Chapter 39
Random thoughts were flying around Matt's head. He thought of Corinne, and Amy. He could see both of them, Corinne smiling at him, the feeling of her in his arms, he remembered how happy Amy and he had been in the early years, the way she kissed his neck, and then he remembered the hurt he felt each time she turned away from him and went to the next guy. Matt jumped out of his car and noted that there didn't seem to be anyone at Jeff's house. Usually when there was a party, the place was brimming with people, cars, and loud music. He headed towards the back where a sullen yellow light was gleaming in the dark night.
.............................
Amy sat by the table in the middle of the pool area and waited. She had heard the car door slam and knew that he was on his way.
.............................
Jeff and Corinne sat in the basement where there was a huge entertainment system watching a movie. Corinne kept on looking at the watch on the wall. It was 9:30.
"What the hell is taking him so long to call?" Jeff said, standing up from the couch and stretching.
"Maybe we should call him?"
"Give me a sec." Jeff grabbed the portable phone and dialed Matt's cell number.
"Hmm, no answer. That's weird. He might have fallen asleep. I'll just keep calling."
"Okay." Corinne said worriedly.
"Hey, why aren't you smiling? Don't worry about it kid, he'll be here." Jeff said nudging her chin up.
"I'll be right back. Just going to go to the bathroom."
"Okay, I'm going to go check on the food I guess." She said, rising from the couch and walked up the stairs towards the kitchen.
.............................
"Amy?" Matt said when he saw her amidst the soft light from the candles.
"Hi Matt. Happy Birthday."
"What is this? Did Jeff and you..."
"Yeah, Jeff helped me." Amy said feeling a twinge of guilt but she steeled herself away from the feeling.
"Oh my god. This is beautiful. Thank you." He walked up to Amy to hug her.
"Come on Matt. Can you kiss me, for old time sake? I'm sorry about the other night. It's just that...I love you so much." Amy said, a single tear falling from her hazel eyes.
Matt felt uncomfortable. And Amy could sense this so she looked up innocently.
"Matt, were friends aren't we?"
"Yes of course."
"Well, just a little kiss. For old times sake..."
"For old times sake," He whispered and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek but before he could pull away Amy grabbed his shoulders and pressed her lips fully up to his.
.............................
Corinne walked into the kitchen. She grabbed the plate of food to place in back in the oven and as she turned around she saw a movement by the pool. The plate fell to the floor when she saw Matt walk towards Amy and kiss her passionately.
"Oh my god..." She whispered to herself.
"Corinne, how's the food coming?" Jeff asked walking over then saw the broken plate on the floor.
"What's wrong?" He asked then looked up to see Matt and Amy kissing in his backyard.
"Holy shit." He said just as Corinne turned around and walked quickly away. .
.............................
Matt tried to disentangle himself from Amy but she was holding on to him ferociously tight. She was reaching down to unbutton his pants when he was finally able to pull himself away.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" He said angrily, trying to fix his clothing.
"Matt, I just don't understand you! I know you still want to be with me."
"No, Amy. I don't. I want to be with Corinne, alright? Corinne! Get that through your thick head."
"She doesn't want to be with you."
"What?" "She doesn't want to be with you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Do you want to know where she's been all day? She's been here. With Jeff. He dumped Beth for her and they've been here this whole day probably fucking their brains out."
Matt's could fill the blood filling his brain.
"You don't believe me do you? Go in there right now. But I warn you, you won't like what you see. Your little Corinne is just like any other girl. She wants your brother...not you!" She yelled as she ran away from him. Matt looked at the glow of the lights in the house. Jeff's words pounded his brain like waves crashing onto the coast.
"Good God Matt, you'd think you guys were together the way you keep on checking up on her. What if she was on a date?"
"What?"
"Well...a date. You guys have never actually set anything about your relationship have you?"
His hands shook as he pulled open the door to the house.
.............................
"Corinne, I'm so sorry. I don't know what's going on." Jeff said gravely as he sat down next to her on the couch.
Her shoulders were shaking as silent sobs racked her body. "It's not your fault. I should have known that he would never want Amy over me. Why would he?"
"Because you're beautiful, and you're smart, and you're the bravest woman I've ever met." Corinne hugged him and Jeff leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead.
.............................
Matt heard the voices in the living room. He walked in to hear Jeff say: "....you're beautiful, and you're smart, and you're the bravest woman I've ever met."
Then he saw Corinne lean forward to hug Jeff and saw him kiss her softly on the forehead. He turned away feeling his heart breaking and the anger running through his veins. As he walked out of the back door, he raised his fist at the glass covering the door and punched it, the sound of the breaking shards of glass echoing through the house. Blood ran down his arm, but Matt walked on oblivious to the pain.
.............................
The breaking glass made both Corinne and Jeff jump.
"What the hell was that?" Jeff said as they both stood up to find where the noise had come from.
They entered the kitchen and saw the broken glass, but didn't see Matt and Amy anywhere. Jeff looked at the blood on the glass and thought about his brother.
"Jeff, I'm going home." Corinne said softly.
"Wait, Corinne. There has to be a...."
"No Jeff. It's over. I don't want to feel this way anymore. We tried, but it didn't work." She turned away to go upstairs but he grabbed her arm.
"Corinne, it's late. At least stay the night." Jeff said softly. Her eyes softened as she looked at the pleading look in his eyes. The shape of them reminded her of Matt's deep brown eyes.
She shook her head. "I can't. I have to go."
Random thoughts were flying around Matt's head. He thought of Corinne, and Amy. He could see both of them, Corinne smiling at him, the feeling of her in his arms, he remembered how happy Amy and he had been in the early years, the way she kissed his neck, and then he remembered the hurt he felt each time she turned away from him and went to the next guy. Matt jumped out of his car and noted that there didn't seem to be anyone at Jeff's house. Usually when there was a party, the place was brimming with people, cars, and loud music. He headed towards the back where a sullen yellow light was gleaming in the dark night.
.............................
Amy sat by the table in the middle of the pool area and waited. She had heard the car door slam and knew that he was on his way.
.............................
Jeff and Corinne sat in the basement where there was a huge entertainment system watching a movie. Corinne kept on looking at the watch on the wall. It was 9:30.
"What the hell is taking him so long to call?" Jeff said, standing up from the couch and stretching.
"Maybe we should call him?"
"Give me a sec." Jeff grabbed the portable phone and dialed Matt's cell number.
"Hmm, no answer. That's weird. He might have fallen asleep. I'll just keep calling."
"Okay." Corinne said worriedly.
"Hey, why aren't you smiling? Don't worry about it kid, he'll be here." Jeff said nudging her chin up.
"I'll be right back. Just going to go to the bathroom."
"Okay, I'm going to go check on the food I guess." She said, rising from the couch and walked up the stairs towards the kitchen.
.............................
"Amy?" Matt said when he saw her amidst the soft light from the candles.
"Hi Matt. Happy Birthday."
"What is this? Did Jeff and you..."
"Yeah, Jeff helped me." Amy said feeling a twinge of guilt but she steeled herself away from the feeling.
"Oh my god. This is beautiful. Thank you." He walked up to Amy to hug her.
"Come on Matt. Can you kiss me, for old time sake? I'm sorry about the other night. It's just that...I love you so much." Amy said, a single tear falling from her hazel eyes.
Matt felt uncomfortable. And Amy could sense this so she looked up innocently.
"Matt, were friends aren't we?"
"Yes of course."
"Well, just a little kiss. For old times sake..."
"For old times sake," He whispered and gave her a friendly kiss on the cheek but before he could pull away Amy grabbed his shoulders and pressed her lips fully up to his.
.............................
Corinne walked into the kitchen. She grabbed the plate of food to place in back in the oven and as she turned around she saw a movement by the pool. The plate fell to the floor when she saw Matt walk towards Amy and kiss her passionately.
"Oh my god..." She whispered to herself.
"Corinne, how's the food coming?" Jeff asked walking over then saw the broken plate on the floor.
"What's wrong?" He asked then looked up to see Matt and Amy kissing in his backyard.
"Holy shit." He said just as Corinne turned around and walked quickly away. .
.............................
Matt tried to disentangle himself from Amy but she was holding on to him ferociously tight. She was reaching down to unbutton his pants when he was finally able to pull himself away.
"What the hell is the matter with you?" He said angrily, trying to fix his clothing.
"Matt, I just don't understand you! I know you still want to be with me."
"No, Amy. I don't. I want to be with Corinne, alright? Corinne! Get that through your thick head."
"She doesn't want to be with you."
"What?" "She doesn't want to be with you."
"What the hell are you talking about?"
"Do you want to know where she's been all day? She's been here. With Jeff. He dumped Beth for her and they've been here this whole day probably fucking their brains out."
Matt's could fill the blood filling his brain.
"You don't believe me do you? Go in there right now. But I warn you, you won't like what you see. Your little Corinne is just like any other girl. She wants your brother...not you!" She yelled as she ran away from him. Matt looked at the glow of the lights in the house. Jeff's words pounded his brain like waves crashing onto the coast.
"Good God Matt, you'd think you guys were together the way you keep on checking up on her. What if she was on a date?"
"What?"
"Well...a date. You guys have never actually set anything about your relationship have you?"
His hands shook as he pulled open the door to the house.
.............................
"Corinne, I'm so sorry. I don't know what's going on." Jeff said gravely as he sat down next to her on the couch.
Her shoulders were shaking as silent sobs racked her body. "It's not your fault. I should have known that he would never want Amy over me. Why would he?"
"Because you're beautiful, and you're smart, and you're the bravest woman I've ever met." Corinne hugged him and Jeff leaned in and kissed her softly on the forehead.
.............................
Matt heard the voices in the living room. He walked in to hear Jeff say: "....you're beautiful, and you're smart, and you're the bravest woman I've ever met."
Then he saw Corinne lean forward to hug Jeff and saw him kiss her softly on the forehead. He turned away feeling his heart breaking and the anger running through his veins. As he walked out of the back door, he raised his fist at the glass covering the door and punched it, the sound of the breaking shards of glass echoing through the house. Blood ran down his arm, but Matt walked on oblivious to the pain.
.............................
The breaking glass made both Corinne and Jeff jump.
"What the hell was that?" Jeff said as they both stood up to find where the noise had come from.
They entered the kitchen and saw the broken glass, but didn't see Matt and Amy anywhere. Jeff looked at the blood on the glass and thought about his brother.
"Jeff, I'm going home." Corinne said softly.
"Wait, Corinne. There has to be a...."
"No Jeff. It's over. I don't want to feel this way anymore. We tried, but it didn't work." She turned away to go upstairs but he grabbed her arm.
"Corinne, it's late. At least stay the night." Jeff said softly. Her eyes softened as she looked at the pleading look in his eyes. The shape of them reminded her of Matt's deep brown eyes.
She shook her head. "I can't. I have to go."