Chapter 47

                                    

                                          
Matthew
July 7th 2018
I slipped back into my room through the window as quietly as I could, trying not to make any noise that would give me away. 
It was late, later than I'd planned on being out. I wasn't exactly sure how much time had passed since I'd snuck out to see Emma, but judging by the stillness of the house, I'd made it back before anyone noticed.
The adrenaline was still coursing through me. There was always a risk sneaking out like this—one wrong move, one creak of the floorboards, and I could be in a whole lot of trouble. 
But I'd been careful. Careful enough to feel the familiar sense of relief as my feet hit the bedroom floor.
I let out a slow, steady breath, feeling the tension unwind from my shoulders. My room was quiet, dark, and exactly the way I'd left it. 
For a moment, I stood there, staring at the window and thinking about her.
But then the doorbell rang.
then again.
and again.
I froze, heart hammering in my chest. The loud, sudden noise cut through the quiet, making me jump. 
Who the hell would be ringing the doorbell at this hour? 
For a second, my mind raced with possibilities—had someone seen me sneak in? 
Was it the police, coming to drag me back out and tell my parents I broke into this house? 
No, that was ridiculous. It couldn't be that.
Still, the knot of dread tightened in my stomach as I made my way down the stairs, trying to keep my footsteps light and quiet. Maybe it was nothing. Maybe it was just some prank, or someone at the wrong house.
I reached the door, took a breath, and opened it.
Lacy stood there, smiling in the kind of way that made my skin crawl. 
Her dark brown hair was swept back into a neat ponytail, and she was dressed like she had just come from some gathering—tight jeans, a low-cut top, way too much perfume. She looked like she belonged in a magazine, perfectly composed, perfectly everything. But the sight of her standing in my doorway made my gut twist.
"Oh my God, hi!" she chirped, stepping forward as if she had every right to be there, every right to me.
Her lips moved toward mine, but I turned my head at the last second. The kiss landed on my cheek, awkward and cold. Her breath smelled like gum and something sugary, like she'd been out drinking with her friends all night. She pulled back, her expression shifting from surprise to anger in a matter of seconds.
"What the hell was that?" she demanded, eyes narrowing. "You just turned your head."
"I'm not doing this, Lacy," I said, my voice sounding firmer than I felt. "You broke up with me, remember?"
Her face softened instantly, as if she were ready to play a different part. I could almost see the switch flip in her mind. Now, she was the victim, the girl who needed to be coddled and forgiven.
"Oh, Matt, don't be like that," she cooed, tilting her head in that way she used to when she wanted something. 
"I just needed a break, okay? We were moving too fast, and I freaked out. That's all."
I stared at her, feeling a familiar frustration bubbling up inside me. 
"Moving fast didn't seem to bother you until now."
She let out a dramatic sigh, her hands dropping to her sides as if she were completely exasperated by me. 
"You're interpreting this all wrong," she said, her voice lilting, trying to coax me back into her orbit. 
"I didn't mean for it to end like this. I just needed some space, that's all. But now... I think we should give us another shot."
Her eyes locked onto mine, and I could see it—her working to reel me in again. 
She'd always been good at that, good at making me feel like I was the one who needed to fix things, like I was the one who had messed up. 
But something inside me felt different this time. Maybe it was being with Emma, maybe it was just seeing through the act for the first time. Either way, I wasn't falling for it.
"I don't want that," I said, my voice shaking a little, my hands clenched into fists at my sides.
Lacy blinked, taken aback by my bluntness. For a second, her face twisted into something ugly, something harsh, before she quickly masked it with disbelief.
"You're seriously choosing Emma over me?" she said, her voice dripping with disdain. 
"That's what this is, isn't it? You're choosing her."
I shook my head. "This isn't about her. This is about us. And we don't work."
The truth was out, hanging in the air between us, and I could see how much it stung her. 
For a moment, she looked like she might lash out, might say something cruel, but instead, she turned on the waterworks. Her eyes filled with tears—big, glossy ones that threatened to spill over at any moment.
Shit, what did i do?
"Matt, please," she whispered, her voice cracking, her lower lip trembling in the most exaggerated way possible. It was a performance, and I knew it. 
She wasn't really upset. She was trying to manipulate me, the same way she always had.
But it wasn't going to work this time.
"It's for the better," I said quietly, though I could feel the pressure building inside me, the frustration and anger that I had held back for so long. "You should leave."
Her tears dried up as quickly as they had come. She scoffed, wiping at her dry eyes with the back of her hand. 
"Have fun with Emma," she spat, her voice full of venom. "Trust me, you'll be bored of her in a week."
With that, she turned on her heel and stormed off, leaving me standing there, watching her go. I felt a strange mixture of relief and guilt washing over me as I closed the door. 
Lacy had always been good at making me feel like I was the bad guy, even when she was the one tearing everything apart. But I wasn't going to fall for it anymore.
As I stood there in the quiet, I realized how different things felt now—how different I felt. 
For the first time in a long while, I wasn't confused or torn or stuck in the same cycle with her. It was over. And even though it had taken me a long time to get to this point, I finally felt like I was free.
I made my way back upstairs, feeling the weight of the night settle into my bones. 
The adrenaline was fading, leaving behind an exhaustion I hadn't noticed before. As I sank down onto the edge of my bed, I thought about Emma. 
The way she smiled when she looked at me, the way she didn't play games or make me feel like I was constantly walking on eggshells. Things with her were easy, natural, in a way that I hadn't experienced before.
It wasn't about choosing her over Lacy—it was about realizing that I deserved better than the mess I'd been stuck in for so long. 
Lacy had been my first serious relationship, and maybe that's why I'd held on for as long as I did. I thought that was how things were supposed to be—complicated, messy, full of drama. 
But just spending time with Emma had shown me that it didn't have to be that way. It could be simple. It could be good.