When we finally pull apart, my heart is still racing, but in the best way possible. I look up at him, my breath a little uneven, and smile.
“You’re pretty great, you know that?” I whisper, resting my chin against his chest, tilting my head upward so I can see his face.
He chuckles, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he grins down at me. “Yeah, well, you’re not so bad yourself.”
We stand there, just enjoying the closeness, before continuing our walk home.
When we reach his condo, he unlocks the door and holds it open. I step inside, feeling the familiar warmth of his place; itsmells like the both of us now and I like that. It’s become a second home for me—safe, cozy, and always filled with the scent of his cologne and the lingering aroma of whatever we cooked last night.
“Do you want to watch a movie or something?” he asks, tossing his keys on the counter and kicking off his shoes.
I follow suit, dropping my bag on the couch and sinking into its soft cushions. “Sure, but I can’t promise I won’t fall asleep. Today was... a lot.”
He laughs, grabbing the remote and plopping down beside me. “Fair enough. We’ll keep it light. Maybe a comedy.”
As he flips through the options, I lean back and let out a content sigh. Being here with him, everything feels so much more manageable.
But there’s still that gnawing thought at the back of my mind—the guys. I miss them. I haven’t seen Ford or Jacob since I got here, minus on video chat.
Matthew notices my silence and glances over. “What’s on your mind?”
I hesitate for a second, not wanting to ruin the moment. But if there’s one thing I’ve learned with Matthew, it’s that he’ll always listen. No judgment, no rush.
“I’m just worried about Ford and Jacob,” I admit, running a hand through my hair. “I haven’t really seen or talked to them as much since... well, everything happened with my mom.”
Matthew sets the remote down, his full attention now on me. “I get it. But they’re your guys. You know they will be there for you, no matter what.”
I nod, chewing on my lip. “I know. It’s just hard, you know? They’ve been my constant, and now everything feels so... up in the air.”
He wraps an arm around my shoulders, pulling me close. “It’ll settle. Once they’re here, you’ll talk, get your stuff, and thingswill fall back into place. Plus, I’m sure they miss you just as much as you miss them.”
I smile, leaning into his embrace. “Yeah. You’re right. It’s just... I don’t know. Change is hard.”
“Tell me about it,” he says, his voice low and soothing. “But I promise you, this is just a phase. Everything will come together. You’ve got me, you’ve got them, and soon, you’ll have your whole life here at CSU. It’s all coming together, even if it doesn’t feel like it right now.”
I lean my head on his shoulder, and for a few minutes, we just sit there in comfortable silence, the flickering light from the TV casting soft shadows across the room.
“I don’t know what I’d do without you,” I murmur, my voice barely above a whisper.
Matthew presses a soft kiss on the top of my head. “Good thing you don’t have to find out.”
By the time the movie ends, my eyelids are heavy, and I can feel sleep tugging at me. Matthew turns off the TV and stands, offering me his hand.
“Come on, let’s get you to bed,” he says softly.
I take his hand and let him pull me up. We head to the bedroom, and as I crawl under the covers, I realize just how lucky I am to have him. He’s been my rock through all of this. He goes to leave, but I don’t want to sleep alone.
“Stay.”
“You sure?”
“Positive.”
He slides in next to me, pulling me close. His arms wrap around me, and I snuggle into his chest, feeling safe and warm.
“Goodnight, Dylan,” he whispers, his lips brushing against my hair.
“Goodnight,” I murmur.
