Okay, guys, thanks for being patient! This chapter is a little short, I know, but I just wanted to get something out for you all. Here's chapter seven! Reviews make me squeal with fangirl love (:
Audrey's laughter drifted off, and she found herself looking down at her shoes. The morning sun shimmered in her dark auburn hair, light catching in each strand. A small smile played on her lips. For some reason he couldn't place, Matt wanted her to look up at him.
But her gaze was steady on the ground. He suddenly felt so pointless standing there, which he instantly chided himself for. What does it matter if you're useless to her? Why do you even care?
Matt cleared his throat and shuffled his feet slightly. What was he waiting for? Her voice? A sign that she hadn't forgotten him? Anything! He sat in the swing next to her in a slightly frustrated manner.
Audrey didn't seem to notice. She was preoccupied with the way his hair fell against the nape of his neck, the way his lips were pressed tightly together, how his eyes refused to glance over.
She wanted him to say something. Why? Why did she even want his attention? Audrey would usually shirk from a stare as intense as Matt's. She wanted him to acknowledge her for more than an embarrassing nosebleed or burned-down apartment.
More than anything, she wanted to break the heavy silence.
"Why were you at Near's complex the other day? You sounded so… angry." Her inquiry certainly captured his attention. Matt jerked his head around as if someone had pulled his ear. "Oh," he said uncertainly. "I didn't intend for anyone to see that. I was just… upset."
Audrey shrugged off his apology. "Upset over what?" Someone had once told her that pressing issues that were clearly touchy was never a good idea.
Someone else had told her to ask questions if she wanted answers.
Matt ran a hand roughly through his hair with a quiet sigh. He looked over at her and spoke very softly. "Mello died, Audrey."
Audrey's eye's widened. Her mouth fell open slightly. She wanted to touch him, to reassure him, but she never was one for words or apologies. She never knew what to say to make someone feel any better about anything. So she settled for squeezing the chain links. Matt slumped his shoulders, propping his elbows on his knees.
"Don't tell me you're sorry." he said quietly, glancing at her from the corner of his eye. Audrey closed her mouth for a moment. "What happened?"
Matt looked her full in the face. Her eyes were the size of the moon. The same color, too… He shrugged and forcibly exhaled. Matt unconsciously began digging in his pockets as he talked in a more assertive tone, a tone he was more comfortable with.
"I think it was Kira." He pulled out a cigarette; lit it. "Only something so… powerful… could have taken him the way he went."
He put the cigarette to his lips and filled his lungs with the forgiving smoke. Audrey couldn't string together one sentence in her head that wouldn't make her look like an idiot. What could she possibly say? Oh, that sucks. I was never really fond of him anyways. Yeah, that would bode really well.
Matt was looking at her again, with no real expression evident on his face. He shrugged. "I know he was never all that nice to you, but he was my best friend. He looked out for me, you know?" Matt was talking to his hands, now clasped together. Audrey nodded her head. "I just… don't know what to say." Matt simply shrugged, raising a corner of his mouth to match the action.
"But how would Near be of any help in this case, if you don't mind my asking?"
Their eyes met. Neither looked away. "I know he's investigating Kira." Matt's tone was low, almost secretive. "I know he is. And I need to know that he is going to get to the bottom of it. I need to know if there's anything I can do. I may not be able to bring Mello back, but I can make the bastard who killed him pay."
Audrey shifted in her seat at the sudden flare is his voice. Again, conversation wasn't her strong suit, and she was practically flailing on the inside, praying for a change of topic in a slightly less awkward direction.
The weather is nice today, don't you think? Audrey's voice mocked her from inside of her own head. Matt's eyes grew distant. The park was so quiet, Audrey was sure she could hear the sun rising over the horizon. Matt heaved a sigh, shaking the daze from his head.
Audrey almost felt the relief rush through her body.
"Let's go somewhere." He cocked his head to look at her from behind his goggles. Audrey felt a slight shudder roll throughout. She brushed it off.
It was then that she realized that if silence was golden, then the sound of his voice was… platinum. Anywhere, she stopped herself from saying. Audrey furrowed her brow to the slight taste of annoyance in her mouth. Why was she thinking like this? Why did she care where he went, and why was she so eager to jump up and join him?
Why, why, why, why, why?!
Mental note to Audrey: stand up now and stop staring like an idiot, smack yourself for it later.