No Matter What

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^*Matt’s POV*^
I just kept my head down as silence sunk over the three of us. I was really going to do it. I was going to sneak out tonight, thinking a clean break off from them would be the best. I was headed to Australia. I was determined, and I was going to leave. But now that everything’s out…now I had to think twice about it all.

“You…you were going to leave us?” Brian’s voice was so quiet it scared me.

“I thought it would be best for us all to break off on our own as fast as possible, and that’s what you guys wanted. I thought we had come to a decision days ago that we were all going to go our separate ways.” I got down from the counter, not in the mood of going into detail after reliving the worst night of my life, and I sighed. “But since you guys want to stay together, I don’t have to.” I loved that so fucking much. I didn’t have to leave my best friends and flee the country. That felt so good. But I’d never let them know that. “I’m going to bed.” I said, and dropped the -now empty- beer bottle in the trash before starting out of the kitchen.

“Don’t leave us, Matt.” Jimmy said, putting a hand on my shoulder before I could walk past him and I nodded.

“I won’t, Jimmy, don’t worry.” I said, and he hesitantly took his hand from my shoulder and I continued my way towards the living room, making sure the curtains were closed before I laid down on the couch, grabbing the remote from the coffee table and turning the TV on. After thinking back to the night my life went to shit, sleep wasn’t really something I wanted.

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^*Brian’s POV*^
“Matt’s really had it rough.” I whispered after I heard the TV faintly playing in the living room.

“That’s the truth. No wonder he’s so guarded and protective…” Jimmy agreed, and I sighed.

“We need to get to bed; we’ll talk over everything in the morning.” I said and Jimmy nodded.

“Yea, you go on, I’m gonna…I’m gonna make a sandwich or something. I’m hungry.” He said, smiling slightly.

“You’re never not hungry.” I said, trying not to laugh as he walked towards the fridge and I made my way out of the kitchen, glancing into the living room to see Matt on the couch watching TV before I walked on up the stairs, making my way down to Madison’s room. Quietly turned the doorknob, and slipped in, closing it back before I tiptoed over to her bed, and crawled in beside her.

“Brian, what the fuck are you doing?” She asked groggily and rolled over, smiling and I just grinned.

“I got cold?” I suggested and she rolled her eyes.

“Get beat up again by Matt?” She asked and I scoffed.

“No, wh- me? Get beat up by Matt? No.” I said and she laughed slightly as I leaned in and kissed her on the lips, and pulled her on top of me, keeping my arms around her. “I love you.” I said with a smile as we pulled away.

“I love you more.” She countered, keeping her eyes locked on mine, and I shook his head.

“No, I love you more.” I said and she sighed.

“No, no, no, I love you more. Now stop arguing with me, because you’ll just lose in the end.” She said, trying not to laugh.

“Oh really?” I asked, raising an eyebrow, and she nodded.

“Really.” Madi said and I slowly nodded and then flipped us around, a smirk on my face.

“I’ll lose?” I asked and she nodded, and I leaned in and kissed her again, and she opened her mouth, allowing me entrance as she let her hands lock together in my hair as my hands trailed up to her shirt, taking the bottom and pulling it up. Neither of us really realized where things were leading, but with Madison I didn’t care about anything. I just cared about her. She was the only girl I ever loved like I did, and I wanted to spend the rest of my life with her by my side, until the bitter end. I loved her too much to let her slip away from me, and I’d always love her though everything.

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^*Madison’s POV*^
“You okay? I didn’t hurt you, did I?” Brian asked, his breathing uneven like mine, and I shook my head, just trying to get my breath back.

“No, I’m fine, what about you?” I asked, and he sighed heavily.

“You need to cut your nails shorter.” He chuckled slightly and I grinned, getting on top of him.

“So you give in?” I asked and he looked at me oddly, a smile still on his face.

“Give in to what?”

“To me loving you more.” I said, putting my hands on his chest as he let his rest on my sides.

“Yea, I guess so.” I just grinned at his words and leaned down, kissing him on the lips, and pulled away after a moment, and he brought me down to his chest, kissing me on the cheek.

“No, never mind, I love you more.” He whispered and I groaned, burying my face in his neck.

“We’ll settle this later.” I said, trying not to laugh, and I closed my eyes, a smile still resting on my face as I drifted off to sleep.

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I woke up next to Brian, who was already awake, watching me.

“Morning.” He smiled and I yawned, resting my head against his shoulder, still tired.

“Mornin’.” I mumbled, too tired to muster up anything else as I heard something come from the bathroom, but I ignored it, too tired to care.

“You know, Johnny came in and found us, and has been in the bathroom for the past hour throwing up.” Brian said and I groaned, sitting up with the sheet around me as I heard the noise again, and surely enough, it sounded like someone throwing up.

“Jesus Christ.” I muttered, rubbing my eyes.

“I know, right? He went fucking pale as a ghost when he saw us and just darted in there.” Brian said, laughing slightly as he sat up as well.

“Well I’m glad that amuses you.” I said and turned, kissing the tip of his nose as I took the comforter from the foot of the bed and got up, making my way to the closet.

“Well aren’t you shy.” I heard Brian say from behind me and I turned, glaring playfully.

“Oh I think we both know that isn’t true.” I said and he just smirked as I dropped the comforter, tossing it at him, and slipped into the closet, though I left the slits in the door open so I could see as I turned and grabbed a pair of jeans and a shirt, and cringed when the sound of Johnny throwing up again met my ears.

“HEY JOHNNY!” I heard Brian yell. “JUST THOUGHT I’D REMIND YOU THAT I FUCKED YOUR SISTER, IN YOUR HOUSE ALL NIGHT!” He screamed, and I rolled my eyes, trying not to laugh as Johnny threw up again, even more harsh. I looked out of the closet, look over to Brian, who was sitting on the bed, the sheet around his shoulder as he grinned at the bathroom door.

“Hey, Brian,” I said, and he looked over at me, raising his eyebrows slightly. “Get me a pair of panties from that top dresser drawer, and a bra from the hook on the back of the bathroom door.” I said and he nodded, getting up, and keeping the sheet around his waist as he went over to my dresser. I closed the closet door back, and heard the bathroom door open.

“Johnny, I had sex with your sister, and now I’m taking her clothes to her, so here’s a nice view of my ass.” I could hear the smirk in Brian’s voice and Johnny’s stomach contents flowing into the toilet. There was a knock on the closet door and I opened it slightly, taking my things from Brian’s hand, and noticing he had left the sheet at the bathroom door as he kissed me on the lips softly.

“Thanks.” I said and he smiled.

“No problem.”

“Oh,” I grabbed his arm before he could walk away. “And stop coming onto my brother.” I said with a smirk and he just glared playfully as he pinched my cheek, pulling my face slightly.

“You’re just too cute.” He smiled and walked back towards the bed as I closed the closet door once again and started getting dressed. Just as I got my shirt on I heard the bathroom door open, and I walked out to see Brian getting his jeans on, and Johnny just shook his head, looking sick as fuck as he walked out of the room.

“Good job, Brian, you’ve officially scared Johnny to death.” I said, walking over and wrapping my arms around Brian and he smiled down at me, a smile I wanted to keep in my memory forever.

“Well I try, I suppose.” He said, and kissing me on the cheek.

“I know you do.” I said, and he suddenly picked me, and carried me over to the bed, putting me down them and crawling on top of me. “Brian, what the hell?” I asked, giggling as he started kissing down my neck to my collarbone that was exposed with the loose-neck shirt I was wearing.

“I love you.” He mumbled, lying beside me, and I rolled over onto my side, smiling slightly.

“I love you too.” I said and he sighed, resting a hand on my cheek, letting his thumb graze over the skin. “Is something wrong?” I asked and he shook his head. But something was wrong. I could tell by the thoughtful, spaced look in his eyes.

“Not really just…after what happened yesterday I feel like I need to spend every single second with you before something bad happens and we’re ripped apart.” He said, his smile faltering slightly before disappearing altogether.

“Nothing’s going to happen, Brian.” I didn’t want to think of anything happening as I rested my hand on his. I wanted to stay with him forever, and if something happened to him I’d be torn apart over it. I loved him so much.

“But with everything going on…someone apparently stalking us, the police out searching…I mean, I don’t want anything to happen, but it seems like something’s just lurking, ready to take you away from me.” His voice didn’t have the joking tone it did a few minutes ago, and that scared me.

“If anything bad ever happens, I’m going to do my damnedest to make sure I have the same fate, or try to get you out of whatever.” I could feel my eyes getting watery, and his brown eyes were watery too. “I don’t want to live without you with me. I love you too much for anything to happen.” I whispered, and he pulled me close to his chest as I wrapped my arms around him.

“I love you too much for anything to happen too.” He whispered back, his arms around me securely. It was a moment I didn’t want to end, because I felt safe with him near me. I didn’t care about his past, about what he was taken to jail for, or about anything that he did. I only cared about what’s going to happen in the future, but I guess the future’s kind of cloudy and doubtful right now.

“We’re gonna be okay.” I told him, just hoping and praying that there was some kind of truth behind my words, and he sighed.

“I hope so, baby.” Those were the last words I heard before two gunshots rang out. ‘I hope so, baby.’ I hoped so too, but apparently hope wasn’t enough.

Hope can’t stop bullets.