𝕓𝕠𝕤𝕤 - 𝓂𝒶𝓉𝓉 𝓈𝓉𝓊𝓇𝓃𝒾𝑜𝓁𝑜

𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐞. - 𝓀𝒾𝓈𝓈 𝓂𝑒

★🗯️🌪️🌙🎬☁️★

"ryder wanted to sleep with me that day?" i exclaim. 

"emmy, shhhh," he tries to grab my arm but i rip it away before he can touch me.

"no matt! tell me what actually happened." i yell. as we stand in the parking lot outside of the restaurant, small raindrops tap my skin as i wait for a response from matt. he pauses and sighs. "matt, please." i say.

"emerson, can we talk about this somewhere else? please?" he asks.

"stop trying to get out of telling me. tell me now." i deadpan. 

"ryder told me that i should call you... originally because we were going to let you hang out with us. ryder and i weren't fighting when we all went to dinner that night, and i know i never told you ryder was ever there. he liked you and he wanted to invite you with us so i texted you when i saw you were awake... then as you were on your way, ryder started saying... things you wouldn't like, and-"

"what were the things?" i ask.

"he wanted to hook up with you like i said. he just started saying things about you that i didn't like, so when i got protective and told him to shut up, he started the rumors about us hooking up. him, bryan and carter had all left me there because i was a 'cock block' and then i went to bar blue which is where i told you to come get me from." he explains.

"oh..." 

"i'm so sorry emmy, i promise that i care about you and i didn't want ryder to play with your feelings like how he said he would... he said he would drop you after he slept with you and you're too sweet and innocent and kind and-"

"matt?" i say.

"what?" he asks, out of breath from being stressed out by explaining himself.

"just kiss me." i say as he wastes no time to press his lips onto mine. we kiss for a while, and as we pull away, matt notices ryder, bryan, and bryan's wife walking out of the restaurant. as i reach for the handle of my car door, matt kisses me one more time, letting me know that he doesn't care if they see us. 

★

the next day at work was hell. i'm not exaggerating either. it's self-explanatory that it was going to be hell especially when matt and i practically made out in front of our coworkers. thankfully he's the boss, so he might be able to stop some of the rumors.

i knew that when matt came charging down the hallway towards my desk that something was already wrong.

"emerson," he pants. "ryder sent me an email... did you see it?"

"how would i have seen it if he sent it to you?" i ask.

"right, i mean, did you check your email because i forwarded it to you and don't worry-"

"matt..." i say, standing up and walking around my desk to face him. "stop worrying about what i'll think about their immature rumors... if they wanna act like middle schoolers just let them. we can't stop them," i explain. he catches me off guard when he suddenly wraps his arms around my waist and rests his head on my shoulder. since when does he hug me?

i pat his back with one hand and rub his back with the other. he seems like he's the one that's more stressed than me in this situation. maybe under all the anger and the 'i don't give a fuck' act there's actual emotions. the moment is ruined when i see bryan turn the corner and walk down the hallway.

"matt... he told me not to tell you but ryder is in the main office building and he's reporting you because-" bryan starts to explain as he approaches us.

"for what though? no one did anything wrong what is wrong with ryder?" i exclaim.

"he's mad at matt from things in the past and he still won't get over it. he's making it his goal to get with you because a long time ago matt-"

"don't tell her bryan." matt sighs. i give him a weird look and he brushed it off as he looked back at bryan. "i'll tell her eventually." 

bryan nods and excuses himself when he notices the sudden tension. 

★

"matt, i feel like we know each other well enough now that you can just tell me; what is it?" i ask.

"emerson i can't stand you right now!" he shouts. 

"you should be able to tell me things, holy shit! it's not hard to just say it-"

"it changes everything! i can't tell you," matt yells.

"why? i don't fucking care matt just say it." i roll my eyes.

"i was the person ryder's ex-girlfriend cheated on him with." he exclaims. 

"well did you know that they were dating when you-"

"yes emerson. i knew. i was jealous of ryder and so i got with his girlfriend."

"okay... why does that 'change everything' then?" i raise my hands to make air quotes.

"because i want you to think- i want you to know that i'm a good guy. i don't want you to think i'm just an asshole even though i'm sure it's too late for that-" he says quickly.

"wait..." i mumble. i'm putting the pieces together and it's starting to sound like matt 'wants me' because ryder does apparently. 

"what?" he says, i can tell he's nervous by his voice. 

"are you 'in love' with me because ryder is? am i a bet or something?" i ask.

"no emmy you aren't a bet. i really do love you which is why i didn't want to tell you-"

"matt you sound so untrustworthy right now, what is wrong with you? why would you do that to ryder? what is there to be jealous of?" i say.

"i did it because i was just jealous of him! he used to be my boss and he was an asshole to me, so once there was an opportunity for me to piss him off, i did. it was a long time ago and i would never do that again. i knew i liked you from the moment i walked into your interview. why do you think you were hired on the spot?"

"is that why you're an asshole to me? because you're finally the boss and now you can take all your anger out on someone else?" i exclaim.

"i-"

"you're such a dick, matt. i can't believe i'm here right now. you made my first few months hell and i should've quit forever ago." i roll my eyes.

"emerson, please don't quit on me. i'm sorry for being a dick, i promise i'll be better. i need you as my assistant, you're the best one i've ever had." he pleads. i give him a disgusted look and walk over to my couch. 

"please just leave," i say. "why did you come here to begin with?" i scoff.

"to explain myself. i love you emerson, i don't need you to say it back. i'm saying it because i mean it. i don't want to lose you, you can't quit. please don't-"

"matt, i said please leave. i'll think about whether i want to quit or not later. i'm losing my mind at this job and if you don't start being nicer then i'm quitting. i can't take the mental abuse every day anymore. i have feelings too." i say.

"i'm sorry emmy. things will change. please don't quit." he says calmly as he walks towards my front door. "have a good night, i'll see you tomorrow hopefully." he says with a sad expression as he walks out.

★🗯️🌪️🌙🎬☁️★