Chapter 44
Matt pulled into the highway heading out of North Carolina, the rain beating down on the window of the car. His mind was full of thoughts, worries, and the image of her face...he swerved the car to the right, narrowly missing another car as he pulled over on the side of the road.
"Damn it! What the hell am I doing?" He said to himself dejectedly then slowly and carefully pulled back safely onto the left side of the highway perfectly meaning to get off at the next exit and go back home. He turned on the radio, switching stations randomly to try to disturb his thoughts of Corinne.
A faintly familiar tune came on... (Note: this is a very rough, ROUGH translation of the song "Inevitable" by Shakira...sorry, but you'll get the picture)
"To be true I must confess making coffee and a mess, don't know anything bout football.
Been unfaithful once or twice, cannot even win a dance as for watches I don't use one.
To be completely honest no one thinks of you quite the way I do...it's all the same to you now.
To be true I must confess. I never sleep by twelve, never take a bath on Sundays.
Since I'm telling you so much I cry out just once a month when the weather turns to freezing.
With me nothing is easy only you can tell...you know me so well....
I can't find anyway to forget you because to keep on loving you is inevitable.
Always felt that it was true when we talk about me too I should be the first one to reveal.
Sure you know what's going on nothings better since you're gone at the very least and baby, and you won't be returning nothing left to tell I know you so well.
Every day that passes is the same just like used to be, I can't find any way to forget you because to keep on loving you is inevitable...."
He had been driving, listening so intently to the song that he missed his exit.
Even when the song ended the line, "I can't find any way to forget you because to keep on loving you is inevitable..." played over and over again in his mind. He drove and he drove, thinking about Corinne. He had barely survived the past three months without her...how much more could he take? When next he looked away from the road, it was dark, the moon cast a sullen shadow on all the trees around Corinne's quiet neighborhood. As the realization of how far he had driven hit him a burst of exhaustion plagued him and his head fell on the steering wheel. His head pounded and he felt weak headed.
A single light flickered in her living room and he knew she was there... Corinne flipped through the channels uninterestedly. She paused in her silent musings when she heard a car stop near her house. She glanced at the window and at the time. It was almost midnight; she knew that none of her friends would stop by at this time. She jumped when the phone rang. She quickly glanced at the caller id and noted that it was Taylor. They had talked from time to time after Corinne had made certain that the topic would never be either Matt or Jeff. She picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey hey. Sorry I'm calling so late, but I figured you'd be up."
"Yep I am. What's up?"
"Um, nothing. I was just wondering what you're still doing up? You do realize of course that I've been calling you late on purpose so I can check on you?" Taylor said apprehensively on the phone. Corinne could almost see the worry in her gaze.
"Tay, I'm fine. I'm just having some problems sleeping that's all. I'll be fine soon though, I guess my body's just not used to not doing any work anymore."
"Sweetie, it's been three months. Come on, I'm sure you're not quite as chipper as you try to make me believe."
"Honestly, I'm fine." Corinne looked down at the loose sweats she was wearing. She knew she looked horrible. Everyone she had seen had told her how tired she always looked, but she could never sleep. She would often just stay up all night long thinking about Matt and somehow, sleep always eluded her. Even in her dreams, all she could see was him.
"I think you need a vacation. How about a nice trip to Canada? I have a free room you can use."
"I'll think about it. Seriously."
"Good. I have to go now before I wake up Julie, but please consider it Corinne. I think it'd do you a world of good."
"I'm considering it. Now you better go before you wake her up." Corinne said.
"Good night Corinne."
"Good night Tay." She said.
She hung up the phone and looked back at the t.v. It was almost 12:30. She stood up and stretched and then sat back down quickly when she heard a thump at her front door. She glanced nervously outside the windows. The wind was blowing strongly outside, and forecasts of snow the next morning had been all over the news that day.
"The wind probably knocked something." She said calmly to herself as she glanced nervously at the door.
But to be safe she slowly walked towards it and flicked on the front door light. She looked through the peephole and couldn't see anyone. Cautiously she opened the door. She looked out into the street and noticed the black corvette parked crookedly on her front yard. She was about to shut the door in fear when she heard a groan on the ground and saw a man slumped precariously on the side railing on the stairs.
There was something vaguely familiar about him but in fear she was about to close the door again when she heard him say:
"Please don't close the door." Matt whispered.
"Matt?" She whispered disbelievingly.
"Hey." He said huskily.
"What are you...I mean...How did you...I... are you okay?" She stuttered and then heard him groan again.
"I'm fine...I just need to talk to you." He said attempting to stand up from the railing. He finally stood in front of her and saw her crying.
"Please don't...don't cry Rinnie...I..." He tried to get the words out but his lips wouldn't cooperate with him. He had never seen a more beautiful sight than her at that moment, with tears in her eyes. A sudden lightheadedness hit him and he stumbled but she caught him.
"Matt! Oh my god. Come on." She said as he slumped inelegantly on her shoulder and she tried to bring him inside the house. "Matt when was the last time you had anything to eat? You look awful. I'm going to go make you a sandwich and then you're going to bed because I've never seen you as tired as this." She babbled.
She was indeed concerned but her unnecessary prattle was to force herself not to think about why he was at her house. They finally got to the couch where Corinne helped him sit down. He closed his eyes, and tried to make a coherent thought in his mind. She stood back and stared at him and couldn't help but brush his hair away from his face. As soon as he felt her hand on his face he grabbed it and held it to his cheek, pulling her down on his lap. She shrieked when he pulled her on his lap, the action completely stunned her.
"Matt, let me up."
"No, Corinne please just listen to me. Please...if there's anyone else with you right now tell me. I need to know. If you want me to leave I will. I swear to you please just let me know how you feel about me..." He lamented as he held her in his arms.
"Matt please. Look you're not thinking correctly right now, just let me ..."
"No! Amy and I...we're not together, we haven't been since I met you. I had no idea you were at Jeff's house with him and that you had set up that whole surprise for me. I swear to you I didn't. I don't want to be with Amy, I want to be with you. If you don't feel the same way just tell me, tell me and put me out of my misery. I'll always love you no matter what. I can't ever forget you cause I'll always love you, it's inevitable that I'll keep on loving you for the rest of my..." Matt stopped in the middle of his ramble as she grabbed his face in two of her hands and leaned in to kiss him passionately. He kissed her back repeatedly and then pulled away, kissing her softly and slowly, over each eye, over her nose, her cheeks.
"I love you too Matt." She said. She knew now what had been missing before, it was him. Losing him for the past few months had turned her life into an empty shell and she knew that she would never lose him again.
"I love you so much." He said. He lay down on the couch still holding on to her. She kissed him on his neck softly and then heard his even quiet breathing. She carefully disentangled herself from him and stood up next to the couch. She tenderly traced the tired lines on his face, saw the dark shadows under his eyes and the utter exhaustion in him and yet she smiled. She put a blanket on top of him and went up to her own bedroom to sleep
Matt pulled into the highway heading out of North Carolina, the rain beating down on the window of the car. His mind was full of thoughts, worries, and the image of her face...he swerved the car to the right, narrowly missing another car as he pulled over on the side of the road.
"Damn it! What the hell am I doing?" He said to himself dejectedly then slowly and carefully pulled back safely onto the left side of the highway perfectly meaning to get off at the next exit and go back home. He turned on the radio, switching stations randomly to try to disturb his thoughts of Corinne.
A faintly familiar tune came on... (Note: this is a very rough, ROUGH translation of the song "Inevitable" by Shakira...sorry, but you'll get the picture)
"To be true I must confess making coffee and a mess, don't know anything bout football.
Been unfaithful once or twice, cannot even win a dance as for watches I don't use one.
To be completely honest no one thinks of you quite the way I do...it's all the same to you now.
To be true I must confess. I never sleep by twelve, never take a bath on Sundays.
Since I'm telling you so much I cry out just once a month when the weather turns to freezing.
With me nothing is easy only you can tell...you know me so well....
I can't find anyway to forget you because to keep on loving you is inevitable.
Always felt that it was true when we talk about me too I should be the first one to reveal.
Sure you know what's going on nothings better since you're gone at the very least and baby, and you won't be returning nothing left to tell I know you so well.
Every day that passes is the same just like used to be, I can't find any way to forget you because to keep on loving you is inevitable...."
He had been driving, listening so intently to the song that he missed his exit.
Even when the song ended the line, "I can't find any way to forget you because to keep on loving you is inevitable..." played over and over again in his mind. He drove and he drove, thinking about Corinne. He had barely survived the past three months without her...how much more could he take? When next he looked away from the road, it was dark, the moon cast a sullen shadow on all the trees around Corinne's quiet neighborhood. As the realization of how far he had driven hit him a burst of exhaustion plagued him and his head fell on the steering wheel. His head pounded and he felt weak headed.
A single light flickered in her living room and he knew she was there... Corinne flipped through the channels uninterestedly. She paused in her silent musings when she heard a car stop near her house. She glanced at the window and at the time. It was almost midnight; she knew that none of her friends would stop by at this time. She jumped when the phone rang. She quickly glanced at the caller id and noted that it was Taylor. They had talked from time to time after Corinne had made certain that the topic would never be either Matt or Jeff. She picked up the phone.
"Hello?"
"Hey hey. Sorry I'm calling so late, but I figured you'd be up."
"Yep I am. What's up?"
"Um, nothing. I was just wondering what you're still doing up? You do realize of course that I've been calling you late on purpose so I can check on you?" Taylor said apprehensively on the phone. Corinne could almost see the worry in her gaze.
"Tay, I'm fine. I'm just having some problems sleeping that's all. I'll be fine soon though, I guess my body's just not used to not doing any work anymore."
"Sweetie, it's been three months. Come on, I'm sure you're not quite as chipper as you try to make me believe."
"Honestly, I'm fine." Corinne looked down at the loose sweats she was wearing. She knew she looked horrible. Everyone she had seen had told her how tired she always looked, but she could never sleep. She would often just stay up all night long thinking about Matt and somehow, sleep always eluded her. Even in her dreams, all she could see was him.
"I think you need a vacation. How about a nice trip to Canada? I have a free room you can use."
"I'll think about it. Seriously."
"Good. I have to go now before I wake up Julie, but please consider it Corinne. I think it'd do you a world of good."
"I'm considering it. Now you better go before you wake her up." Corinne said.
"Good night Corinne."
"Good night Tay." She said.
She hung up the phone and looked back at the t.v. It was almost 12:30. She stood up and stretched and then sat back down quickly when she heard a thump at her front door. She glanced nervously outside the windows. The wind was blowing strongly outside, and forecasts of snow the next morning had been all over the news that day.
"The wind probably knocked something." She said calmly to herself as she glanced nervously at the door.
But to be safe she slowly walked towards it and flicked on the front door light. She looked through the peephole and couldn't see anyone. Cautiously she opened the door. She looked out into the street and noticed the black corvette parked crookedly on her front yard. She was about to shut the door in fear when she heard a groan on the ground and saw a man slumped precariously on the side railing on the stairs.
There was something vaguely familiar about him but in fear she was about to close the door again when she heard him say:
"Please don't close the door." Matt whispered.
"Matt?" She whispered disbelievingly.
"Hey." He said huskily.
"What are you...I mean...How did you...I... are you okay?" She stuttered and then heard him groan again.
"I'm fine...I just need to talk to you." He said attempting to stand up from the railing. He finally stood in front of her and saw her crying.
"Please don't...don't cry Rinnie...I..." He tried to get the words out but his lips wouldn't cooperate with him. He had never seen a more beautiful sight than her at that moment, with tears in her eyes. A sudden lightheadedness hit him and he stumbled but she caught him.
"Matt! Oh my god. Come on." She said as he slumped inelegantly on her shoulder and she tried to bring him inside the house. "Matt when was the last time you had anything to eat? You look awful. I'm going to go make you a sandwich and then you're going to bed because I've never seen you as tired as this." She babbled.
She was indeed concerned but her unnecessary prattle was to force herself not to think about why he was at her house. They finally got to the couch where Corinne helped him sit down. He closed his eyes, and tried to make a coherent thought in his mind. She stood back and stared at him and couldn't help but brush his hair away from his face. As soon as he felt her hand on his face he grabbed it and held it to his cheek, pulling her down on his lap. She shrieked when he pulled her on his lap, the action completely stunned her.
"Matt, let me up."
"No, Corinne please just listen to me. Please...if there's anyone else with you right now tell me. I need to know. If you want me to leave I will. I swear to you please just let me know how you feel about me..." He lamented as he held her in his arms.
"Matt please. Look you're not thinking correctly right now, just let me ..."
"No! Amy and I...we're not together, we haven't been since I met you. I had no idea you were at Jeff's house with him and that you had set up that whole surprise for me. I swear to you I didn't. I don't want to be with Amy, I want to be with you. If you don't feel the same way just tell me, tell me and put me out of my misery. I'll always love you no matter what. I can't ever forget you cause I'll always love you, it's inevitable that I'll keep on loving you for the rest of my..." Matt stopped in the middle of his ramble as she grabbed his face in two of her hands and leaned in to kiss him passionately. He kissed her back repeatedly and then pulled away, kissing her softly and slowly, over each eye, over her nose, her cheeks.
"I love you too Matt." She said. She knew now what had been missing before, it was him. Losing him for the past few months had turned her life into an empty shell and she knew that she would never lose him again.
"I love you so much." He said. He lay down on the couch still holding on to her. She kissed him on his neck softly and then heard his even quiet breathing. She carefully disentangled herself from him and stood up next to the couch. She tenderly traced the tired lines on his face, saw the dark shadows under his eyes and the utter exhaustion in him and yet she smiled. She put a blanket on top of him and went up to her own bedroom to sleep