Fading // m.e

nineteen.

ANALISE’S POV

After a long day of packing and lazing around with the guys watching movies and loitering the lobby, I happily slid under the sheets next to a snoring Cam, trying to find a position where I was most comfortable, and not to mention where I was most warm. I felt as if my fingers were going to snap off.

I lied on my side, facing his snoring face - I took in his features, admiring his soft brown eyes, his perfectly shaped face, the way his soft lips moving with each breath, and his dark brown hair was now all messed up. It was amazing that he was still good looking in his sleep.

“Hey.” He whispered, making me jump despite the softness of the sound, as a smile slowly grew on his face because of my reaction.

“Oh-” I stuttered and turned around to hide the slightest glimpse of my face to save the embarrassment of having to look him in the eye.

“U- Are you cold?” He asked, looking down at my face. It was only this that made me look down and see that my own body was slightly shivering and my teeth slightly clattering despite the fact that there was a quilt on top of me, and a blanket underneath.

I simply nodded, but soon realised that we were in the dark and he probably couldn’t see me.

“Um yeah.” I whispered as he pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms round me and shielding me with the warmth radiating off his bare chest.

“A-aren’t you cold?” I asked while trying to stop my face from shivering. How could he not be this cold? I mean, he was basically just in a pair of track pants – but it’s not like I was complaining or anything…

“Nah it’s okay - I’m hot.” He replied, but I sensed the smile on his face just grew a hundred times bigger.

CARTER’S POV

I groaned as the light in the bathroom across the hall switched on, lighting up our entire room. I finally had the enough motivation and rubbed the sleep out of my eyes , slowly sitting up, preparing myself to tell off whoever woke me up in the middle of the night.

As I slid the heavy sheets off of me, the empty bed  with messy bunched sheets beside mine came into view; Matt was awake.

I peeked across the hall from my bed and saw him. He was doing it again. He splashed water on his face, wiping his eyes, and softly slapping his cheek in the mirror – as if to see if this was a dream. This started back in Chicago when we first met her, and I knew it wouldn’t stop. Analise was no good for him, and he acted like he knew that. Acted.

I hated her for this. She didn’t even realise how much she was crushing him, how much he was dying inside; how much it made me feel like I was dying inside. He was my best friend and this was ruining me too.

It was like she teamed up with reality to play a cruel joke on him.

“Ma-” I finally spoke up;  I couldn’t stand to see him like this. I warned him once, and I didn’t want to warn him again. Ana is nothing good - She will be the end of Matthew.

“Go back to sleep and just leave me alone.” He angrily replied, furiously wiping his eyes from tears, only making his pink stained cheeks and puffy eyes stand out even more.

“I can’t sta-”

“Please Carter stop! It’s not you that has to stand anything - It’s me who’s the reason his girlfriend is gone, not you. It’s me who’s fighting this battle, not you.” He lashed back.