The Girl At The Rock Show

-Charlotte, NC.-

Tessa’s POV:

Tessa’s day had been going perfectly. She had woken up and Matt actually had been gone already so she hadn’t had to see him that morning. Then she had went to find Tay and they had spent the rest of the time together, her standing in as her assistant as she did a few more interviews since Warped was finishing in a few more days. Six to be exact.

It was bittersweet and she wasn’t sure if she was happy or sad that it was almost over. She honestly hadn’t realized that this much would have happened over such a short amount of time but, somehow she had gotten through it.

After interviews, she went to check out some more of the bands that were playing while also being dragged to WATIC’s even though she had seen them so much already. But she really wasn’t complaining, she loved them and was glad to hang out with them as much as possible since she hardly got to see them any other time unless they either came to Baltimore or Tessa was in New York for some random reason.

But she also owed them. As it was they basically took her in when everything with Matt had happened and listened to her countless rants over said man. So it really was the least she could do to repay them for doing everything they had done for her.

Though, that was probably where the day had stopped being good.

She was walking into the bus after just coming from watching WATIC perform when she saw Matt inside. Debating whether or not to just leave, she opted to just stay to grab what she had come for, ignoring him, and then high tailing it off the bus to find Tay again.

All was going fine, Matt said hi just as he usually did which she ignored once more and made her way back to her bunk. But when she came back out to the main room she had every intention of just passing Matt by and heading back to the stages, but he gently grabbed her arm to stop her.

“Tessa can we talk?”

She still wasn’t facing him but she could only imagine the look on his face. His voice still made her heart beat faster and she wanted to just give in to her feelings and allow him back in and forgive him, but she knew she couldn’t. He had used her and hurt her and was acting like nothing had ever happened. Still going around being the happy go lucky guy with the perfect girlfriend and acting like everything was alright. While her heart was crumbling a little more each day.

No. She couldn’t just allow him in again after he had hurt her. He had acted like he had been head over heels for her for so long and when they were finally together, for that short week, everything had been perfect. All she wanted to do was stay as far away from him as possible and give herself time to heal.

She tried to pull her arm from his hand to continue to the door and get away from him as quick as she could, but his hand tightened. Not that it was hurting her, just that it was subtle showing that he knew what she wanted to do and he was going to put up more of a fight than he had before.

“Please, I just want to talk. It’s long overdue.”

She slowly shook her head, willing herself not to cry as all the emotions from that night flooded in once again. “There’s no reason to talk,” She said, saying the first words to him since that night. “You made it clear without words at the theater what I was to you. All you wanted was to use me. There’s nothing more to talk about.”

“No, that’s not what happened, please just let me explain. Why is it so hard for you to believe me when everyone else believed me as soon as I told them?” She could hear in his voice that he was getting irritated and was trying to keep his cool.

“Because they’re damn idiots,”

“Including your brother? Please Tessa, he’s one of the most protective people in the world and he believes me and has even been trying to get you to believe me too. Just give me five minutes to explain. Don’t think of doing it for me. Think of doing it for yourself. Haven’t you been wondering what happened that night? Mulling over every tiny detail that I’m sure you’ve done since you went home after we talked? You owe it to yourself to get the answers you deserve.”

Damn him and his smooth talking. He was right, 100 percent. She had been going over every detail, ever second of that night wondering what she had done wrong for him to betray her like that. What she had done wrong in their short lived relationship for him to just show up with Emily acting as if everything was ok, as if they were only still just friends. As if they hadn’t spent time kissing in private where no one would see them so they wouldn’t get teased. Or as if they hadn’t stayed up all night talking and laughing, exploring their new relationship and testing the boundaries, not that they went that far thank God.

She took another moment to let the words sink in and make sure she was making the right decision before whispering a quiet ok. At first she didn’t think he had heard her, but knew that he had when he gently let go of her arm and she heard him take in a deep breath.

“Will you at least look at me?”

She closed her eyes, praying to God that he wouldn’t have an effect on her like he usually did. But when she turned, she saw the familiar sad looking eyes and her heart instantly melted, almost forgetting what he did to her. Almost.

When she turned, he gave her a small sad smile and she just managed not to glare at him. Taking a better look, his eyes seemed tired and sad and yet thankful that she was finally allowing him to talk to her.

“So are you going to start talking or should I just leave?” She asked, crossing her arms in front of her and giving him an annoyed look.

He shook his head immediately, “No, please don’t leave, I’ve been wanting to talk to you since this all started. I’m just trying to figure out where to start since I’ve been thinking about this since that night.”

Rolling her eyes, she just went to the couch, sitting down and pulling her legs up to her chest. She felt that it was the only way that she could protect herself from whatever Matt was going to say. She knew it wasn’t going to be good, and felt the need to prepare herself for that.

The look on Matt’s face told her that her harshness was being a little over dramatic and hurtful, but she couldn’t help it. She had closed him off long ago on that night. It felt like months since it happened not days, and she wasn’t sure if she really wanted to hear what happened that night, but knew that if she didn’t get answers, whether she liked them or not, she needed to know.

“Ok, so what you saw at the theater wasn’t what it looked like,”

She rolled her eyes, “How many times are you going to say that?”

“Until you believe me.” He replied seriously. “Now are you going to let me continue or just keep interrupting me?”

Sighing, she just gestured for him to continue.

“Like I said, not what it looked like,” she rolled her eyes again and opened her mouth when he shushed her, telling her to just shut up and listen. “Anyway, I honestly did break up with Emily that morning as soon as she came to my apartment. It told her everything. About you, about kissing you and spending time with you and everything and she didn’t get that I was breaking up with her and started talking about how we can fix it, that she’s not going to let a simple thing like that ruin us.”

By then she saw tears gathering in Matt’s eyes and all she wanted to do was pull him close and hug him. But she couldn’t. She had to know what happened and see if everyone really was telling the truth about how she had jumped to conclusions. She still didn’t know if she truly believed him, but the look in his eyes told her that he was telling her the God honest truth. But she was still a little hesitant to allow herself to believe it, no matter what his eyes were telling her.

“Then before I could correct her, telling her that I was breaking up with her, my parents burst in. And you know my parents,” he managed a small laugh and she couldn’t help but to also. She knew exactly how his parents were. They were crazy and loud and didn’t let you get a word in unless they ran out of things to say, which was hardly ever.

“But then why didn’t you just tell her after they left?”

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. “Because before they were even there five minutes, I got a call for Keith demanding that I meet him at Starbucks and go over stuff and talk about some upcoming tours that the boys are doing. And I couldn’t exactly say no, he’s my boss, and we hadn’t talked for a few weeks before that. So I said yes, thinking that I would have some time before the movie to explain to Emily and then come meet you.”

“So then why didn’t you?”

“Because by the time Keith was done talking, it was already time to meet for the movie. Emily had called me and told me she was leaving the apartment to meet me there and I couldn’t exactly just break up with her over the phone. It was over but I couldn’t do that to her, and I’m so sorry that I didn’t. I didn’t want to put you through all that pain Tessie. That look you gave me when you saw us walk in, I wanted to push Emily away and never let you go.”

They were both silent for a few moments. Tessa taking the time to process what really happened that night. She was still a little wary of him, wondering if that was the full story or not, but with one look in Matt’s eyes, she knew it was. Matt’s eyes were the easiest to read to see if he was lying or not. All his emotions showed through his eyes and she was one of the only people who could really read him and know if he was lying or not.

“I’m so sorry Tessa, for all the things I’ve put you through. I honestly didn’t want to, I wish that I could have gone back in time and do things differently. To make my parents wait and to tell Emily right away or to go right to her house when we had been dropped off the night before. I should have just done it right off the bat so I didn’t hurt you like I did. Please know that I didn’t mean to and that I really do still like you.”

She closed her eyes, not able to look at his eyes any more knowing that if she looked any longer, she would just give in and forgive him. But there was more to it than that, and she needed to remember that.

She took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself to ask the most important question yet and trying to allow herself to accept whatever the answer might be. “Did you break up with her?”

There was another long pause, and she almost cried, automatically thinking that it meant that no, he didn’t break up with her and this whole conversation wasn’t so that they could get back together.

“Of course, as soon as we got home. I knew that as soon as I saw that hurt look on your face I needed to fix everything and as soon as I got home told her that I was breaking up with her.” He replied as she let out the breath she hadn’t realized she had been holding.

She finally opened her eyes again and caught the small smile on his face. “She threw a remote at my head to prove it.” He continued as he gestured to the now small mark on his forehead. She had been wondering about that since she had come back to the bus the day after everything had happened and now finally knew, and managed a small smile in return.

He took a cautious step forward, and when she didn’t cringe away like she usually did, she saw his confidence grow a little more and took a seat on the couch with a few feet between them.

“I know that I have a lot to apologize for, and I couldn’t do it enough, but I figured that maybe this would help a little.” He said as she looked up in shock, expecting him to kiss her, but instead saw him pulling something out of his pocket. A little black box.

She took a breath, not prepared in the least for this. “Please don’t tell me you’re doing what I think you’re doing.”

“What?” He asked, momentarily confused before he followed her gaze to the little box and then back up to her, giving a small laugh. “No Tessa, God, way too fast.” He opened the box, revealing a beautiful white gold Claddagh ring sitting on black velvet interior.

“I wanted to give this to you as a promise that I’ll never stop loving you, and as a sorry for everything I’ve done, and will ever do to make you upset.” He continued; voice a little shaky. “And maybe even someday it’ll become and engagement ring, but for now, I’m ok with it just being a promise ring for a bright future ahead of us. So what do you say? Will you accept?”