Authors note: This is the last chapter of the series, so I hope you enjoyed reading Matt and Tom's story. Thanks once again for all the comments and feedback, it's lovely to hear from you all and I really appreciate your support!
This chapter is shorter than the rest (my apologies for that) but it's probably because I found it the hardest one to write. I wanted Matt and Tom to have the perfect ending, so this was actually my 'take two' because I didn't like my first draft.
Thanks for reading! I adore you all ;)
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Matt thought he might go crazy. He tried not to panic so that he could think clearly and plan out his next moves, but nothing could purge Matt from the feelings of despair and desperation that he was currently suffering with. His heart felt as if it were in a steel vice, on the verge of being crushed beyond all repair. His whole body ached with fear and he felt sick with anxiety and hopelessness.
Matt wasn't sure how long he sat in Tom's driveway, but his backside had gone numb and he was practically shivering when he realised that his phone was ringing. It was Tessa.
"Matt?! Where the hell are you? I got home and found boxes of your stuff in the driveway, and your wallet is on the side in the kitchen, and the front door wasn't even locked properly!" She sounded frantic with worry. "I've been calling you for the last hour!"
She had? He hadn't heard his phone ring. How odd. Matt realised that he couldn't really remember much from the past few hours. He'd been lost in his own mind, leaving him practically oblivious to the outside world.
Matt wasn't bothered about the boxes he'd left behind or the fact that he'd left the house without his wallet. None of that stuff was important.
"Have to seen Tom?" He asked. "I'm waiting for him to get home. He's not here yet. I don't know where he is. He's – where would he go, Tessa? I have absolutely no idea where to start looking, so I'm just sitting here, freezing my arse off, and
he's not here
. I – I..." Matt stopped talking. He knew he wasn't making any sense.
"What's going on, Mattie?"
Matt's eyes began to sting. He felt like curling up into a ball and sobbing his heart out right there in Tom's driveway.
No
. Matt knew that this was not the time for a breakdown, not if he wanted to find Tom and put things right.
"Mattie please, you're scaring me. What's wrong? Say something."
He took a deep breath and explained to Tessa what had happened. Matt told her about the promises he'd made to never betray Tom's trust and to never hurt him, and how Mitchell had turned up and ruined everything. Tessa sounded more and more outraged by the second, and by the time Matt had told her about Tom seeing Mitchell forcing himself on him, she was practically hysterical.
"I can't believe that bastard had the nerve to show up at MY house! If I had been there, I swear to God I would have punched him so hard..."
"Tessa!" Matt shouted. He shook his head, as if to clear it. "I honestly don't care, alright? Mitchell is not worth thinking about. All I care about is Tom. I'm head over heels in love with him, Tessa, and I need to find him so that I can make things right. Do you have any idea where he could be?"
Tessa was silent for a moment. "Have you tried calling Ashley?"
Ashley! Of course! Matt scolded himself for not thinking to call her sooner. He guessed he just wasn't thinking clearly at all right now. "That's probably where he is, with Ashley! You're a genius!" Matt couldn't wait any longer; he needed to call her right away. "I have to go, but thanks Tessa."
"No problem, Mattie. And don't worry, alright? Tom will understand once you explain the situation, just go easy on him. He's bound to be a little fragile right now. He told you about his past with Jason, so surely you must understand that this is going to be difficult for him."
"Yeah I know, and thanks again Tessie." He hung up then checked his phone. The screen showed that he had four missed calls from Tessa. None from Tom, though. He dialled Ashley, praying that she could help him.
"Ashley Owins speaking."
"Hi Ashley, it's Matt."
"Matt! I can't believe that you have the cheek to call me! What the hell did you do to my brother, huh?!" Ashley started. She didn't give him a chance to respond before continuing. "It makes absolutely no sense at all! I expected more from you, I really did."
"You've heard from Tom? Where is he? Is he with you? What did he say?" Matt couldn't hold back all the questions, but there was only one that really mattered. "Is he okay?"
"I'm telling you
nothing
until you explain yourself." Ashley sounded furious and it completely frightened him; Ashley had never been anything other than bubbly and friendly until today. It made Matt wonder what kind of a state Tom was in. His stomach dropped and he felt unbelievably sick. His whole body felt weak and shaky, and it was a good job he was already sitting down or he probably would have collapsed.
"It's all just a terrible misunderstanding. My ex turned up and he forced himself on me. I tried to push him away, but it's not like I'm a big guy and he wouldn't budge. I didn't want him to kiss me, I swear. Tom saw and he– he– Oh God."
Matt could barely speak and he had to pause and take a deep breath before he could say anything more. "I'd never cheat on Tom,
never
. I wouldn't hurt him like that. I love your brother so much, Ashley. I need to find him so I can tell him that, and so I can explain that what he saw isn't what he thinks it was. I'd never do anything to cause him pain. You have to believe me. Please, Ashley, please help me find him."
Once again, Matt found that he was practically in tears. He lowered his head to rest it against his knees and wiped at his eyes to try and rid them of the moisture that was only moments away from escaping.
Ashley was silent for a moment before she sighed. "I believe you, Matt." She paused. "He left the office here about five minutes ago, and as far as I know he's heading straight home."
"Thank God." A spark of hope ignited in Matt's heart; Tom was on his way back here and Matt would be able to explain everything. Matt would get his chance to tell Tom how he felt, to wrap Tom in his arms and never let him go.
"He's really hurting, Matt."
"I know, and I can't put into words how sorry I am that I made him feel that way. I'd give anything to turn back the clock and change what happened. I just hope I can make it right."
"Yeah, so do I. I'll catch you later."
Matt hung up then pulled himself up from the floor. There was dirt on his jeans, and he tried to brush it away. He couldn't really see what he was doing; his vision was blurred by the tears in his eyes.
Matt couldn't keep still as he waited for Tom. He paced across the driveway, heart pounding and hands shaking, until he saw Tom's car round the corner at the end of the street. It felt as if he'd been waiting for hours, when really it could only have been ten or so minutes since he'd spoken to Ashley.
When Tom noticed Matt in his driveway, he slowed. Matt suddenly panicked, thinking Tom would turn around and drive away again, but then he pulled the car into the drive and just sat there for a moment.
Matt did nothing. He didn't want to anger Tom or upset him further. He stood by the house and waited until Tom stepped out of the car. Tom wouldn't meet Matt's eyes; he just stood there with his keys in his hand, staring down at the ground. It broke Matt's heart.
