Almost Easy

Liz’s POV

I had spent the next few days strewn between mornings at the hospital and diving head first back in to work, along with giving Matt the sudden attention he was trying to get from me. He had finished putting the TV mount in our room so I was currently working on my laptop from bed while some show was playing in the background, Matt was on his way home from the studio and I was counting down the minutes until I would need to put my work down and pay attention to him.

I was in a tank top, sans bra, and a pair of my old basketball shorts from high school. My hair was tied up in a messy bun, I had showered this morning but just not managed to find the time to blow it out or straighten it at all. Makeup was minimal, enough to make going out this morning not completely uncomfortable.

I was honed in an focused on the email I was writing when suddenly there was a crash downstairs, I glanced at the clock in the bottom corner of the computer screen and a few hours had flown by and it was now eleven at night. I groaned, my imagination of a simple night thrown out the window.

“Lizzy?”

My blood froze at the sound of Brian’s voice, I quickly scramble from bed and threw on a sweatshirt to cover the fact I wasn’t wearing a bra while tucking my laptop beside the bed. I ran to the door just as his body stumbled completely up the stairs, “Brian, what are you-“

“Good going calling me back.” He laughed drunkenly, steadying himself barely against the wall, “Wow, already ready for bed so early?”

“Brian you need to go,” I crossed my arms in front of my body, “Matt’s going to flip if he comes home and you’re here.”

“It’s fine,” Brian waved at me, “I told him I was coming here from the bar, we were out talking.”

“Talking? You can barely stand, Brian-“

My words were cut off by the front door flying open and a loud Matt ripping through the downstairs, “Brian I swear to God if you’re up there!” His footsteps pounded through the second level of the house and up to the stairwell of the master floor.

“Brian.” I hissed as he continued walking towards me, “He’s going to shred you.”

“You’re my best friend, why can’t I fucking talk to my best friend any more!” Brian shouted and threw his hands up just as Matt surfaced at the top of the stairs, instantly tackling Brian to the wall, “Dude I just wanted to talk to her!”

“No!” Matt shouted, “No way in Hell, Brian. We just had this conversation with Michelle. Ok? You need to get help,”

“What’s going on here?” I asked, taking a step back and staring between the two, “What’s happening?”

“Michelle caught him with another girl, in their bed.” Matt shook his head as Brian shoved him away, “This is what I’ve been doing most nights I’m not home, Liz. Ok? I’m mediating so Michelle doesn’t murder him and I’ve been trying to save his ass but now he’s making it too personal for me and I can’t.”

“Let him go.” I shook my head, “Just… Brian come downstairs and I’ll make some coffee.”

Matt gave me a confused look as I pushed passed him, taking Brian by the arm and dragging him down each flight of stairs with me, Matt closely following which I wasn’t highly opposed to. I sat Brian down in the kitchen at the island counter and put on a pot of coffee, turning to face the two men sitting facing me. I shook my head and pushed my flyaways back in to my bun before opening the fridge. I grabbed some butter and eggs from the tray and put a pan on the stove.

“Liz what-“

“Stop it.” I turned and pointed at Brian, “Shut up and you’re going to listen to me in a few minutes after we get some food in your system.” Brian held his hands up at the words and let me get back to cooking some fried eggs and toast.

By the time I had finished cooking the coffee was done. I poured three mugs full of black coffee and plated the boys their food, handing it over the counter. Matt looked up at me, still confused, “Thanks babe.”

“Thanks Lizard.” Brian mumbled and began eating, “Listen I-“

“No, you do the listening here Brian.” I crossed my arms and took a sip of my piping hot black coffee, “You’re a fucking grown ass man, ok? What you’re doing is childish, it happens in high school, you dick around on women in high school, not when you’re married. I stood with this fucking douche bag through your wedding, not to watch you fuck it all up, but to watch you two grow fucking old together and still be my best friends ok? Now what happened between us was fucking wrong, weird and wrong, and I regret every second of not knowing better but I can’t fix that I was hammered.”

“I know, it’s just-“

“No, shut up.” I pointed back at his food and he occupied his mouth by eating again, “You need to stop. Michelle is the best woman that you’re ever going to find and the fact she hasn’t castrate you means she’s definitely the best. Because if I ever even found out Matt cheated on me even once… He wouldn’t have balls.”

“So you’re saying he stole them back from your purse?” Brian winked, Matt elbowed him hard, “Sorry.”

“There’s some dumb shit going on with you lately, Brian, and it needs to stop. I don’t like feeling uncomfortable around you, and I do now. Because you stormed up to my bedroom, drunk, and didn’t care that my husband was mad at you already. That’s not cool, and I’ve known you just as long as I’ve known Matt, and you’re one of his best friends and I’ll cut our friendship off to save that.”

“That’s not what I want-“

“But it’s what you got,” I stared at the sad look creeping in to Brian’s eyes as he sobered up in front of me, “Listen. You fucked up, I don’t know how Michelle even looks at you every day knowing this. You need to stop, that’s all I have to say or…”

“Or what? Liz, what are you going to do?” Brian stared at me, “Divorce me for her?”

“No, you won’t be allowed around here any more and Matt will have to track at the studio when you aren’t there because I don’t want him around that.” I crossed my arms over my chest, holding my coffee cup in my left hand, “I don’t want him being influenced by that shit.”

Brian’s next move shocked me and I blinked rapidly at his laughter as he shoved Matt’s arm, “Dude, stop it.” Matt mumbled, “It’s not funny.”

“Oh it is.” Brian laughed and pushed the plate of eggs from in front of him towards me, “You want to sit there and condemn me?”

“Brian-“ Matt had a warning tone to his voice and Brian walked towards me, Matt didn’t flinch which made me more nervous.

“I’m the bad influence? I’ve only learned from the two best cheaters in the game Mr. and Mrs. Sanders thanks for the pointers. Just so happens my wife is a little more attentive and caught on.”

With that he left the kitchen and the front door slammed shut, I blinked a few times and stared at Matt, “Ok, so he’s right…”

“What?” Matt looked up at me shocked.

“I cheated on Levi, with you. And Brian’s the one who caught me…” I shrugged, “But you’ve never cheated on me so I think he’s still drunk.”

“Babe,” Matt sighed rubbing his hands together, “They’ll be fine, he’ll be fine. It always works out I was just worried tonight when he came here.”

“Did you two get in to a fight or something?” I asked as Matt walked over to put their dishes in the sink, he shrugged a little, “I’m sorry this whole thing is happening… let’s go to bed babe hm?”

“Yeah.” Matt looked at me with a smile, kissing the top of my head, “Let’s get to bed.”