Disclaimer: The WWE and it's wrestlers are not mine, they belong to Vince McMahon and family.
Chapter 7: Falling for You
"Easy, I've got ya." Groggily, she felt herself hoisted up against a warm body.
*So many voices, moving in close then fading away.* "Pounding," Nora mumbled, "in my ears."
Matt smiled, "That's only our entrance music."
"Oh, so Jeff's here too?"
"Jeff has your belt slung over his shoulder right now."
"I won?!"
Brushing a curly tendril off her cheek, Matt responded fondly, "Sure did. You did terrific darlin."
"Good." Too tired to care, Nora let herself relax in Matt's arms, allowing the darkness to swallow her up. Concern etching his handsome face, Matt cradled Nora's bruised body closer, her blond hair spilling over his elbow.
At the hospital:
"Welcome back," a warm, gentle voice reached her ears.
Nora blinked twice in surprise, "Ma, Matt? What are you doing here? You carried me up the ramp?"
Matt chuckled, "Whoa, one question at a time. I wanted to see how you were feeling and yes I carried you up the ramp."
Without thinking, Nora asked forthrightly, "Why?"
"Why wouldn't I, it would have been rather thoughtless of me to leave you out there, unconscious."
"I, I don't remember passing out," Nora replied uncertainly.
Matt's brow furrowed, "You passed out in my arms."
Her flushed face matching Matt's, Nora asked, "I did?!"
Matt nodded, "You had us worried for a minute there."
*Us? What about you Matt?* Nora felt her sprits sink, her heart longing to hear Matt say the words, *I was worried about you.*
Troubled, Nora asked, , "What are my injuries?"
This time Matt's face darkened. Guiltily, Nora felt pleased that his face held genuine concern for her. "Well," Matt started, taking a deep breath, "you have a slight concussion, a deep cut above your right eye, a busted lip, a severely bruised hip and a cracked rib. The doctor said you'll be out for at least a couple of weeks."
"A few weeks!" she groaned, "and I thought it was serious," Nora quipped, her smile automatically crossing her face. "Ow, ooh, that hurts," Nora stated, gingerly touching her lip. As Matt watched her, an unwanted thought crossed through his mind, *her lips look delightfully luscious to me.. What?! Where did that come from?* Clearly freaked out, Matt jumped out of his chair, nearly knocking it over. "Um, I'll be right back." Uneasily, Nora watched him leave. *What did I do?* she thought apprehensively.
As the sliding doors opened, Matt stepped out into the cool, evening air and took a deep breath, "I'm not ready for this."
"Not ready for what?" Amy asked innocently, stepping up next to him. Nervously, Matt took a step away from her. "I couldn't stay inside any longer, it's very stifling just sitting in the waiting room."
*You're telling me!* Matt thought nervously. "Uh, I'm not ready to watch sappy movies with Nora!" he answered quickly, coming up with a spur-of-the-moment excuse.
Amy turned to study his face in surprise, "You're going to watch sappy, I mean, chick flicks with Nora?"
"Yep." Making up his mind with a firm decisiveness, he thought to himself, *As soon as I find out what sappy, chick flicks she likes that is.* Hurriedly, he excused himself. On a mission, he ran off in search of Shane and Jeff.
A short time later:
*I can't believe I'm doing this!* Matt thought to himself, his palms sweating, as he cautiously turned the knob.
Matt's face fell slightly as he focused on a peacefully sleeping Nora. Slowly, he turned to leave.
"Matt," Nora's voice laced heavily with sleep, "Why did you leave, did I do something wrong?"
Matt turned to face her, "No honey, you didn't do a thing wro.." he trailed off, realizing she was having some sort of nightmare. Silently, he moved to sit down beside her. Hesitantly, he rested his hand over hers, "Nora, wake up, you're only having a nightmare."
Rapidly, Nora's eyes snapped open as his voice entered her dreams, "I, I'm glad it was only a bad dream," she replied, her voice tight.
Unsure of what to say, Matt was relived when he caught the curious look in her eyes as to what was hidden behind him. Eyes gleaming, Matt said excitedly, "I got you something." Whipping out a bouquet of White Gardenias and two videos from behind his back, he grinned broadly as she reached out for the flowers.
"Oh, they're lovely, thank you!" she breathed. Inhaling in the fresh, perfumed fragrance, she closed her eyes. At that moment, Matt's heart ached, wishing he could make all her pain go away, a small part of him wondering if he was, the cause of her pain. *Just talk to her!* his mind screamed, but her excited voice interrupted his train of thought, " 'Wild Hearts Can't be broken', oh, I love this movie!" she cried, reaching out to wrap an arm around his neck. "Thank you," her whispered response reached his ear.
Gently, he hugged her back, "You're welcome."
"So, when are you going to watch them with me?" Nora asked slyly.
"Soon, but first you have to do something for me.." he responded mysteriously, a twinkle in his eye.
"Oh, I shouldn't have made this bet with you, I never understand strategy movies," Nora protested.
"Trust me, you'll like it," Matt assured her. Grabbing her arm, he led her down the aisle. Wincing, Nora wrapped her arm around her waist, as they sat down.
"Oh man, I'm sorry," Matt apologized, immediately contrite.
"It's alright," Nora replied with a smile.
"I thought your rib was pretty much healed by now."
"So did I," Nora grumbled, "but I go to the doctor tomorrow. The sooner I get back into the ring, the happier I'll be."
Matt nudged her gently, "But you've got me," he answered with a playful smile.
Nora allowed a small smile to grace her face, "Yes, you've been great Matt, thank you." Nora was doing her best to be grateful for Matt's friendship, but she wanted more. Determined to remind herself that at the very least, she had his friendship, Nora let out an inaudible sigh and turned around in her seat as the lights dimmed. In the dim light, she failed to notice Matt watching her in thoughtful concern, her sigh not as inaudible as she thought. Half-way through the movie, Nora suddenly gasped in horror as a huge explosion rippled through the stadium, on screen. "Oh my gosh!" She buried her face in Matt's shoulder, "I can't watch!"
Matt laughed, "Sure you can," he commented, giving her hand a squeeze. "Now turn around or you'll miss one of the most important parts of the film."
Hesitantly, Nora turned her face away from Matt's shoulder, "Sure, that's what you say," she muttered. But as the movie continued on, Nora found herself more engrossed than ever in the film's events.
As the lights came up and the end credits finished, Matt kept his hand at the small of Nora's back as they walked out of the theater.
"Would you get a load of that body! Maybe she should check out the inside of a gym every week!"
"A husky girl eh," another fellow behind her snickered.
Stiffly, Nora continued walking, her head held high, ignoring the pain inside her heart. Sensing Matt was no longer at her side, she stopped and turned around. Nora's mouth dropped open at the sight before her.
"I want you to apologize to her!" Matt growled.
"For what?" the guy retorted.
"Matt, it's okay. Don't worry about it," Nora said gently, walking back to him. She laid a on his arm, trying to ease the tension of the situation.
"For being a moron, you jack.." Matt's snapped angrily.
Matt!" Nora whispered tensely, her face filled with worry. Letting his tense face sink into a look of pure boredom, he released the collar of the guy's shirt. "You know what," Matt stated off-handedly, appraising the young man before him, "maybe you should check out the inside of a gym sometime-junior. Walking away, Matt muttered, "Punk," under his breath in disgust. Taking a deep breath, Nora looped her arm through Matt's, watching his jaw and neck muscles slowly relax. "Wow! I didn't realize you had such a temper," Nora stated, staring at him, her eyes wide.
"Generally, I don't. I don't waste my breath on people like that.. except what he said was cruel. He had no business saying that about you. Though, I didn't mean to make a scene back there, I'm sorr.."
"That's okay, thank you for standing up for me," Nora interjected quickly, her face flaming.
Matt stared at Nora in awe, "Wow, I thought you would be a lot more upset than this."
"I appreciate what you did back there. No guy has ever done that for me. Though, next time, words alone might be sufficient," Nora cautioned, fighting the smile that was beginning to play on her lips.
Back at Nora and Cora's place:
"Now, you have to watch at least one of the movies you purchased for me, with me," Nora said with a sly grin, as she settled herself on the couch.
"I know," Matt answered grumpily, as he sat down next to her with a sigh.
"Come now, you assured me that 'The Sum of All Fears,' was a good movie, and you were right, it was distinctively good." Nora continued on excitedly, "I especially liked the ending, when Ben asked the girl.."
"Ssh, we can't let our reading audience know the ending now can we?" Matt demanded playfully, with a grin.
"I suppose not," Nora replied with a smile of her own. "Anyway, like the 'The Sum of All Fears,' 'Wild Hearts Can't be Broken,' is a great movie. It's based on a true story too - a wonderful, romantic drama," Nora gushed.
"That's what I was afraid of," Matt groaned.
An 1 1/2 later:
Matt turned his head, putting a hand to his face.
Nora leaned forward, her long blonde hair sweeping forward, "Are you okay Matt? Do you have a headache?"
"No," he answered, turning his face from her, sniffling.
"You're crying!" she exclaimed.
"No, no I'm not," Matt stated flatly.
"Yes, yes you are," Nora crowed in triumph.
He turned around, removed his hand from his face-and began to tickle her mercilessly.
"Tell no one," he intoned in a deep voice, "that I cried at a chick flick."
"Alright, alright, I won't!" Nora yelled, laughing until her sides ached.
"Whew," Matt exclaimed in relief, flopping back onto the couch, "Jeff would never let me live it down."
"So," Matt spoke up uncomfortably, "tonight, you acted as if you'd been through that before, why?"
Nora lifted her head up and took a deep breath, "What are you talking about?"
"Come on, you know what I'm talking about: the guys, your reaction," Matt pushed gently.
With a heavy sigh, Nora changed her position, until she was facing Matt, her legs crossed-Indian style. "There was a time, unfortunately not long enough ago, that I fell in love with someone who I thought, returned that love. At first, I really never thought much of it, but whenever I was around him I dressed in bulky sweaters and blue jeans, since he was always telling me that I looked really terrific in them. Well, a few months after we had started dating, we went out for dinner and dancing, so I wore a much fancier outfit. As soon as he saw it though, he commanded that I put something else on, that it revealed too much. I remember feeling all giddy inside, thinking that he was all jealous because other guys might notice me, but oh, if I had only known.." Nora frowned deeply as the painful memory re-surfaced. Watching the show of emotions playing across her face, Matt shook his head, "Nora, it's alright, you don't have to continue."
She shook her head, "No, it's time I told someone else. I went home that night and stared into the full-length mirror at the dress I was originally going to wear. As I compared it to the sweater dress that he demanded I wear, that's when it hit me. The dress I had chosen, exposed my neckline and shoulders, and went slightly above the knee, unlike the long-sleeved sweater dress that covered up everything! That's when I knew, he was ashamed of my body. I was devastated."
"Oh Nora!" Matt breathed, "I had no idea."
Nora shook her head beseechingly, "Please, let me continue. I should have broken up with him right then, but was so blindly in love with him, I was willing to give up almost anything to keep him. So, for the next few weeks, I tried dieting and shed 10 pounds, but it was never good enough for him. He just kept telling me a few more pounds couldn't hurt."
Matt's eyes sparked dangerously, "To lose 10 pounds that quickly is unhealthy Nora. How could he let you do that?! Who was this scum?"
"I realized very quickly just how unhealthy it was, when my energy and stamina levels shot down, so I gave up, slowly readjusting back to my normal, healthier eating habits. Shortly thereafter, I decided to test him-I told him I was going to have plastic surgery done. To my utter disappointment and horror, he was ecstatic. I hadn't been planning on actually going through with it, but the sheer joy on his face was enough for me. I made an appointment the following week to have a consultation with the doctor. The doctor set up my appointment for the surgery a week after the consultation. I walked into the office, my heart in my stomach, I was terrified. As I sat down I thought about why I was doing this, not for me, but for him. He who didn't really love me, just the idea of loving a woman with a wonderful body," Nora stopped, a disgusted look on her face. "And so I walked out, shocked at what I had become and what I had done. I spent hours just driving. So, needless to say, I was not at all surprised to find him on my doorstep, arms crossed in anger. The doctor had called his number, asking what had happened to me. His first question was why didn't I have the surgery done. Not how was I or where had I been, but why didn't I go through with the surgery!" Nora stopped, her breath hitched. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Nora, I'm so sorry," Matt said, reaching out to wrap his arms around her.
"He broke up with me right then and there, saying he wasn't going to date someone who was so grossly overweight. It felt like a dagger being plunged into my heart." Burying her face in his shirt, Nora let the tears fall.
"Never feel that way again about yourself Nora." Gently tipping her chin up with his index finger, he forced her to look him in the eyes, "Don't rate yourself through everyone else's eyes. Your are beautiful and don't let anyone ever tell you any less. "He was a disrespectful fool to treat you like that, not having a clue to what he let go," Matt said softly, tenderly brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. Matt delicately cupped her cheek in his hand, inching closer to her face. Nora placed her hand over his. Closing her eyes, she drew closer, her lips waiting. "So beautiful," Matt whispered as he closed the gap between them
Chapter 7: Falling for You
"Easy, I've got ya." Groggily, she felt herself hoisted up against a warm body.
*So many voices, moving in close then fading away.* "Pounding," Nora mumbled, "in my ears."
Matt smiled, "That's only our entrance music."
"Oh, so Jeff's here too?"
"Jeff has your belt slung over his shoulder right now."
"I won?!"
Brushing a curly tendril off her cheek, Matt responded fondly, "Sure did. You did terrific darlin."
"Good." Too tired to care, Nora let herself relax in Matt's arms, allowing the darkness to swallow her up. Concern etching his handsome face, Matt cradled Nora's bruised body closer, her blond hair spilling over his elbow.
At the hospital:
"Welcome back," a warm, gentle voice reached her ears.
Nora blinked twice in surprise, "Ma, Matt? What are you doing here? You carried me up the ramp?"
Matt chuckled, "Whoa, one question at a time. I wanted to see how you were feeling and yes I carried you up the ramp."
Without thinking, Nora asked forthrightly, "Why?"
"Why wouldn't I, it would have been rather thoughtless of me to leave you out there, unconscious."
"I, I don't remember passing out," Nora replied uncertainly.
Matt's brow furrowed, "You passed out in my arms."
Her flushed face matching Matt's, Nora asked, "I did?!"
Matt nodded, "You had us worried for a minute there."
*Us? What about you Matt?* Nora felt her sprits sink, her heart longing to hear Matt say the words, *I was worried about you.*
Troubled, Nora asked, , "What are my injuries?"
This time Matt's face darkened. Guiltily, Nora felt pleased that his face held genuine concern for her. "Well," Matt started, taking a deep breath, "you have a slight concussion, a deep cut above your right eye, a busted lip, a severely bruised hip and a cracked rib. The doctor said you'll be out for at least a couple of weeks."
"A few weeks!" she groaned, "and I thought it was serious," Nora quipped, her smile automatically crossing her face. "Ow, ooh, that hurts," Nora stated, gingerly touching her lip. As Matt watched her, an unwanted thought crossed through his mind, *her lips look delightfully luscious to me.. What?! Where did that come from?* Clearly freaked out, Matt jumped out of his chair, nearly knocking it over. "Um, I'll be right back." Uneasily, Nora watched him leave. *What did I do?* she thought apprehensively.
As the sliding doors opened, Matt stepped out into the cool, evening air and took a deep breath, "I'm not ready for this."
"Not ready for what?" Amy asked innocently, stepping up next to him. Nervously, Matt took a step away from her. "I couldn't stay inside any longer, it's very stifling just sitting in the waiting room."
*You're telling me!* Matt thought nervously. "Uh, I'm not ready to watch sappy movies with Nora!" he answered quickly, coming up with a spur-of-the-moment excuse.
Amy turned to study his face in surprise, "You're going to watch sappy, I mean, chick flicks with Nora?"
"Yep." Making up his mind with a firm decisiveness, he thought to himself, *As soon as I find out what sappy, chick flicks she likes that is.* Hurriedly, he excused himself. On a mission, he ran off in search of Shane and Jeff.
A short time later:
*I can't believe I'm doing this!* Matt thought to himself, his palms sweating, as he cautiously turned the knob.
Matt's face fell slightly as he focused on a peacefully sleeping Nora. Slowly, he turned to leave.
"Matt," Nora's voice laced heavily with sleep, "Why did you leave, did I do something wrong?"
Matt turned to face her, "No honey, you didn't do a thing wro.." he trailed off, realizing she was having some sort of nightmare. Silently, he moved to sit down beside her. Hesitantly, he rested his hand over hers, "Nora, wake up, you're only having a nightmare."
Rapidly, Nora's eyes snapped open as his voice entered her dreams, "I, I'm glad it was only a bad dream," she replied, her voice tight.
Unsure of what to say, Matt was relived when he caught the curious look in her eyes as to what was hidden behind him. Eyes gleaming, Matt said excitedly, "I got you something." Whipping out a bouquet of White Gardenias and two videos from behind his back, he grinned broadly as she reached out for the flowers.
"Oh, they're lovely, thank you!" she breathed. Inhaling in the fresh, perfumed fragrance, she closed her eyes. At that moment, Matt's heart ached, wishing he could make all her pain go away, a small part of him wondering if he was, the cause of her pain. *Just talk to her!* his mind screamed, but her excited voice interrupted his train of thought, " 'Wild Hearts Can't be broken', oh, I love this movie!" she cried, reaching out to wrap an arm around his neck. "Thank you," her whispered response reached his ear.
Gently, he hugged her back, "You're welcome."
"So, when are you going to watch them with me?" Nora asked slyly.
"Soon, but first you have to do something for me.." he responded mysteriously, a twinkle in his eye.
"Oh, I shouldn't have made this bet with you, I never understand strategy movies," Nora protested.
"Trust me, you'll like it," Matt assured her. Grabbing her arm, he led her down the aisle. Wincing, Nora wrapped her arm around her waist, as they sat down.
"Oh man, I'm sorry," Matt apologized, immediately contrite.
"It's alright," Nora replied with a smile.
"I thought your rib was pretty much healed by now."
"So did I," Nora grumbled, "but I go to the doctor tomorrow. The sooner I get back into the ring, the happier I'll be."
Matt nudged her gently, "But you've got me," he answered with a playful smile.
Nora allowed a small smile to grace her face, "Yes, you've been great Matt, thank you." Nora was doing her best to be grateful for Matt's friendship, but she wanted more. Determined to remind herself that at the very least, she had his friendship, Nora let out an inaudible sigh and turned around in her seat as the lights dimmed. In the dim light, she failed to notice Matt watching her in thoughtful concern, her sigh not as inaudible as she thought. Half-way through the movie, Nora suddenly gasped in horror as a huge explosion rippled through the stadium, on screen. "Oh my gosh!" She buried her face in Matt's shoulder, "I can't watch!"
Matt laughed, "Sure you can," he commented, giving her hand a squeeze. "Now turn around or you'll miss one of the most important parts of the film."
Hesitantly, Nora turned her face away from Matt's shoulder, "Sure, that's what you say," she muttered. But as the movie continued on, Nora found herself more engrossed than ever in the film's events.
As the lights came up and the end credits finished, Matt kept his hand at the small of Nora's back as they walked out of the theater.
"Would you get a load of that body! Maybe she should check out the inside of a gym every week!"
"A husky girl eh," another fellow behind her snickered.
Stiffly, Nora continued walking, her head held high, ignoring the pain inside her heart. Sensing Matt was no longer at her side, she stopped and turned around. Nora's mouth dropped open at the sight before her.
"I want you to apologize to her!" Matt growled.
"For what?" the guy retorted.
"Matt, it's okay. Don't worry about it," Nora said gently, walking back to him. She laid a on his arm, trying to ease the tension of the situation.
"For being a moron, you jack.." Matt's snapped angrily.
Matt!" Nora whispered tensely, her face filled with worry. Letting his tense face sink into a look of pure boredom, he released the collar of the guy's shirt. "You know what," Matt stated off-handedly, appraising the young man before him, "maybe you should check out the inside of a gym sometime-junior. Walking away, Matt muttered, "Punk," under his breath in disgust. Taking a deep breath, Nora looped her arm through Matt's, watching his jaw and neck muscles slowly relax. "Wow! I didn't realize you had such a temper," Nora stated, staring at him, her eyes wide.
"Generally, I don't. I don't waste my breath on people like that.. except what he said was cruel. He had no business saying that about you. Though, I didn't mean to make a scene back there, I'm sorr.."
"That's okay, thank you for standing up for me," Nora interjected quickly, her face flaming.
Matt stared at Nora in awe, "Wow, I thought you would be a lot more upset than this."
"I appreciate what you did back there. No guy has ever done that for me. Though, next time, words alone might be sufficient," Nora cautioned, fighting the smile that was beginning to play on her lips.
Back at Nora and Cora's place:
"Now, you have to watch at least one of the movies you purchased for me, with me," Nora said with a sly grin, as she settled herself on the couch.
"I know," Matt answered grumpily, as he sat down next to her with a sigh.
"Come now, you assured me that 'The Sum of All Fears,' was a good movie, and you were right, it was distinctively good." Nora continued on excitedly, "I especially liked the ending, when Ben asked the girl.."
"Ssh, we can't let our reading audience know the ending now can we?" Matt demanded playfully, with a grin.
"I suppose not," Nora replied with a smile of her own. "Anyway, like the 'The Sum of All Fears,' 'Wild Hearts Can't be Broken,' is a great movie. It's based on a true story too - a wonderful, romantic drama," Nora gushed.
"That's what I was afraid of," Matt groaned.
An 1 1/2 later:
Matt turned his head, putting a hand to his face.
Nora leaned forward, her long blonde hair sweeping forward, "Are you okay Matt? Do you have a headache?"
"No," he answered, turning his face from her, sniffling.
"You're crying!" she exclaimed.
"No, no I'm not," Matt stated flatly.
"Yes, yes you are," Nora crowed in triumph.
He turned around, removed his hand from his face-and began to tickle her mercilessly.
"Tell no one," he intoned in a deep voice, "that I cried at a chick flick."
"Alright, alright, I won't!" Nora yelled, laughing until her sides ached.
"Whew," Matt exclaimed in relief, flopping back onto the couch, "Jeff would never let me live it down."
"So," Matt spoke up uncomfortably, "tonight, you acted as if you'd been through that before, why?"
Nora lifted her head up and took a deep breath, "What are you talking about?"
"Come on, you know what I'm talking about: the guys, your reaction," Matt pushed gently.
With a heavy sigh, Nora changed her position, until she was facing Matt, her legs crossed-Indian style. "There was a time, unfortunately not long enough ago, that I fell in love with someone who I thought, returned that love. At first, I really never thought much of it, but whenever I was around him I dressed in bulky sweaters and blue jeans, since he was always telling me that I looked really terrific in them. Well, a few months after we had started dating, we went out for dinner and dancing, so I wore a much fancier outfit. As soon as he saw it though, he commanded that I put something else on, that it revealed too much. I remember feeling all giddy inside, thinking that he was all jealous because other guys might notice me, but oh, if I had only known.." Nora frowned deeply as the painful memory re-surfaced. Watching the show of emotions playing across her face, Matt shook his head, "Nora, it's alright, you don't have to continue."
She shook her head, "No, it's time I told someone else. I went home that night and stared into the full-length mirror at the dress I was originally going to wear. As I compared it to the sweater dress that he demanded I wear, that's when it hit me. The dress I had chosen, exposed my neckline and shoulders, and went slightly above the knee, unlike the long-sleeved sweater dress that covered up everything! That's when I knew, he was ashamed of my body. I was devastated."
"Oh Nora!" Matt breathed, "I had no idea."
Nora shook her head beseechingly, "Please, let me continue. I should have broken up with him right then, but was so blindly in love with him, I was willing to give up almost anything to keep him. So, for the next few weeks, I tried dieting and shed 10 pounds, but it was never good enough for him. He just kept telling me a few more pounds couldn't hurt."
Matt's eyes sparked dangerously, "To lose 10 pounds that quickly is unhealthy Nora. How could he let you do that?! Who was this scum?"
"I realized very quickly just how unhealthy it was, when my energy and stamina levels shot down, so I gave up, slowly readjusting back to my normal, healthier eating habits. Shortly thereafter, I decided to test him-I told him I was going to have plastic surgery done. To my utter disappointment and horror, he was ecstatic. I hadn't been planning on actually going through with it, but the sheer joy on his face was enough for me. I made an appointment the following week to have a consultation with the doctor. The doctor set up my appointment for the surgery a week after the consultation. I walked into the office, my heart in my stomach, I was terrified. As I sat down I thought about why I was doing this, not for me, but for him. He who didn't really love me, just the idea of loving a woman with a wonderful body," Nora stopped, a disgusted look on her face. "And so I walked out, shocked at what I had become and what I had done. I spent hours just driving. So, needless to say, I was not at all surprised to find him on my doorstep, arms crossed in anger. The doctor had called his number, asking what had happened to me. His first question was why didn't I have the surgery done. Not how was I or where had I been, but why didn't I go through with the surgery!" Nora stopped, her breath hitched. A single tear rolled down her cheek.
"Nora, I'm so sorry," Matt said, reaching out to wrap his arms around her.
"He broke up with me right then and there, saying he wasn't going to date someone who was so grossly overweight. It felt like a dagger being plunged into my heart." Burying her face in his shirt, Nora let the tears fall.
"Never feel that way again about yourself Nora." Gently tipping her chin up with his index finger, he forced her to look him in the eyes, "Don't rate yourself through everyone else's eyes. Your are beautiful and don't let anyone ever tell you any less. "He was a disrespectful fool to treat you like that, not having a clue to what he let go," Matt said softly, tenderly brushing a lock of hair out of her eyes. Matt delicately cupped her cheek in his hand, inching closer to her face. Nora placed her hand over his. Closing her eyes, she drew closer, her lips waiting. "So beautiful," Matt whispered as he closed the gap between them