Matt's POV

I would have never let her close up the studio on her own. What was this guy thinking to leave Ella completely alone?! Not only with these guys in the studio, but also to walk out in the dark alley, without someone to have a look out for her.

Not that I didn’t think she wasn’t capable of being on her own, but honestly, she was a hot girl, it was dark, and you never knew what people were running out and about on a night like this, drunk and god knows what not...

And I couldn’t say it wasn’t playing in my cards... I mean, walking out with her on my own, and getting the chance to talk, to talk about the situation we were in, about the way she made me feel, I didn’t need any onlookers for that.

It was best to have her alone and the way we were walking out and she acted around me, I knew I had to say something and make up for my behavior of yesterday. I mean, it didn’t end the way I wanted, and I drank way too much after she left... It took me all day to get really sobered up again and try and sort through what I would be telling her and what she had to know.

I walked close beside Ella, my arm next to hers, she felt cold, I could see it, but I didn’t dare move now. I had to wait until we were out of the back alley and onto the street, where the lamp would give us a little light and I could make out her features.

“Matt, about yesterday-” Ella started and I stopped, shit. What was she about to say? That she didn’t want to see me anymore? But that wasn’t an option anymore, not for me...

We stood opposite of each other, the streetlight illuminating her soft features, while she looked up at me. She stood only a whisper away, I could just touch her if I put my arm out, and I wanted, damn how much I wanted that.

“You probably came to talk to me about that, and I am really sorry-” She started again her eyes moving up to meet mine. I couldn’t help but stare at her, those dark eyes, that soft smile, how her lips moved, I didn’t really register what she said.

I was wondering how soft her lips were, how soft her skin would feel underneath my thumb if I caressed her cheek. I was wondering just how she tasted, would she taste as good as she smelled?

Even though I wanted to talk to her first, I couldn’t help myself but bridge the distance between us and place my lips softly on hers. I leaned down and sneaked my arms around her, to keep her in place, angle her the way we needed to be.

When she gasped in surprise I opened my eyes, hers were wide open, in shock? Horror? Surprise?

I wasn’t too sure, but I took the chance to intensify the kiss, letting my tongue slip into her mouth, letting my tongue tease hers. At first she didn’t react at all, seemed to be in complete shock, then her eyes closed and so did mine.
I let my finger run over her cheek, she tasted even better than I imagined, she felt even softer than I dreamed off, shit I was so lost, I only noticed her pulling away when her hands pushed against my chest repeatedly.

I slowly let off and she stepped back, a hand covering her mouth, touching her lips as if she couldn’t believe what just happened.
She stared at me, but not with lust and hunger, which was clearly written all over my face, she looked at me with... disgust? Shock?

"Why did you do that?! You couldn’t just do that?!" She stepped further away from me and I looked after her dumbfounded.
She took another step back almost fell onto the street behind her, but I quickly caught up and pulled her back to me, into my body.

She pushed me away "Don’t! Don’t fucking do that! Get away!" She tried to push at me again and I was so confused, I couldn’t even say anything. Why was she acting that way, when she had clearly enjoyed the kiss, I felt it… felt her tongue against mine, still could see her flushed cheeks, could hear her heavy breathing.

She shook, her hands trembling when she pulled away from me. She began walking, leaving me standing there. But I ran after her, wouldn’t let her get away like that.

“Ella?! What the fuck happened? What is wrong?” I made her stop and she looked at me, tears swimming in her eyes “Why did you do that?” She whispered more to herself then me.

“What do you mean? I thought… I-We…” I was lost for words, since when did I have to explain for a woman why I kissed her?! Never had I had a woman run away from me, what was happening here?! Why was this happening?!

“I should have known… I couldn’t… how am I… I don’t…” She whispered and sobbed, a tear escaping her and running down her cheek, breaking my heart. I hated to see women cry, and this one was even harder to see, because now I knew… I was the reason for her misery, I just didn’t know why.

I pulled her into my arms, even though she struggled, but was no match for me, in the end she gave in and sobbed louder. “Ssshhhh, it’s okay.” I didn’t know what else to say. I let my head rest on her head and whispered to her soothingly until she finally quiet down.

“Will you tell me why you are this upset? I didn’t mean to upset you, Ella. I meant to show you that-” But I never got to finish the sentence.
“We cannot ever see us again! Never again” She said suddenly, her eyes not looking at me straight and this situation got even weirder.
“But why would you say that?!” I was afraid of losing what I just tasted and that made me mad.

“Because, fuck… Matt I have a boyfriend! Jake, he… If I tell him… he… god, why did you kiss me?!” She asked and I stared at her not able to form words.

She was in a relationship? But… when?! And why… and… I never asked… She never said anything, and he apparently wasn’t around… was that why she ran away from the party? Why was she alone all the time if she had a boyfriend?! Where was that guy, if he really existed?!
“I need to go… I can’t want to see you again” She said and turned and I was lost, more lost than ever before.

I saw her driving away and stood in the street alone, the best moment with her turning into the worst within seconds… Between kissing her and her leaving not wanting to see me ever again separated only by a few mere minutes.
When a thought struck me, I grabbed my phone out of my pocket and called Brian. “Are you home?” I barked into the phone and heard a groaned “Yeah, why?”

I ended the call and drove to Brian’s house, I pounded onto the door until he opened up. I pushed him against the next wall, wanting answers, demanding answers, something told me he knew about all this.

“Did you know she had a fucking boyfriend?” In my mind was still the hope, that this was a lame excuse, that I could convince her of me, but when I looked into Brian’s face, I knew the truth.

I let go of him and walked straight for his kitchen, I grabbed a bottle of my friend Jack and opened the cap, instead of taking a glass I drank straight from the bottle, and started again where I had left of yesterday night.
Ella’s POV
Had I taken Matt’s friendship and advances so wrong? Had I not noticed when it shifted from being nice and friendly to wanting more?
Or had I noticed and didn’t want to know?!

My lips still tingled from the kiss we shared, I couldn’t say it was bad or unpleasant. It was the complete opposite to be honest. I had liked it and hadn’t I already wondered what it would feel like if he kissed me?

I felt bad, not only bad… I felt horrible. I ran from Matt and towards the car, trying to remember the occasion where I already told him I had a boyfriend, but I couldn’t remember. But have I given Matt any signs of being open for more? I didn’t know?!

Tears were welling up in my eyes and I was glad I was almost home, the street became more and more blurry and I pulled to the side. I let myself fall down on the steering wheel and sobbed, sobbed some more and cried.

I had no idea what I was supposed to do now, I couldn’t see Matt again, even though at the thought of losing his friendship or whatever it was we had, I felt bad. I liked spending time with him, but knew the way this was going there was no way of us spending more time together.

And then… there was Jake, I couldn’t hide something like that from him. We always talked about everything, he was my best friend too. How could I keep from him that I kissed another man?! That another man had kissed me.

The tears fell freely and I couldn’t do anything about it, I was confused and guilty. I couldn’t wait and sit at home until Jake came home and then act like nothing happened.
What if Matt showed up at the studio?
I didn’t even want to keep it from Jake, the guilty way weighing me down already, how would I feel if Jake stood before me again.

I whipped the tears from my cheeks and got out of the car, it was only a couple more feet to our apartment. I opened the door and walked in, pictures were greeting me in the hallway already.
Jake and I laughing together into the camera, my heart was hurting, seeing this, how could I tell him what happened without him thinking the worst.

But then again, how could I enjoy the kiss, even if Jake knew what happened, it didn’t make the feelings I had go away, right? Or if I just ignored it would it go away? Would it all go back to normal?
Would the guilt wash away?

I already knew the answer to this one, the problem was, I didn’t want to… I stood in the middle of our living room and felt wrong. It felt so weird, I didn’t know what to do.

I needed someone to talk, but how could I talk about this to anyone? I pulled my phone out and stared at it for a time, not knowing what to do…
I sat down on the couch and debated with myself what I should do now, but in the end I just felt like crying again.

I pushed the screen a few times until Jake’s picture was up and I only had to tap the screen again to call him… it was late and I had no idea if he was still awake, had no idea what I should say.

My thumb touched the screen and I breathed deeply in and out, I had to do it… had to do it anyway. I couldn’t live with guilt long, I wasn’t the type really, couldn’t push it back…

I heard the beep in the line, my heart beating so fast I thought it would jump right out, it beeped again and I was close to hanging up but then I heard his voice and I wished I hadn’t called him.

“Babe?” Jake’s sleepy voice sounded and I closed my eyes, how am I supposed to tell him? What should I say? How would he take it? What did I want?!

“Hey… did I wake you?” I asked, my voice sounded quiet and scratchy. “No no, It’s fine… I was just… well yeah” He chuckled lightly and I pressed my lips together, what do I do?!
“How was your day, babe? I’m sorry I didn’t get to call earlier…” He apologized and made it even harder for me.

“I-I.. It was long… I worked long.. I-” I stuttered and couldn’t get a full sentence out.
Of course Jake would know something was up, knew something was wrong with me, but I just couldn’t form the right words…

Jake’s POV

One more day, just one more day and I’ll be going home…

I couldn’t wait to be back, have a whole weekend off and enjoy it together with Ella. We didn’t have much time lately, and this week had been crazy. I mean really crazy, I didn’t even get to check all my messages and e-mails.

And then I even fell asleep, I wanted to call her, had even set my laptop up to make a Skype call, but then I decided to catch up on some sports news and then I had fallen asleep with the laptop resting on the bed before me.

My phone started ringing and I quickly scrambled up. I grabbed it from beside the bed and looked at the caller, a picture of me and Ella flashed over the screen and I grinned.

Thank god for this woman, without her I would be lost. I quickly unlocked and took the call, excited to hear her voice and hear what she had to say, but right from the first word, I knew something was up.

I hated being away from her and I hated to know that something was upsetting her while I couldn’t do anything about it from the distance. Now I had to find out what and decide how to help her. Maybe I could send a friend over if she felt lonely, or maybe-

“I-I.. It was long… I worked long.. I-” Ella stuttered and her voice hitched at the end. If I didn’t know any better she sounded like she was struggling not to cry, but why?
What was so upsetting to her?

“Ella, babe… what’s wrong? You know you can tell me? Was it something at work? Should I speak to someone?” I asked sitting up straight in the bed.
“No.. I-I… it’s me… and… I don’t.. I can’t-” My heart was breaking at her tone, she wasn’t her normal self, but what was going on?!

“Jake… something happened!” She finally said and my heart stopped for a second “Are you hurt? What happened? Is something wrong with you? Ella?!” I demanded my voice getting louder and harsher, when she sobbed I tried to calm myself “I’m sorry… I’m just… what happened, babe?” I asked again and she was silent for quite a while.

I waited and waited some more “Ella, are you hurt? Did you have an accident? Damn, talk to me!” I was afraid; I couldn’t calm myself if she wouldn’t tell me what was going on!

“No, no… it’s different.” She finally said but it seemed like it was still not less good “Babe, you can tell me everything, please just say it.” I soothed and heard her sharp intake of breath.

“I kissed another man”

I opened my mouth to reply, I tried but no words emerged.

A joke, this was a joke… it must be. She would never, this was my Ella… We were happy, weren’t we?!

“Jake? I’m sorry… I don’t know how this could happen… I… I’m sorry” She repeated and now I knew it was no joke, it hadn’t been funny anyway.

“Why?” I asked and that was the only word that I could form, I felt numb. She was the love of my life and I thought I was hers, how would she kiss another man? Who was that man? And what would make her do it?!

“I don’t know… I honestly… It wasn’t planned, and I didn’t want it to happen, it just did. I closed up the studio and he accompanied me and then he kissed me and…” She trailed off, I couldn’t register what she said, she was with him in the gym? Why would she close up with him? Who was that guy!?

“When?” I couldn’t seem to get out more than one word questions.
“I called you right after…” She said and I felt like I was drowning, my throat was closing in. I couldn’t breathe.

“I’m so sorry, I will pack some stuff… I will- I-” She sounded uncertain, she swallowed thickly I could hear it.

I still couldn’t say more, my whole world was falling apart with one phone call. But my mind couldn’t wrap around the fact that she had met with a man and kissed him and all this behind my back, what more was there I didn’t know?

“Who is it?” I asked was it someone I knew? A friend of mine? Did someone else betray me.
“That’s not-” She started but I cut her off. “I want to know who that guy is, Ella!” I demanded and I could imagine how she would flinch from my hard tone.

“It was the guy from the studio the other day… Matt, his name is Matt” She finally said and I tried to think of any guy with that name, but my mind couldn’t find a fitting face.

“Jake, I- I didn’t mean for this to happen, really. I still-” I didn’t know what she planned to say, but I couldn’t hear it right now. I had to think, had to come up with a reason, with a plan… I had no idea what I should do now.

“I need to sleep, it’s late… Bye” I hung up, couldn’t bring myself to hear another word. Was she together with him and that was her goodbye call, or was she planning to tell me she didn’t feel a thing for him, but why bother and kiss him… who was this guy… and why was Ella falling for someone else!?

She was mine, I loved her with all my heart… I thought we would be perfect, we were perfect.. until today…

I stared at my phone and threw it onto the bed, it landed between the pillows and I closed my eyes, frustration and hurt battling a war inside of me. I wanted answer, more answer, but was afraid what would come out of them…

Maybe I should call in sick tomorrow, get back home and question her, to see the whole outcome of this! I had to know… even if I didn’t really want to. What I really wanted was to go back to the way it was before!

Notes

So… Was this the end of Jake and Ella?
Or will he not give up that easily? What do u think?

And what will Matt do? Will he fight? Or will he try to forget?

A voting is up again:

Will Jake leave early to try and talk to Ella?

1. Staying
2. Leaving early