Page 27 of Piece By Piece

“Two more weeks to wait, Amo.”

“Two more?” I exclaim. That’s just cruel. All I need right now is to get on the dancefloor and forget the rest of the world. Who better to do that with than my charming dance partner?

Well, there is one other person who managed to make me lose my head and touch with reality just fine, my head reminds me. Maybe even more so than Mattheo ever has. Only that that person is currently flirting with a short blonde on the other side of the room, probably unaware that I’m even inside his house.

“I’m afraid so.”

I pout. “At least tell me how it happened, Mattheo,” I push. It’s ridiculous that I still don’t know the source of my misery. And no, I’m not being dramatic.

“Aliena,” he sighs and brushes a stray strand of hair behind my ear. “It doesn’t matter, okay? I just got into an argument with someone who knew just where to kick a knee to dislocate it.”

I sit up straighter at that, reeling with surprise. “You got into a fight? Why?” I demand. Mattheo is usually so peaceful. It’s hard to imagine him fighting someone, despite his towering height.

I can tell my friend is growing agitated from my constant nagging. His next words are more strained and lack his usual smoothness. “I said it doesn’t matter.”

“It matters to me. Since when are we keeping things from each other?” I demand. Mattheo and I aren’t the types of friends that share every detail of our lives with the other, but I never felt the need to actively hide something when he asked. I just assumed he felt the same way.

“That’s a rich question coming from you,” he huffs. I pull away from him a little more, unused to the gruffness in his voice. Shit, I think we’re having our first fight. In all the months I’ve known him, we never so much as innocently disagreed on something. Why is everything in my life simultaneously going to hell now?

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I ask.

“Really, you’re playing dumb now?” I’m not. I really don’t know what he’s referring to. It couldn’t be my parents. There’s just no way. Mattheo huffs at my lack of a reply. “Why didn’t you tell me you were attacked on your way home after you declined my ride?”

Oh, that’s what he’s talking about. I’m so relieved I could laugh. At least to that question, I have an honest reply. “Believe me when I tell you that it totally slipped my mind. I mean it. Sure, it was scary when it happened but it’s not like I was really injured or anything.

“Besides, we didn’t see each other again for weeks after that, and I didn’t think to bring it up on my birthday. It would have been so random. I didn’t mean to keep that from you, Mattheo,” I explain. His frown doesn’t soften.

“You could have called me when it happened instead of Seb. You must know I would have come to help in a heartbeat. It was my fault that you were out so late after all.” I frown at the way he practically spits his friend’s name. Something happened between them.

Actually, I know exactly what happened. Me. I came between two best friends, great. Now they treat each other like they can’t stand breathing the same air.

“You offered to give me a ride. I declined. What happened wasn’t your fault. And I called him because my phone was stolen and his number was the only one I could remember.” Mattheo doesn’t look convinced, so I try to change the topic before the mood in the room worsens further. Of course, it’s exactly now that Lily and Andrew are downstairs dancing. For once.

I could use some backup now.

“So, are we done fighting now? I’m sorry I pushed you about your knee and that I forgot to tell you about that night.Now, let’s be friends again,” I beg him jokingly, giving him my most exaggerated puppy-dog eyes.

He nods, though he doesn’t share a smile with me. “Yeah, of course.”

“We’re good?” I prompt.

“Yeah, Aly, we’re good.” He pats my arm softly. Then a red-haired woman strides over with two drinks and a big smile and sits down on the other side of Mattheo. Really close to Mattheo. She hands him a drink and he accepts it with a grin.

“Right. Aly, this is Miriam. Miriam, this is my friend Aly,” he introduces us and no matter how sweetly she smiles at me, I realize I’m interrupting something. Being the good friend I am, I smile back at her before excusing myself.

I get off the couch, intending to go dancing right away, but I linger for a second, glancing at the bar. I’m not usually one for drinking but while drugs are an absolute hard no, I’m more lenient when it comes to an occasional drink. And right now, I feel like I could use one to loosen me up a bit.

I go over to the small bar the private lounge is equipped with and tell the bartender my order. Before I get my drink, I become aware of a presence to my right.

“Looks like your boytoy found a new toy. Poor seductress. Must really sting if you end up at the bar,” Sebastian mocks me. I give him a bored look.

“You know, you’re really not that attractive when you try to bully me. I had a shitty day as part of a shitty week, so if you could just leave me alone, that would be great. And for the record, I don’t mind that Mattheo is talking to that nice woman. I’m happy for my friend.”

Even though I mean those words with all I’ve got, I feel tears prick my eyes. God, this week was awful. Itried to handle work and visit my parents often, but something else had to suffer under the change. Which, in my case, was my sleep schedule.

I was simply so busy worrying about so many different things that it was impossible for me to get any sleep at night no matter how physically and mentally drained I was.

I let my head drop onto my crossed arms on the counter and try to pull myself together. I faintly hear the bartender greet Sebastian as he places my drink next to my arm and how Sebastian tells him the drink’s on the house.

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