CONSEQUENCES AND CONFLICT B

After waiting until I know for sure that Jeff is no longer behind me, I reluctantly began making my way past the door to Mr. McMahon's office, wincing as I hear a slight yell come from inside; one which tells me that Mark still isn't happy about me using his face as a punching bag.

Which I really couldn't blame him for.

Mentally shaking my head, I try to focus solely on the situation at hand; knowing that instead of being worried about the bruised ego that my boyfriend had, I should be more worried about what I'm going to say to Matt once I reach his room; knowing that this very conversation could possibly be the continuation of our steady friendship, or on an extremely sadder note, be the very end of it.

"I hope not...but what am I going to say?"

Should I try the I'm not mad approach and tell him I understand why he elbowed me, even though I don't approve of it. Or should I try the can't we all just be friends approach and tell him while I'm angry as hell that he would lay a hand on me, after promising me so many times before that he'd never hurt me emotionally or physically, that I am willing to forgive him for the sake of our friendship. Or better yet, everyone's friendship.

With too many thoughts rushing through my head, I wince, suddenly realizing that I can't just hold onto one of the plans. Only because of the fact that there were just too many of them. "Dammit."

Stopping my footsteps, I think to myself, I'll just be honest, and tell him the truth. But when it all came down to the fact that I was now standing in front of Matt's dressing room, one hand up and ready to knock, I couldn't help but wonder...what exactly is the truth?

Sighing at the notion that I was very confused at the moment, I let go of the restraint that I had on my hand, and silently knocked on the door in front of me; preparing, if needed, to hold my breath until the door was opened.

"Who is it?"

Hearing Matt's angry voice come through the door, I can't help but wonder why I'm suddenly feeling so nervous. I mean, this was just my best friend Matt--who before recently had been the level headed confidant I ran to when the going got rough.

But not anymore, I mused...he wasn't my confidant, and from the looks of things, he really wasn't my friend.

I just hoped that I was wrong about the latter.

"It...It's me. Amy." Hearing the tension in my stomach travel throughout my voice, I couldn't help but wonder if Matt heard it through the door, as well. Fortunately, or unfortunately, enough, that thought was soon gone as the door in front of me opened, and suddenly Matt was standing there, wearing the same clothes from before, and wearing the same expression as before. One that seriously resembled a man who was out for blood.

"What do you want?" Matt asked, after a second, his voice sounding almost as if he was disgusted by my mere presence alone. Which I guessed he was, seeing as his next statement was: "Shouldn't you be off somewhere fucking the deadman?"

Because of that comment, part of me wanted to further darken Matt's left eye, which Mark had spent most of his time working on an hour before, but the other part of me, the more realistic part of me, knew that if I didn't control my emotions soon, nothing would be accomplished by this conversation. Leaving the four of us-Jeff, Matt, Mark, and I-still in the same predicament as we were now. The silent treatment predicament.

Gathering my courage, I let all the strength that I was known for having in bad situations take over me, before opening my mouth, and continuing to speak as if Matt hadn't opened his mouth to begin with. "I think...I know we need to talk."

Watching as Matt gave me a once over, before looking down the hall towards Vince's office as if he suspected Mark was waiting there to pounce on him, I braced myself for Matt to hit me with another harsh comment, but found myself inwardly sighing with relief when he instead took a step back--silently letting me into his dressing room.

As Matt and I stared at one another, both of us not knowing where to begin, I realized the tension in the room was so thick that you could've cut it with a knife.

Figuring that Matt felt the same way, I wasn't too surprised when he opened his mouth, and spoke up first; all hints of his anger somewhat gone. "You said you thought we needed to talk...so talk."

Sighing, I looked around the room, that up until recently, I shared with the Hardyz, before looking down at my hands; intertwining them together as I began to speak. "I don't really know where to start, I didn't have a speech planned out when I came here."

I waited for Matt to say something, anything really, but instead I was greeted by the sound of him clearing his throat before noisily placing his back up against the door to the room; knowingly waiting for me to continue my thoughts.

"I really only want to know one thing." I began, this time looking up to meet Matt's gaze head on; risking any hard glare he could've thrown in my direction at the moment, "What's going on between us?"

The roll of his eyes was enough for me to know he thought I was stupid for even asking, so instead of me waiting for him to respond, I continued with: "I don't want to hear that it's because of Mark, because I know that's not true. I mean, it's one thing for you to hate the idea of me being with someone you don't like, or in this case, be with someone you don't really know that well. But it's a totally different thing for you to physically take your anger out on me just because you feel as if you had some sick point to make. That being something that is so unlike you, and that being something that makes me wonder more and more what possibly could be going through your head, and through our friendship, disturbing enough to make you act that way. This way."

Waiting for Matt to say something, I felt myself wanting to scream at the way he was looking at me, or better yet, through me, as if he didn't understand what I was talking about. But as I was about to open my mouth, he cut me off; using a voice that was eerily calmer than before.

"You want to know what's going on between us...? It's pretty simple actually and I'm surprised that you haven't figured it out yet--I mean, Jeff has been dropping hints about it for months now."

Realization at what he was getting at caused my mouth to dry up and my stomach to start doing flip flops once again. "You're in-"

Before I could continue, he nodded his head; interrupting me, "I've been in love with you since the first time I laid eyes on you. Which at first I thought was a good thing, seeing as how we were already supposedly dating and it was only bound to happen that with us being together twenty four-seven, you'd begin to have feelings towards me as well. But just like always...something happened. Something happened that ended up screwing over the whole Matt & Amy dream I once had. You want to know what that was?"

Not wanting to risk anything, I nodded my head instead of voicing my answer.

"It was the fact that you were one hundred percent infatuated...or shall I say, in love with Mark Calloway."

I must've looked surprised with that answer, because Matt began to chuckle. Not the goofy chuckle I was so used to hearing on the road, when Jeff told one of his corny jokes, but a dull lifeless chuckle; which told me Matt didn't find anything to be funny at the moment.

"From the look on your face, I can tell you're surprised. Knowing you, half by the fact that I'm telling you the truth, and half by the fact that I knew you were in love with Mark before you even knew. Am I right?"

Once again, I answered with a nod of my head, but not because I knew I would stutter, but because of the tears that I was now holding back. They were causing a sob to be stuck in my throat.

Watching Matt turn his eyes away from my face, I knew that my pain over his words was effecting him, but also knew that he wasn't quite finished with what he was saying; which caused me to brace myself for the latter.

"The day when we met at the Olive garden, Jeff and I had planned it out so he'd leave as soon as you got there, faking like he was sick, but then when you arrived and I saw you with Mark, I knew that plan was shot to hell. I mean, why would you choose your best guy friend over the man you've been lusting over for years. It didn't make sense."

"Matt..." I began, my voice half filled with concern over my friend's broken heart, and my voice half filled with regret...regret over not knowing that my actions had caused that broken heart. "I-"

"Don't." Matt said, before I could continue, "Just...don't. You are who you're supposed to be with and even though I wish I could've been the one to make you happy, I'm glad that it's Mark. You two were meant for each other."

As the tears ran down my face, I nodded my head; half because I didn't want to disagree with him, and half because I knew he was right. Mark and I were meant to be together. After a moment, I took a step forward, wanting to hug and somewhat thank Matt for coming clean to me, but I ended up stopping and frowning when I realized what Matt was doing.

He was walking away from me.

"Matt?"

"I'm happy that you two are together...but, I can't do this, Amy." Matt said, finally looking up from the floor; meeting my confused gaze head-on. "I can't hang out with you and know there will never be anyway possibly that I can have you for myself. I can't do that anymore."

Feeling like he had just punched me in the stomach, I couldn't help but look at Matt incredulously, "What...what are you saying?"

"I'm saying..." Matt began, this time closing his eyes as if the mere thought of his next words brought him great pain. Which I had no doubt they'd be bringing me. "I'm saying that if you're going to be with Mark, that's fine. But I can't be there for you as well, I can't do that to myself. It hurts too much."

Opening my mouth, I tried to protest his words, say that his comment was absurd, and that he was just being selfish. But watching him as he looked to be saying my mind's made up, I realized there wasn't any use.

He had, in fact, made his mind up.

With that thought in mind, I quickly grabbed what little strength I had left and made my way out of Matt's dressing room; fortunately not feeling the slight wince he made as my arm brushed up against his, while trying to get the door open.

And unfortunately not seeing the look on Mark's face; as I unknowingly ran past him down the hall.

Next part soon