A Place of Hope and No Pain

Matt's POV

I didn't even listen to the whole message. It was typical Chloe, blah blah how dare you, the same bullshit and I was still pissed so I just hung up halfway through. I couldn't be bothered listening to it because I was still mad after Sunday.

I'd dropped her home and I did what I said I was going to do, I hung out with the boy's for the day, trying not to think about her, trying not to think about how she failed to tell me an important fact about her life.

I woke up still angry yesterday that I ended up focusing my anger on writing a song and cleaning up the house. When she called, I ignored it, I still didn't want to speak to her, I just couldn't, not yet anyway.

"Well are you just going to stand there staring out the window." Lucy snapped. "Or are you going to get ready?"

Ugh. It was Tuesday, marriage counselling day and she'd shown up bright and early to make sure I was going. Marriage counselling was pointless at this point, but if it kept her amicable I would go. But I really didn't want to go, not at all.

"Yeah right." I snapped, walking into my room and grabbing some clothes.

I got changed quickly, the sooner this was over with the happier I'd be.

"I have stuff to do when we're done." I told Lucy walking out. "So we can take separate cars."

"Oh of course." She said smiling and handing me my phone. "Let's go."

I drove in silence down to the place the counsellor was at. Usually I listened to music, but today I didn't really feel like it, I just wanted silence.

Lucy was waiting for me out the front and as I got out to walk in she tried to grab my hand. I pulled it away from her. I didn't want to hold her hand and I wasn't sure why she was still trying. I thought I'd made it obvious how I felt.

We went inside and sat down, waiting for our appointment and I picked up a magazine, flicking through it.

"Matt." Lucy whispered. "I hope you're at least going to try."

I looked at her. Was she serious? But before I could answer we were called and we stood up, following a well dressed woman into an office.

"Please sit down." She said pointing to a couch.

I sat and Lucy sat next to me. The woman sat opposite us, smiling.

"I'm Rowena." She told us. "And I just want to start by saying anything that goes on in here is confidential, this is a place where you can say what you want, there will be no judgement here."

"Good." Lucy said smiling and making herself more comfortable, closer to me.

"So." Rowena said. "You're obviously here because you're having some problems within your marriage."

"Well yes." Lucy said. "We're separated, but we'd like to get our marriage back on track."

I looked at her. She'd like to get the marriage back on track, I however couldn't give a flying fuck.

"So you've been separated for um." And she picked up a file, flicking through it. "Around 8 months."

I nodded. "Yeah."

"And you're working to get back together?" She asked.

"Yes." Lucy said quickly.

"Not really." I said at the same time.

Rowena looked between us. "I see."

Lucy looked at me scowling. "He's not really making much of an effort." She snapped at me.

I rolled my eye's at her. "Here we go."

"What do you mean by that Lucy?" Rowena asked.

"Well, I was ready to move back in, ready to move on." Lucy told her. "But no, he didn't want me to."

"Is that right Matt?" She asked, now looking at me. "And may I ask why?"

I shrugged. "I met someone else."

"Oh please." Lucy snapped. "Please tell me you are not talking about Chloe."

I looked at her and shook my head. "Don't start."

"Who's Chloe?" Rowena asked, looking at us both.

"She's just some woman he met in rehab." Lucy snapped. "She's nobody really."

"Why can't you just shut up." I snapped. "Fuck Lucy, you left me, you packed up and left and now you're all upset because I moved on."

"Well." She said and here came the tears. "I thought our marriage meant more to you."

"Well it didn't mean much to you did it." I snapped, feeling angry and her fake tears, god they were pathetic.

"Can we go back to Chloe for a second." Rowena said. "You both know Chloe?"

Lucy nodded, grabbing a tissue and wiping her face. "Yes, I tried to be friendly with her, I talked to her, I gave her a gift and she's just plain rude."

I sighed. "Yeah Lucy, you speak to her like she's a second class citizen and tell me, what was the gift you gave her? I never did find out."

Lucy looked at me and a slow sly smile crept across her lips. "A bottle of Jack Daniels."

Was this idiot, this woman I'd been married to serious? God I was glad I sobered up so I could see what a devious bitch she really was.

I wanted to grab her by throat and throttle her. She thought it was funny, giving Chloe that bottle of Jack. I'd wondered where it came from and now I had my answer.

"So is Chloe your girlfriend Matt?" Rowena asked, sensing the tension.

I hesitated. Was Chloe my girlfriend? Hell I wasn't even speaking to her at the moment and judging by the message she'd left she didn't want to see me again, but then again that was just Chloe. Rude as always.

"Yep." I said smiling at Lucy.

"I see." Rowena said frowning. "Um, I'm not really sure why you're here then, I mean if you have a girlfriend. Does she know you're here, at marriage counselling?"

I bit my lip, looking at Rowena. "No." And she didn't and if she knew I bet she would flip her shit, again.

"Yes she does." Lucy said looking at me, that sly smile appearing again.

"What?" What the fuck did she mean Chloe knew?

She nodded. "Yeah when you were getting changed this morning I called her, filled her in, she said to tell you she hopes you have a fucking happy life asshole."

"Are you serious?" I snapped. This was too much. Lucy was unbelievable.

"Well frankly Matthew." Lucy went on. "If she was your girlfriend and if you genuinely cared about her you would have told her about this."

"She has a point." Rowena said, agreeing with Lucy.

"I'm done." I said standing up. "I need to go."

"Yes typical." Lucy snapped. "Run away from your problems."

I looked at her, shaking my head. "I'm not running away from problems Lucy, I can't, you keep fucking following me."

"Maybe we should all just calm down." Rowena said, sensing that I was about to lose it big time.

I shrugged. "Do what you want." I said turning for the door. "I have to go."

"Matt." Lucy shrieked.

But I ignored her. I had to go. I was angry, so angry. She was purposely trying to sabotage my relationship with Chloe and that pissed me off.

Chloe. I needed to go and see her now. She called yesterday and I didn't answer. I was stupid. Chloe was the type of person who would never give someone a second chance and after Lucy's call this morning, well it was going to get ugly, I didn't doubt that.

Yes I lied to Chloe about marriage counselling, but she'd lied to me about her daughter.

What a fucking mess.