If Only Tonight

Interlude Three: The Last Goodbye

She kissed his cheek before going to her car.

"Goodbye, Matthew."

Watching her drive away, Matthew felt numb. The rain had started to fall harder. The ring was starting to burn a hole in his hand. He shoved it deep in his pocket.

Going back to the house, he opened the door to find Oliver holding Lily, Ariana, Leon, and Lina; watching him. The sombre look on their faces didn't hide their disappointment in him.

"It's over. She's gone."

The words echoed around him as he paced up and down the hallway. It had been over a month since they had broken up, but still each day began and ended with the thought of her. Compounded by what he had seen in the papers, as guilty as he felt, he couldn't bare the thought of her with anyone else. It was this that had brought him back to the complex.

Nathaniel had told him he would meet him at his room, when he came back from the gym. The wait was becoming unbearable for Matthew, when he finally heard steps coming up the stairs. Seeing the younger player, all the pent up frustration came to head.

"Hey Matthe-"

Before being able to finish his greeting, Matthew had grabbed Nathaniel by the shirt and shoved him against the opposing wall.

"You couldn't wait or us to break up to put your moves on her?" Matthew said furiously, through gritted teeth.

"What the hell! Are you crazy?" Nathaniel said, pushing him off. "No one's putting the moves on Mia, idiot."

Giving him a final shove, Matthew let go of the brown haired footballer, reached deep in to his jeans pocket.

"Then tell me what the hell are these?" He asked pulling out pictures from the paper, handing them to Nathaniel.

Each picture showed Mia and Nathaniel. In one they were walking down a side walk, holding hands. He was leading her to a coffee shop. In another they were sitting down for dinner. A third showed them at a mall, looking through books.

"If you were any good of a detective, you would have noticed who else was in the picture." Nathaniel told him, having calmed down.

"It's Stacie. Mia's best friend." Matthew replied as-a-matter-of-factly, infuriated that Nathaniel had changed the subject. Nathaniel sighed, pulling out his keys he unlocked his room.

"Come on. We might as well talk inside." He said, motioning for Matthew to come in.

Striding inside the room, Matthew stood in front of Nathaniel, his arms crossed, waiting for a explanation.

"Stacie and I were going out during that time. We didn't want anyone to know, and Mia wanted to get out without being questioned by everyone...so we pretended to go out when it was really just a way to escape the paps. Once they saw me and Mia, Stacie would go to where we were meeting up, I would arrive with Mia, and after they pictured us; Mia would be free to go where she pleased and I could see Stacie...as long as Mia and I exited together." Nathaniel explained.

Matthew was shocked at the genius of the plan.

"I'm sorry, Nathaniel." mumbled Matthew, feeling ashamed at his outburst. Nathaniel shrugged, giving him an understanding look.

"So you and Stacie?" Matthew asked, changing the subject.

"Nah, it's over. We both thought it was better to be friends. She decided to go and try with Julian, the bar tender at that university pub, while Blair called me. She wants to give us another shot."

Seeing the look in Matthew's eyes, Nathaniel was quiet for a minute.

"I know you miss her and I know she misses you. She doesn't say anything, and she pretends that everything is alright, but it's not. Why can't you just talk things over before it's too late?" Nathaniel asked, his voice sounding concerned.

"I'm leaving for Spain tomorrow. I know she won't talk to me." Matthew answered. After what he had done, there was no way he could see her ever speaking to him again.

They were silent.

"I just want to see her one last time." Matthew said, hoping that his friend would help him out.

"Call Stacie." Nathaniel suggested, giving him the number out of his cell phone.

Dialling the number, Matthew could feel dread building inside of him, as Nathaniel watched on.

"Hello?" Stacie answered her phone.

"Don't hang up, Stacie. I need to talk to you. Just give me five minutes." Matthew said, knowing how desperate he sounded.

"Why would you call me? Are you out of your mind?" She hissed, from behind her he could hear Mia's voice asking who it was. The voice making his heart ache.

"I'll be back Mia, I just need to take this outside." He heard her tell Mia.

The door shut, signalling that Stacie had gone out.

"Seriously, why should I even spend any time listening to you?" Stacie said, finally. "You hurt my best friend. She's been doing fine without you. Why are you calling me?"

"I know I hurt her. I'm sorry. I'm not asking you to set up any meet or anything. I just wanted to see her for myself before I left." He appealed to her. "I'm not even asking you to talk to her for me."

"Why do you want to see her?" She asked, sounding protective.

"I'm leaving for Spain tomorrow. I can't stop thinking about her. I just want to know that she's okay."

"I'm telling you she's okay. She's fine without you."

"Please, Stacie." He tried once more.

He heard her sigh.

"Fine. I'll tell you where we'll be." Stacie finally agreed. "I'm taking her to The Grad Lounge. We'll be there around seven thirty. Don't do anything stupid...like talk to her. Got it?" Stacie said, her tone hardening.

"Yea." He said, as he hung up, his heart pounding at the thought of seeing Mia again.

-----

Having come back to spend summer vacation in her home country, Mia was glad Stacie was around. Her presence had helped distract the agony and emptiness she felt without...Don't even think about it Mia! Her mind shouted at her.

"Who was that?" Mia asked curiously. Stacie didn't normally take her calls outside.

"Colin. He thought I was going to some stupid club with the group tonight." She told Mia.

"Oh..."

"Are you ready to go for dinner, before we meet your friends?" Stacie asked her, as she headed into Mia's room.

"Yea. Sure. Let's go."

-----

Arriving at the Grad Lounge, Mia and Stacie walked over to the group Lina, Leon, Oliver, and Nathaniel, were already there waiting for them.

"Hey!" They greeted her, collectively.

Lina reached her first giving her a hug.

"I missed you." She said letting Mia go.

"Me too." Mia replied, honestly.

She missed hanging out with the older girl, it had been fun while they were living together. Mia had always enjoyed her company.

Oliver came to stand by her, putting an arm around her and squeezing.

"How are you?" He asked, as the others around them talked. He could always see right through her facade of being alright.

Looking up at him, she sighed.

"Miserable." She replied. Her heart felt broken, though nowadays she felt numb from blocking out her feelings.

"I know." He told her, as he let go. "Have you spoken to him?"

Oliver was the only one Mia spoke to about Matthew, the only other person allowed to mention him was Nathaniel, and even he knew what a fine line he walked on. Lina, Leon, and Stacie had tried, but she couldn't. She didn't want the two cousins to be stuck picking sides. While as much as she loved Stacie, her best friend had enough going on without adding Mia's problem.

"No...I don't even know where he is." She replied.

Before Oliver could say any more, Julian the bartender had come up to them. Giving Stacie a kiss, He came over to Mia.

"Are you ready?" He asked grinning.

"Julian, this is the absolute last time I do this for you. Even your girlfriend won't be able to convince me out of retirement." Mia said, as the others laughed.

"Alright." Julian said, sounding a little disappointed. "Come on, then. Let's get you set up."

As Mia left for the stage with Julian, she couldn't help but notice Stacie leaving.

I guess she's going to the restroom, Mia guessed without a second thought.

-----

Hanging close to the wall, Matthew watched as Mia spoke to their friends. His cousins were there. He had known they were up to something when they wouldn't tell him their plans. They didn't want to hurt him, but they also didn't want to upset Mia.

Next he saw Oliver talking to her. His best friend had kept him informed, but also warned him to keep his distance. Mia looked upset as she spoke to Oliver, but the look quickly disappeared as the bartender arrived.

He watched as she left with him, making their way to the stage.

"Alright, everyone, give it up one last time for Mia!" The bar tender announced on the microphone.

Music started playing around them.

"It seems like everythin' is happened again. It's the same old story. People keep on getting in my way. I'm tryin' to do this for me. Cause I had a chance in everything. Puttin' all this on me. It's breaking every little piece of me, And I don't ever want you to leave."

It was like she had picked something to reflect what had happened between them.

"I'm trying to make it right. This thing that they call love. I need you in my life. I'm trying to make. About us, I keep hearin' it. About us, I don't care what they say. About us, I hate hearin' it. About us, I'm tired."

It was then that he noticed Stacie walking towards him, it seemed that none of his friends had notice her slip away. Coming to stand beside him, she gave him a measuring look.

"She misses you, no matter what she tells me." Stacie told him.

He nodded.

"Thanks for giving me the chance."

Stacie looked at him once more before heading back to the group.

"I keep tryin' to turn the page, But it's hard for me to do, Choosin' you won't blame the state, Either way I'm gonna lose, Cause you know I wanna all or nothin' at all, You make the call."

Looking over to where his friends were standing he saw Oliver, looking over at him. The older player waved at him, Matthew nodded in return, not wanting anyone else to see him.

"About us, I keep hearin' it. About us, I don't care what they say. About us, I hate hearin' it. About us, I'm tired."

Taking one last look at Mia, he felt a heaviness in his heart. He had never thought they would end like this.

"About us, I keep hearin' it. About us, I don't care what they say. About us, I hate hearin' it. About us, I'm tired."

Matthew made his way to the exit as Mia ended the song.

"I'm tired...I'm tired."