WARNING: The rape will be mentioned in this chapter; nothing too graphic will be included. If this is hard or upsetting for anyone please don't read.

Author's Note: Thank you all for the votes, favorites, follows, comments, reviews, and more! I so appreciate you all, and I love writing for other people. I'm sorry the updates aren't coming out as fast as people would like, I write when I'm in the mood, lol.

Song (On Wattpad): Be Still by The Fray (Thank you to TuxedoCat42 for suggesting this song! - Also, I absolutely love your username! Lol!)

Chapter Sixteen: I Should Have Told You


Once Sylvie got to sleep, she surprisingly stayed asleep for the rest of the night. How you may ask? Well, it was Matt. He wrapped his arms around her and held her as tight he could all night. He was the one who had a hard time going and staying asleep. Every time he closed his eyes he would hear her screaming out in terror. He hated seeing her like that. So scared and vulnerable. Matt wished he could do anything in the world to take all of this away from her.

He wrapped his arms tighter around her and watched as she wrinkled her face in worry as she slept. He waited, watched, and listened for anything around them in the dark, quiet room before he finally laid his head down beside hers and fell asleep.

When the morning came they were both wrapped around each other like tangled string. Neither of them had moved. They were too comfortable, warm, and safe to even question the thought of moving.

Sylvie was the first to open her eyes. She smiled the second she did when she remembered who was in the bed next to her.

His arms pulled her in tighter as he opened his eyes.

"Morning," Whispered Sylvie as she turned in his arms and faced him.

Matt smirked as he felt her move closer into him, "Morning. How did you sleep?"

"Surprisingly well after that dream. What about you? I'm sorry I woke you up like that."

Matt shook his head and turned to lay on his back, "Sylvie, you never have to apologize for dreams. Trust me I've had my fair share of those over the years."

Sylvie nodded and propped her head up with her hand and elbow and she stared at Matt, "You're right. I just hate when they feel so real, you know?"

Matt watched her speak and knew that she was holding back on something. "Sylvie, can I ask you something?"

"Sure," Nodded Sylvie before Matt sat up in bed and propped himself up against the headboard.

"Before you came here, you never had dreams when I slept with you. Why now? Why did you have one last night even though I was here with you?"

Sylvie froze and thought for a second, "Umm, I actually need to tell you something."

"Okay," Said Matt a little apprehensive and worried at what she was about to tell him.

"Remember a couple of days ago when I told you that Sasha called?"

"Yeah, you said that she didn't have anything new to tell you?"

"Well, I lied."

Matt raised his eyebrows at her and waited for her to continue. "You lied about what?"

"I told you that she didn't tell me anything new but she did. She actually told me a couple of things. Like apparently his last name is Mckinney."

"Mckinney?!" Questioned Matt out loud.

Sylvie nodded, "Yeah."

Matt watched her as she spoke and he knew there was more that she hadn't told him, "Sylvie, what else did she tell you?"

"Matt…"

"Sylvie," Spoke Matt as he interrupted her with his firm captain voice. "What did she tell you?"

"He lied to me. He never worked at Chicago Med, and he has never obtained any kind of medical license in the state of Illinois."

Matt nodded and waited for more.

"She also told me that he was watching me...weeks...before he...before he ever spoke to me at the gym."

Matt's eyes widened before he swiped the covers off of him and jumped out of the bed. He was angry. So angry that you could have taken a match and lit it off of him. He hated that she had lied to him when he asked if Sasha had given him any new updates.

His quick actions caused Sylvie to jump.

"Sylvie, why didn't you tell me this? This is big news."

"Matt, I didn't tell anyone except for Annie. I just...I didn't want to worry anyone, and I knew how mad you would get when I told you."

"You're damn right I'm angry! Sylvie, you had a stalker that none of us knew about. How'd you think I was gonna act when you told me?"

Sylvie nods and listened to him just before she burst out into tears.

Matt jumped on the bed and pulled her into his arms as soon as he saw the first tear slide down her cheek. He couldn't stand the thought of making her cry.

"Sylvie, I'm sorry I raised my voice at you. I shouldn't have yelled, I just I don't know why you keep pushing everyone out. We all want to be here for you right now. I want to be here for you."

Sylvie snuggled closer to him and soaked his sleep shirt with tears.

There's no telling how long they both stayed there glued to each other.

When Sylvie finally lifted her head off of Matt the morning light was fully charged. Neither of them had a clue what time it was.

"Matt, I'm sorry."

"Sylvie, it's fine. I just want you to feel and be safe."

"I am, Matt. Thank you for everything these last few weeks. I don't know how I would have done any of it without you."

Matt pulled away from her and put a hand on her cheek so that he could look into her beautiful, soft baby blue eyes. "Sylvie, you don't have to thank me for anything. I will always be here for you."

"I know you will." Smiled Sylvie before she took her hand and placed it on top of his, which was still on her cheek.

They stayed like that for a solid minute before Sylvie pulled away and broke the silence.

"Listen, I know you have to leave today, but I was wondering if you wanted to spend the day with me before you left."

Matt smiled and gazed at the beautiful woman in front of him, "Well, I'm sure that I could be persuaded to do that. What did you have in mind for our day, PIC Brett?"

Sylvie laughed and threw her head back, "Well, Captain Casey, I was thinking we could spend the day just going around Fowlerton and I could show you all of my favorite spots in town."

Matt nodded and listened to her, "That sounds like a plan."

"Really?!" Asked a suddenly excited Sylvie.

"Really. Let's do it. I'm excited to see where you grew up."

"Are you sure you don't have to get home too early to Chicago?"

"Sylvie, I'm sure."

"Okay, then." Smiled Sylvie before she hopped out of bed. "I'm gonna get ready and make us a quick breakfast. Any special requests?"

Matt shook his head before he responded, "Whatever you have is fine."

"Okay, I'll meet you downstairs in a few?"

Matt nodded and watched as Sylvie left the room. It sickened him to think that Owen had been watching her.

At that moment Matt thought that if he could find Owen he would kill him with his bare hands. He wanted to hurt that man so bad for what he did to Sylvie. It repulsed Matt to think of Sylvie being afraid of her safety.

He picked his phone off of the bed and chucked it across the room.

He was mad. No. Angry. He was angry. Why hadn't she told him about this before now? She had a stalker. The man was watching her before he...raped her.

Matt couldn't help his anger. He felt it the second she told him that she had been raped.

He walked over, picked his phone up off the floor, and cursed the big crack he saw across the screen. He hated how he had begun to act after all of this happened. Every chance he got it seemed he was punching, throwing, or slamming something. Even Kelly noticed. He tried to ask Matt what was wrong and if he wanted to talk about it, but Matt just shrugged him off and said he was fine.

Matt pushed his anger aside and followed Sylvie in getting ready for the day.

When he got downstairs Sylvie was standing at the counter plating their bacon, eggs, and toast.

"Hey, I would have helped you make the food."

Sylvie looked up at him, smiled, and shook her head, "No, you're my guest."

Matt walked up to her and took the plates so that he could set them on the table, "Well, thank you. It all looks very good."

Sylvie smiled then went to sit by Matt. They both sat quietly and enjoyed their meal for a few minutes before Matt interrupted the quiet.

"So, what do you have planned for us today?"

Sylvie set her fork down then took a sip of her orange juice before she responded, "Well, I was thinking that I could show you all of my old favorite spots. Then, maybe for lunch, we could go to my favorite dinner."

"Sounds good," Nodded Matt as he set his coffee mug down.

Not too long after that they both finished their breakfast and were ready to head out. Both were dressed in jeans and their comfiest long-sleeve t-shirts. They decided that since Sylvie was the tour guide for the day, they would just let her drive.

Fowlerton was like nothing Matt had ever seen before. It was drastically different and smaller compared to Chicago. Matt loved it. He never got the chance to live in a small town so everything about it screamed envy for him. It was honestly like something you would see from a Hallmark film. Everyone on the streets knew each other and they would smile and wave.

Sylvie thought it was adorable that Matt was glued to his window like a kid on any road trip.

She pointed out every store and house and Matt took it all in. He couldn't get enough. Seeing this place explained everything he ever needed to know about Sylvie. Everyone was nice, pleasant, and giving just like Sylvie.

They stopped at a couple of places here and there and Sylvie introduced him to everyone she could.

By the time lunch rolled around they were both starved. Sylvie insisted they go to her favorite dinner 'Fowler's'.

"Ya know Hope and I used to come here all the time when we were younger. This was our favorite high school hangout spot."

"Really?" Asked Matt before he thanked the waitress for their drinks, she had just sat down in front of them.

"Yeah. Surprisingly, we used to be really close. I thought she was one of my best friends."

"What happened between the two of you? I mean, of course, there was everything that went down in Chicago, but what actually happened?"

Sylvie shrugged her shoulder and balled up her hands in her lap, "We just couldn't click after a while."

"Well, all I have to say is good luck to the Chaplain."

Sylvie laughed and agreed with Matt.

They spent the rest of lunch telling stories and laughing with each other. Matt loved seeing Sylvie smile. He couldn't help but think about how much he missed her smile and careless laugh. Today she seemed like a completely different person. No one would ever think that something as traumatic as a rape happened to her.

The rest of the day seemed to fly by for the both of them. Before they knew it, it was the late afternoon and they were pulling back into Sylvie's parents' house so that Matt could get his bag and get on the road back to Chicago.

"You know, I could call off my job for tomorrow and stay another night with you?"

Sylvie shook her head and pulled her coat tighter around her, "Matt, you've already missed so much work because of me. I can't let you do that."

Matt put his bag in his truck and then walked over to stand in front of Sylvie, "Are you sure?"

Sylvie smiled and nodded her head, "I'm sure, Matt. Thank you for coming and being here with me."

"You know I'm only one call away if you need anything, right?"

"I do. Thank you, Matt."

Matt took one look at her and knew that leaving her there would be one of the hardest things that he had ever done. He couldn't stand the thought of her fearing for her safety.

"Okay, well I better get on the road then."

Sylvie nodded and walked over to Matt to give him a hug, "I'll miss you. I promise I'll be back in Chicago soon."

Matt pulled her in for the hug and held her as tight as she would allow him to. They were just about to pull away from each other when Sylvie suddenly stood up on her tippy toes and pulled Matt in for an earth-turning kiss.

She's not sure why she did it, but she did. She knew she wanted to feel something while he was there like Annie said, and she did. For just a second while they were kissing she felt like her old self. Someone who used to fall head over heels and madly in love with someone. She felt like she was Sylvie again.

When they finally pulled apart both of them looked at each other and Sylvie was about to apologize, but before she could get the words out Matt grabbed her face and pulled her in for another kiss that had them both smiling and feeling faint.

Kisses fix everything, right?


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Again, sorry for any typos, misspellings, or anything like that. I write late at night without my glasses on, lol.

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