Stay Away from Pleasure

Chapter Twenty-Five

One week later

12:45PM

Today, I'm expected to see Zack in some meeting one on one. I explained clearly to Matt how uncomfortable Zack tends to make me feel and he agreed to speak with him for me to see if he can tag along to the meeting. I know for a fact that I'll feel ten times more comfortable in a room with Zack if Matt is there too.

Over this past week, Matt and I have become extremely close. It's gotten to the point that we're almost inseparable. Also, on the bright side, he seems to have made up with Theo and they're always going out for drinks or to watch a sports game. Alice's baby has grown so much within her and Denny spends most of his time with her. A professional search has been conducted for Claire, but they haven't found anything yet.

I can't hide my problems anymore since everybody knows about Claire. They all constantly ask if I'm alright, and they say that they'd do anything to help. Find my goddamn sister and we're cool.

Ultimately, Matt has been the most helpful considering my father's illness and Claire's disappearance. He has even organised a trip for us to go to Michigan together so that he can meet my father and we can see him. That's what he says: so we can see him. In all honesty, I think we'll be saying goodbye to him.

From what Denny has told me from previous conversations with my father, he's really sad about Claire. He wishes that she could come and say goodbye to him before he died. Due to that dying wish, I've explained to Matt that I want to wait here in New York for a little while before we go to Michigan in case Claire is found. That way, we could bring Claire up to see mom and dad and it would really put a smile on my father's face.

Matt sits down and has two fruit smoothies in his hand. He places one in front of me—it's a blueberry, grape and raspberry smoothie—and keeps one to himself, his Apple and mango smoothie. We're sat in a booth in the vegan diner I once ate at with Theo and Maria. Matt is one of those very clingy—in a cute way—but unbelievably possessive boyfriends. This means he likes to make it clear to everyone that we're dating, which means he'll sit next to me in a booth, instead of opposite me. It also means that he puts his hand on my thigh and strokes my hair and kisses my neck publicly, especially when men start looking my way.

After the thing with Ace in the gym, Matt has become more possessive over me, which I thought was impossible, but I guess that just shows how unpredictable Matt can be. He keeps me closer to him when we walk and drives me everywhere instead of letting Klaus drive me. When I arrive, he normally gets out of the car with me and walks me into whatever building, with his hand on my ass. When we get inside, he then kisses me in the centre of the room. After that, he'll tell me he loves me and I'll say it back. This shows any potential threats, as he likes to call them, that we're a serious couple.

As if he knows me very well, he never tells me what I should wear. Honestly, I don't really flaunt my body too much and I actually feel pretty uncomfortable when I wear clothes that show too much skin; I like to save all that for Matt. Although I dress respectably, I still get the occasional glances from passing men and sometimes even women. Due to our increased intimacy, Matt often doesn't get jealous over of the looks I get when I'm with him in public. Instead, he gives me a cute joke with a dash of cushion support.

Recently, men have been getting brave and their balls have been dropping, so they like to send me drinks and tissues with their number on it. That's when Matt doesn't take it so nicely. If it's on a good day, he'll public make out with me and touch me all over to show them all what their missing and that he's the only man that can actually touch me like that. On a bad day, he just warns them off slightly and tells me to wait in the car as he gets our things.