Disclaimer: I do not own Heartland and I am not Lauren Brooke… though my name is Lauren… but that's just an interesting coincidence.
A LAUGH LIKE THAT
Matt Trewin shifted uncomfortably in his chair. He strained his neck to see over the crowd of people coming through the open doorway. He had thought Amy would come to something like this. She'd never been a social butterfly, but then again… neither was he.
Still… it was her high school reunion…
Maybe she didn't want to see anyone from her high school days… Maybe she didn't want to see him…
Quickly he reprimanded himself. Amy was his best friend from high school- her and Soraya. Of course she would want to see him…
But would she…? He couldn't help but wonder. After all they hadn't seen each other since he left to go to college. It seemed like very time they tried to get together and make plans nothing really worked out. So he'd stopped trying. He hadn't heard anything from her in over four years.
And then she was there. Tapping him on the shoulder, like they were still in high school, and nothing had changed… but everything had changed. Why couldn't she see that? There she stood in front of him looking as normal as ever. Maybe older, but really she was the same Amy. She'd cut her hair, but he didn't really notice as he was staring into her hypnotic gray eyes.
"Hey, Matt!" she exclaimed with a smile that reached all the way up to her deep gray eyes. He must have looked slightly confused because she blushed, "I mean, you are Matt, aren't you? Because if you're not I'm really sorry, and all, I mean-" Matt cut her off.
"Of course it's me, Amy Fleming!" he grinned, and enveloped her in a hug… that was until her saw who it was that was standing behind her…
Ty. What was he doing here? Matt and Ty exchanged small smiles but he was pretty sure that neither reached either of the boy's eyes.
"Actually," Amy began to say in her sweet voice that seemed to strike a chord in Matt's heart even after ten years time, "It's Amy Baldwin." She smiled brightly and stared into Ty's eyes, hypnotic gray meeting fiery green. And though they didn't kiss, Matt felt as if she'd had seen something much more intimate. Something he himself did not understand.
Love- it was something Matt had never known.
Sure, he'd dated every once in a while, but he was fairly certain he hadn't felt the way Ty and Amy obviously felt for each other.
"Oh," he choked out, "oh, that great!" he managed to say somewhat loud with a phony smile plastered on his face. "How, long?" he asked.
"Just over three years. We tried to send you an invitation but I mean, Japan…that's a long ways away. I might have gotten lost in the mail or something. I would have thought your mom would have told you or something. Sorry." She smiled apologetically. Matt felt faint. When had all this happened? When he had left for Japan to complete his doctorate he had never thought that so much could change. He wondered if they had any kids…
"So you guys have like, kids?" he asked, sounding slightly nervous even to his own ears. She smiled once again and nodded. The smiling was starting to annoy him. How many times could one person smile in that short a period of time? It just wasn't necessary!
"We have twins, Jake and Cara, and one on the way," she smiled- again! - , and then patted her stomach, which didn't look any bigger than it had been at seventeen years old.
"That's great!" he exclaimed, but he it sounded phony. He knew that. He just hoped they hadn't figured it out yet. He faked a cough, and then said,
"I'm going to go get myself a drink. You guys want anything?" he asked. They both shook their heads no, and then he headed off in the direction the punch bowl, where he instead detoured out into the bathroom.
As he stood at the sink washing his hands, even though they were already perfectly clean, he looked into the mirror to see what he would find there. He didn't see anything too remarkable. But then again, nothing too hideous either. Slightly shaggy brown hair, reasonably attractive green eyes, a nice sized nose… he smiled, there was nothing wrong with his teeth. He sighed. Maybe there was something more wrong than that. Something wrong with his personality. Perhaps he was just a wet blanket…
And with these thoughts depressing him he headed out of the bathroom… and bumped into someone he hadn't seen in a very long time.
Soraya…
"Soraya! Hey!" he exclaimed, sounding surprised that she would be here. But then again, if Amy was here, then why not Soraya as well? Her dark exotic eyes widened.
"Matt! Wow, long time no see, buddy." She smiled, the surprise leaving her eyes, and then filling with a genuine happiness.
"No kidding," he laughed, "How have you been?" he asked.
"Pretty good. I got married to a great guy, Luke, last fall. He's been a great husband. No kids as of yet, but I bet they'll be coming in no time." She laughed.
As the night ended and he arrived home Matt felt the laugh ringing in his ears. Why couldn't he laugh like that? Even if he sat there and tried, he couldn't get a laugh like that to come out…
What was wrong with him? Wasn't there someone out there that could make him laugh like that?
He sighed.
I've never been in love…
And I probably never will be…
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So what did you think of that? I figure it was probably pretty depressing, but as I was reading the books I kept thinking that Matt never really seemed to work out with anyone, I mean, Amy, Ashley, Soraya, he kept trying, but really it never worked out, did it? I think he's always been too into the whole career thing too. Workaholic! Well, I hope that sufficiently depressed you for day. Maybe someday Matt will be in love though. He's probably just doubting himself, huh? So if you're a happy happy person than just think of it that way, huh? Okay, so that's all folks! You know the drill, read and review!
Thanks for reading,
Snappleapple518
