I leave my room and walk down the hallway toward the front door, where I check through the peephole, my heart speeding up when I see the person standing on the other side.
I quickly unlock the door and pull it open.
My heart is racing wildly as I find Matthew standing in front of me.
His palms are pressed against the doorframe, his head bent down. His hair is a mess, as if he’s run his fingers through it a hundred times.
“M-Matthew?” My voice breaks as I extend my hand toward him, unsure of what to do. What to say.
What the hell happened?
He lifts his head, his cheek nuzzling into my palm as those dark eyes fix on mine. The pain and heartbreak in them slam into me like a freight train, and it feels like I’m thrown back into the past.
Five years ago
Plink.
My brows furrow as I look up from my book and listen intently. It’s late, and my family is already in bed, but I have a test tomorrow, so I wanted to stay up a little while longer to study.
Just when I think I imagined the sound, I hear it again. Two quick plinks, one after the other.
Plink.
Plink.
I turn around in my chair, trying to find the source of the sound.
Plink.
My gaze darts to the window that rattled slightly. I hold my breath as I turn to the door, wondering if anybody else heard it, but the house seems quiet.
My pulse speeds up as I go to the window. I bite the inside of my cheek as the uncertainty makes my stomach twist.
This is insanity, right? I’m just imagining it. I have to be.
Still, I push it open, making sure it doesn’t make a sound, then I peek outside. The night is dark, a crescent moon barely shining through the clouds. I squint, trying to see what could have caused the sound, when I see him.
A shadow standing underneath my window.
He sees me too. His hand lowers.
My heart skips a beat as I grip the edge of the window.
“Matthew?” I hiss softly, my voice barely audible.
He nods and goes for the tree that’s not too far from my window.
Holy shit, is he?—?
I barely manage to process what’s happening before he’s climbing up the tree.
“You’re crazy!” I whisper-yell.
I glance at the door again, fully expecting one of my parents or nosy sisters to barge in, but it’s still firmly closed. When I turn back to the window, I find Matthew slipping inside. I take a step back, giving him space so he doesn’t fall. There is no way I could explainthat.
“Of all the crazy things you could have done! What do you?—”
I suck in a sharp breath in surprise when he straightens and I get a good look at his face. A shudder rocks my body, my hand flying to my gaping mouth as I just stare at him.
