forward / slash ✭ matt sturniolo

FORTY-SIX

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IRL
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It's been more than an hour and Matt still hasn't shown. Ok, Leanna is being dramatic. It's been ten minutes and Matt hasn't appeared, it just feels like an hour. He did text her warning her that he'd be late. But, as time continues to tick by, Leanna is growing more anxious. Checking the time once more, she decides to leave.

"Hey, I'm sorry I'm late." Matt apologizes, he's holding something behind his back that Leanna is trying to get a glimpse at. Sensing her impatience, he reveals a bouquet of flowers. "I found a place that sells bouquets of white poppies, they're like 40 minutes away."

Leanna takes the flowers out of his hands and holds them to her chest. "Thank you."

The pair sit down on the bench. Grabbing her hand, Matt sighs. "There was so much I didn't know about being an influencer. I didn't know how fan bases operated." He pauses, "Do you remember when you were in that TikTok with Chris and me?"

"Yeah." She replies, still confused as to where the conversation was going.

"Do you remember the reaction of the fans?"

"They didn't like me all that much." Leanna chuckles, gripping the bouquet tighter.

"I hated seeing that. I thought that me being alone would protect you from that. If you were tied to me, then I'd be putting you in harm's way. That's the last thing I wanted."

"So, you broke up with me?" Leanna asks.

He nods, "I told you it was the timing because I didn't want you to try and come after me. I thought I was doing it for your own good. There was so much change going on— good change. Nick, Chris, and I were finding ourselves as influencers and Youtube was going well. I didn't know how to handle it at that point and then they started giving you shit and I knew that I couldn't do that to you."

Setting her flowers down beside her, Leanna responds, "You could have experienced that change right next to me. You didn't have to leave for you to figure that out. I would have helped you."

"I know, but the tipping point was the hate comments—"

Lea cuts him off, "I'm going to get hate no matter what. Look at what happened yesterday. I can handle it."

Matt quickly glances at her and then looks away. "Leanna, yesterday you told me that they're telling you to kill yourself."

"I can handle—"

"You said you thought about it." His voice shakes, "You told me you wanted to drive your car into a light pole. They're only making  you feel this way because of me— because we dated."

Lea can feel him pulling away from her emotionally and she can tell that he's rethinking this entire meet-up. She uses her hands to gently turn his face towards her, "I want to be with you, I don't care what they think."

Matt smiles, gripping Lea's hand on his face softly."I want to be with you too."

Lea senses a 'but' coming to his sentence.