“You know what,” Matt replied, “I’m fine with that.”
He led me into the house and introduced me to a woman with sad hound eyes that lit up far too brightly when it sank in that I was a real female, in her house, there to spend time with her son and nobody else. I could tell Matt got the subtext too from the way he was shooting quick glances at me with his lips quivering. He got me out of there and we made it into a vast space full of beanbags and technology that seemed to be his guy lair, before we both burst out giggling.
Matt dropped into a beanbag and gestured me to one next to him. “I hope you won’t think too badly of her. She… well, her love life hasn’t been the best. So she’s always hoping for better for me.”
“Just you and her, then?” It felt a lot like being back at my own home. I didn’t know what substance Matt’s mother abused exactly, whether it was sustainable or not, but it was really something to find out that people with that much money could still be a mess.
“Oh, my dad’s still with us.” Matt gestured to the walls around him, towards the huge TV. “He paid for all of this, pays to make sure we can keep it. Mum says he’s got a real ton of guilt but she won’t say why. Sort of feels like one of those deals where you’re better off not knowing, right?”
“Is that the policy you’re going to take with your love life?” I couldn’t help asking. “What she doesn’t realise won’t break her heart?”
Matt shot me the kind of grin that made it hard for me to believe he could ever have been friends with someone like Axel. But there I went again, dragging Axel into an otherwise perfectly good situation. “Possibly. It’s not going to do her any good to find out I’m only interested in a relationship with my computer at the moment.”
I raised an eyebrow in his direction. “That’s wildly stereotypical.”
“You’re right, it is. But most lives are pretty stereotypical when it comes down to it. I guess we want to be more, but it’s not always possible for everyone. And I think that’s okay.”
I felt like he was trying to make some sort of point, so I didn’t reply. I let him flip on that gigantic TV his mother had paid for with her ruined life, and Matt broke the silence to throw out some binging suggestions I had a lot of opinions about.
Matt drove me all the way home and waited after he’d dropped me off until I’d made it into the house, and then I was occupied for a while picking up after Dad, who had apparently gone to bed already—as had Sandy, based on the items she’d left scattered across the communal areas of our house like clues. I didn’t mind Sandy and I thought it was probably better for Dad to have a girlfriend than not, something to keep him a little bit grounded in the regular world, but it did bother me that the two of them were so happy to act like I didn’t have to go through the house and see the evidence of their affair. If I had wanted to hook up with some guy I would never have been so blatant about it at home, and I would have expected Dad to get rightfully pissy at me if I did.
After that it was a hot drink in a mug Axel almost certainly hadn’t made contact with, and only then did I pull out my phone to check what the rest of the world had been up to that afternoon. My heart sank at an IM notification from Axel.
I thought about ignoring it for the night. It didn’t seem like it would make it easier for me to sleep, though. I was just going to have to face whatever bullshit he had in store for me.
I think a certain naughty girl is in need of a spanking.
He’d sent that message only a few minutes ago, not long after I’d gotten back to the house. I didn’t think it had taken him all afternoon to come up with it. Had he just sent it at some arbitrary time when he thought I might be at home, maybe in bed… or was the timing carefully-crafted?
I got up and went to the window looking out on the front of the house, but I couldn’t bring myself to move the curtains aside and reveal myself to anyone who might be lurking out there.
After confirming all the doors into the house were locked, I forced myself to sit back down and compose a… well, composed reply. I’m not into that sort of thing, Axel.
Could have fooled me after all you said to Matt.
I hadn’t said much of anything to Matt, and I didn’t believe for one second Matt had blurted what I’d said to Axel…
But I would never have believed previously that Matt would tamper with my school records. I hadn’t known about his connection to Axel, the leverage Axel had over him to make him do his bidding. And I’d learned all sorts of new things about Matt that day as well. It would be dangerous of me to assume I knew exactly what I would get from anyone but myself.
I decided to focus on the detail I could actually do with more information about. I’m not sure why you’re trying to police my interactions with Matt as if you’re some jealous boyfriend or something.
I’m going to put you over my knee… Apparently, Axel was giving me none of what I wanted.
Stop.
I’m going to get whatever I have to move out of the way so I can have access to your arse, and I’m going to spank you.
I’m going to bed. Good night, hope you had a good afternoon with my dad.
In front of an audience.
That was a threat I couldn’t ignore. You are not.
I’m going to get you at school and hold you down, and get those cute cheeks out for everyone who cares to look and lay down some hard smacks.
As much as he wasn’t my first choice of partner, if it was just the two of us, maybe I could get into that sort of treatment. But the thought of being exposed to all the people who already thought I was handing out naked photos just made me sick. Axel, no. I am serious.
I’m serious too. I expect you to listen when I give you instructions. I shouldn’t have to lay down these threats.