Chapter 9: Nerves
Matty stood on the corner of the block, dressed in her light blue sundress, her arms crossed over her chest. She heard footsteps approach and turned. Letty made her way towards her, clad in one of Dom's shirts and a pair of his boxers. "What are you wearing?" Matty asked, her words clearly slurred.
"It's four in the morning, ain't nobody going to see me. What happened? You scared me with that phone call," she said. A sob escaped from Matty's mouth as she thought about the night's events.
"He left me, Letty. He lied and left," she cried out. Letty held her friend as she cried and began to make their way towards the house.
--
"Get up," Letty whispered at Matty, who had decided to sleep on the basement floor. "You can't sleep here! Get the fuck up!" Matty shook her head no and began to lay down on the floor.
Letty heard the bed springs in Vince's room squeak, followed by a string of curses. "You're going to get it. You woke Coyote up," she whispered to Matty.
Vince's bedroom door opened and he stepped out, clad in boxers and a wifebeater. "What the fuck?" He asked, finding Matty with her skirt over her head and Letty standing next to her.
"I'm thinking maybe a fifth of Walker," Letty said. Vince sighed and walked over to them. "I got this," he said, picking her body up from the floor by force. Letty nodded and made her way up the stairs.
Vince made his way into her room and placed her on the bed. "See, Vince, no more hickeys or nothing," she said, pulling off her dress and stretching out on the bed. That's when he noticed the bruises on the middle of her back.
"Matty, what happened to you?" He asked. He reached out and ran his hand over her back. Matty winced and pulled away from him, her eyes full of pain and fear. She pulled the covers over her body and turned away from him.
"Matilda, tell me what happened," he said, sitting down on the bed. She shrugged simply and ignored him. "Don't make me love you, Vince. Everyone I love goes away, so just leave me alone," she said.
Matilda, what happened to you? What drove you to be this way?, Vince thought to himself. "So that's what it is? You act like a bitch, keep everyone away from you because you're scared to love and let anyone close to you?" He said.
Matty flipped over and looked at him. "Have you lost someone before Vince? Do you know what it is to live off of someone else because you have no where else to go? Have you thought about killing yourself because you're too scared to live life by yourself?" She asked.
Tears streamed slowly down her face and Vince nodded slowly. He climbed into bed with her and drew her into his arms, against her will. "Do you really think that I live here in Dom's dingy basement for my own health? Do you think that I want to put up with Mia's constant bitching and Dom's orders for fun? Matty I'm just like you. Maybe even worse because I've been here for years," he whispered, softly.
--
"This isn't right Leon. Come on. Dom's been your dawg for years. This is fucked up," Letty whispered as Leon's hands roamed under her shirt. Leon currently had her pushed up against the side of the fridge, their bodies hidden by the fridge's shadows. Seconds later, Letty was pushing Leon's boxers down, reaching inside.
Suddenly Letty froze, hearing the pitter patter of something. "Letty?" A deep voice called out. Leon looked up, a look that screamed shock and fear clearly placed on his face. Letty shook her head softly and gulped. "Yeah, Dom?" She asked, slowly arranging her shirt. "What are you doing down here?" He called from the dark doorway.
Letty stepped out from her position next to the fridge and walked towards him. "I couldn't sleep, came down to get a glass of water and then I just started looking out through the window," she said, throwing her arms around his neck. "Well come upstairs and give me a massage," he said, making his way towards the stairs.
Leon waited until they were gone until he let go of the breath he was holding. He arranged his boxers and ran a shaky hand through his hair, breathing deeply. He made his way downstairs and locked himself in his room, cursing the day he hit puberty.
--
Vince glanced at the clock and then back at Matty, who was asleep in his arms. He smiled softly to himself and reached over to the night stand, turning off his alarm. As he turned back to her, she snuggled against his chest, digging her face into the crook of his neck.
He ran his hand up and down the middle of her spine, rubbing his face against hers. Matty murmured against his face, her hand reaching up and entangling itself in his hair. "What are you doing?" She mumbled, stifling a yawn with her other hand.
"Showing you that there's nothing wrong with being with someone and not being scared that they'll be gone the next minute," he said, placing a soft kiss on her forehead. Matty froze and backed away from him.
The events of last night came flooding back to her, a tear sliding down her face. "Take your time, Matty. Whether you learn it with me or with someone else, you gotta learn to be truly happy. Let go of your past and deal with the present. It's the only way to be able to catch up with the future," he whispered.
"I think we should get up and go help Dom. Today is Mia's day and you know she ain't doing shit. I think that after everything settles down around here, maybe me and you could go sit around somewhere and work on our pasts," she replied. Vince nodded softly, placing a soft kiss on her lips.
Matty stood up and exited the room, leaving Vince alone with his thoughts. He knew that Matty was in a vulnerable position, but there was something there that called out to him. He saw so much of himself in her and regretted having to deal with things by himself.
He leaned back into his pillow and closed his eyes, his hands clasped behind his neck. He thought about how good it felt to have a warm body in his bed that wasn't looking forward to anything. Would it be wrong if he asked her out on a date?
He stomach churned at the thought of actually going up to her and asking her officially out. Vince recognized the feeling and scowled.
He was nervous.