."
"I hope that's a good thing."
"That's a very, very good thing." Leigh laughed, kissing him once more.
Leigh could feel a few tears leaking from her eyes. She hastily wiped them away just as someone knocked on her door. Startled, she gathered herself together, and answered the door. Matt stood against the door-jamb, hands pressed deeply into the pockets of his jeans. He looked up at her, smiling. Leigh could feel her heart skip several beats. He still had left that same impression on her, and she didn't like it.
"Ready?" He asked, holding out a hand.
Leigh nodded, trying to swallow the lump forming in her throat.
[][][]
Matt was constantly watching Leigh, as if he was scared she would just disappear. He could tell she was nervous, he tried endlessly to make her comfortable, but she would just nod or give a simple answer. It truly upset him that she wasn't excited to be there with him.
And she wasn't. She wasn't having as good of a time she would have liked. Leigh could tell Matt was disheartened by her simplicity that night, but she couldn't help it. She felt awkward, and nervous, and she let it show. Agreeing to his request backfired in every way possible. She thought that taking this date would fix things, but she couldn't find the courage to try.
They walked the pier, eating their ice cream in silence. Matt gave Leigh a sideways glance, watching her absently kick a rock. He thought he'd try again.
"Leigh, talk to me."
"What do you want me to say?" He could tell she wasn't quite with them.
"Anything. Just talk. What have you been doing? Did you go to College? What do you do for a living? Do you have a boyfriend?"
A small smile appeared on Leigh's lips, but she looked down as she spoke. "I haven't been doing anything too great. Nothing that might interest you at least. I went to College, got my Masters in English like I always wanted. My part time job is substituting at Huntington High. And no, I don't have a boyfriend. I never have the time to actually put energy into a committed relationship. I mean, sure I get a lot of guys asking me out, but I always turn them down. None of them interest me. At least, not since. . ."
Matt looked down at his feet. He knew that he was the reason she wasn't dating. He hated feeling knowing that he caused all of her pain in the recent years. "Yea, same here. I've been focusing all of my energy into the band and writing that I don't want to go out and do anything. Andi is still with Zacky. I don't think he knows exactly what happened, but I guess that's for the better? But still, I haven't been too interested in anyone. And I really am sorry. About everything."
"I know, Matt. I just. . . I can't." Leigh's voice cracked. She wasn't handling their heart-to-heart well.
"I know. . ." he whispered.
They rounded the corner, closing in on Leigh's apartment complex. Silently they walked up to her door. They stood awkwardly for several minutes before Matt finally spoke.
"Leigh, I know that you'll never forgive me. But I will keep trying. You meant everything to me. I never forgave myself for what happened." Leigh could feel the tears forming in her eyes again. She shook her head, whispering for him to stop but he wasn't listening. "Leigh, nothing in this world interests me. Every girl that I have seen in the last four years has held no interest for me. My life has been boring and nothing." Matt stepped closer, backing Leigh into the door.
The tears were sliding down her face. "Matt, please," she whispered. "No, don't. Please don't -"
He still wasn't listening. "I can't stand living like that anymore. When I saw you this afternoon, everything that I ever felt for you came back. I wanted to hold you, kiss you. Please, believe me. . ." Leigh's face was sparkling with tears. She knew what was coming next. "I love you, Leigh Walker."
"No. . ."
Matt pulled her by the waist, trapping her in his arms. Without a second of hesitation, Matt leaned down and kissed Leigh, trying to tell her how much he meant everything he just said.
"Explain what? How you let Andi into your pants?" Leigh snapped. "Oh yea, there's a lot of explaining to do there."
"Just listen to me, Leigh." Matt said, his anger starting to show. A smirk appeared on Leigh's face, she knew that he was getting pissed. "It's been four years. You're still mad?"
Leigh stared at Matt, shocked. "Yes, I'm still mad! Why wouldn't I be? I found my boyfriend fucking my best friend. That's like you catching me with Brian. Are you telling me that if you found me and Bri in the bedroom, you wouldn't still be mad?"
"N-no." Matt hesitated.
"You're a rotten liar Matthew Sanders."
They stared at each other, the tension so thick that they could barely breathe. Other customers looked on to their argument. Some looked scared. Others looked like they were about to step in if things got too heated. But Leigh knew Matt would never think about touching her. He knew better than that; he was raised better than that.
"Give me a second chance."
Leigh looked at him incredulously. He seriously wasn't asking her that! "I can't believe you just asked me that. I haven't spoken to you in four years! I don't even know who you are! Things change Matt. I'm sorry."
Matt expected as much. "Okay, then at least let me take you out to dinner."
"Fine."
[][][]
Leigh sat on her couch, bouncing her leg nervously. She wasn't at all prepared for this date, and she didn't think she ever would be; she really wanted to try and make things right. Her mind reeled with past thoughts, knowing just how perfect things were before graduation. Oh how she wished for those days. How she wished for everything to be the way it was. . .
March 20 - Senior Year
Matt squeezed Leigh from behind, whispering softly in her ear. "I love you, Leigh Walker."
"And I love you, Matthew Sanders."
Leigh turned in his arms, kissing him square on the lips. Their one year anniversary was more than she could ask for. First, he took her to her favorite restaurant, then took her to the movies; he even let her pick the movie. And finally, Matt brought her to the beach to watch the sunset. It was too much.
"You are too good to me," she said.
Matt smiled down at her and kissed her again. Other night-time beach dwellers watched them. Many older couples would walk by, looking at them with nostalgic eyes. Every now and then you would get one of them pointing, whispering about young love. Leigh looked up at Matt, a smiled permanent on her face. But that was exactly how she felt: Young and in love.
"Where do you see yourself in twenty years?"
He chuckled. "I see myself rocking out with the guys, selling millions of albums! And later on, settling down. Possibly getting married."
"Wow."
"What?"
"You." Leigh smiled wide. "You simply amaze me."
"I hope that's a good thing."
"That's a very, very good thing." Leigh laughed, kissing him once more.
Leigh could feel a few tears leaking from her eyes. She hastily wiped them away just as someone knocked on her door. Startled, she gathered herself together, and answered the door. Matt stood against the door-jamb, hands pressed deeply into the pockets of his jeans. He looked up at her, smiling. Leigh could feel her heart skip several beats. He still had left that same impression on her, and she didn't like it.
"Ready?" He asked, holding out a hand.
Leigh nodded, trying to swallow the lump forming in her throat.
[][][]
Matt was constantly watching Leigh, as if he was scared she would just disappear. He could tell she was nervous, he tried endlessly to make her comfortable, but she would just nod or give a simple answer. It truly upset him that she wasn't excited to be there with him.
And she wasn't. She wasn't having as good of a time she would have liked. Leigh could tell Matt was disheartened by her simplicity that night, but she couldn't help it. She felt awkward, and nervous, and she let it show. Agreeing to his request backfired in every way possible. She thought that taking this date would fix things, but she couldn't find the courage to try.
They walked the pier, eating their ice cream in silence. Matt gave Leigh a sideways glance, watching her absently kick a rock. He thought he'd try again.
"Leigh, talk to me."
"What do you want me to say?" He could tell she wasn't quite with them.
"Anything. Just talk. What have you been doing? Did you go to College? What do you do for a living? Do you have a boyfriend?"
A small smile appeared on Leigh's lips, but she looked down as she spoke. "I haven't been doing anything too great. Nothing that might interest you at least. I went to College, got my Masters in English like I always wanted. My part time job is substituting at Huntington High. And no, I don't have a boyfriend. I never have the time to actually put energy into a committed relationship. I mean, sure I get a lot of guys asking me out, but I always turn them down. None of them interest me. At least, not since. . ."
Matt looked down at his feet. He knew that he was the reason she wasn't dating. He hated feeling knowing that he caused all of her pain in the recent years. "Yea, same here. I've been focusing all of my energy into the band and writing that I don't want to go out and do anything. Andi is still with Zacky. I don't think he knows exactly what happened, but I guess that's for the better? But still, I haven't been too interested in anyone. And I really am sorry. About everything."
"I know, Matt. I just. . . I can't." Leigh's voice cracked. She wasn't handling their heart-to-heart well.
"I know. . ." he whispered.
They rounded the corner, closing in on Leigh's apartment complex. Silently they walked up to her door. They stood awkwardly for several minutes before Matt finally spoke.
"Leigh, I know that you'll never forgive me. But I will keep trying. You meant everything to me. I never forgave myself for what happened." Leigh could feel the tears forming in her eyes again. She shook her head, whispering for him to stop but he wasn't listening. "Leigh, nothing in this world interests me. Every girl that I have seen in the last four years has held no interest for me. My life has been boring and nothing." Matt stepped closer, backing Leigh into the door.
The tears were sliding down her face. "Matt, please," she whispered. "No, don't. Please don't -"
He still wasn't listening. "I can't stand living like that anymore. When I saw you this afternoon, everything that I ever felt for you came back. I wanted to hold you, kiss you. Please, believe me. . ." Leigh's face was sparkling with tears. She knew what was coming next. "I love you, Leigh Walker."
"No. . ."
Matt pulled her by the waist, trapping her in his arms. Without a second of hesitation, Matt leaned down and kissed Leigh, trying to tell her how much he meant everything he just said.