Touch of Deception

NINETEEN

"Ma, I'm okay," she repeated for the nth time in the call. Her mother has been calling her non-stop as she didn't answer any calls for the last few days. But she did leave a message for her mom but her mother just couldn't help but get worried.

"I just had to take a break. I had to turn off my phone so whoever that person sending me a message couldn't message me. And I am going to change my number later," she whispered. 

As usual, the police couldn't get anything from the information available. And it's frustrating.  It's been a week since she received that picture message. It terrified her. But she's done. She's done with being scared and she just wants to find whoever it was. 

She looked around and her classmates were talking. She couldn't see Matt and it's already almost the start of the class. She wondered where Matt could have been. She sat there, waiting for the teacher but thirty minutes had passed and their professor was still not in the classroom. She checked her phone and saw a message from Matt.

He had caught the flu and couldn't go to the rest of his classes. She looked at the time and figured she doesn't anything coming up aside from work. As far as she can remember, Matt had told her he lived in an apartment. She just doesn't know where. She's very thankful for Matt. If Matt hadn't come that day, she would have spent the rest of the holiday in her room, terrified. The look on his face when he beheld her didn't leave her mind after that. And she wondered if Matt still thinks about it.

It took a while before she convinced herself, with the help of Matt that it is all fine. Matt didn't know about the picture. She didn't show him. Because that would mean she's going to tell him her past. And it was something she's not ready to do yet. She doesn't know when she'll be ready or if she will ever be ready. 

She stared at her phone gulped as she asked him his address. And when she got a reply, she decided she'd visit him. Normally, she would never even think about it. But Matt has been there for her the last time she was scared out of her mind. He's been there since the very first day. It was as if he's been put to his path. And he's been helping her even with the small things. She appreciates the small gestures and his being considerate.

So she went home for a moment to get something to cook and went to the address he texted. When she got there, she went to the second floor and stood in front of the door which was marked with the number 210.

She clenched her hands around the handle of her paper bag. Deciding whether to knock or not. After what happened, she has spent her life avoiding men. Yet here she is, standing in front of the door of a man's house.

But this is Matt. He isn't like anybody else. He's a good man and he is not someone who would take advantage—she shools her head. No. She shouldn't be thinking about it in the first place. Matt is sick and it's her turn to help him this time.

So she gathered her courage and took a deep breath before she knocked on the door. Like Gail, Matt is someone who lives in the city but the school is just too far so he decided to live in an apartment. At least that's what he told her.

The door opened and a dishevel-haired Matt greeted her. Surprised passed his face as he beheld her in front of his door.

"I am not dreaming, right?" he muttered as he stared at her.

She cleared her throat before she said, "Well, I received your text and I just want to help you this time. To make up for the help you've done. You know, quid pro quo."

Matt blinked at her. "You're not obliged to do this, Cel. I helped you because I want to. Not because I am expecting something in return—"

"I know. And I want to help you now. So are you going to let me in or I'll go home?"

A small smile curved his lips before he opened the door wider and she went inside.

His apartment was spacious. More spacious than theirs. And Matt kept a safe distance, which she's thankful of. She doesn't know if Matt had noticed but she couldn't help but be impressed at his considerate behavior.

He sat on the sofa while she went straight to the kitchen. His apartment was spotless. As if he doesn't sleep there often.

"Do you mind if I use the kitchen?" she called and looked at him who was grinning towards her.

"By all means," he answered and still had his eyes on her.

"And I need you to do something else while I cook."

"Why? I want to watch."

"Unless if you want this whole building to burn then by all means," she replied as she gestured her hand, urging him to watch, imitating his tone earlier.

Matt just chuckled before he said. "I'll sleep for a moment. And please," he looked at her, "do me a favor and try not to burn the whole building down. The last thing I would want is to get barbecued."

She chuckled at that.

Before she could even respond, he was already fast asleep. She just shook her head. Another thing she liked about Matt is he never fails to make her smile or laugh.

And so she did what she came to do. It's what her mother would always cook whenever she's sick.

When she finished cooking, Matt was still asleep. She decided not to wake him up and will just heat the soup later when he wakes up. She then roamed her eyes around the apartment. She couldn't see any pictures. Which was understandable. She doesn't have any pictures inside her room either.

So she sat back on the sofa and looked at Matt who was peacefully sleeping. He had his arm over his eyes and she decided to come close. She slowly touched his forehead to check his temperature. He doesn't feel that hot anymore. She looked at the time and it's almost noon. She doesn't have any classes for the rest of the day.

She decided to take her chemistry book out. Another exam is coming up and she has a lot to catch up on since she wasn't able to do her homework. Most of her subjects were all minors and she has a feeling the major subject would give her hell. But she chose the course. And she's certain she'll be fine.

She didn't notice the time and she found herself sleeping on the glass table. She immediately stood up and looked at the sofa in front of her, only to find that Matt wasn't there anymore. She looked around only to find him getting out of his room, wiping his hair. 

"The soup was delicious. Thank you," he said. 

She looked at the clock and found out it's already almost 2 in the afternoon. She then looked at him. "How are you feeling?"   

"Better," answered Matt. She immediately stood up and gathered her things. 

"Then I should head back," she said and was about to head to the door when Matt held her wrist. He immediately removed it when she looked at it. He rubbed the back of his neck and couldn't look straight at her in the eyes. 

She faced him fully and said, "What is it?"

"Well, I saw you studying chemistry." 

She raised her brows at him. "And?" 

"I suck at it." 

She narrowed her eyes at him, waiting for what he's going to say next. Then he heaved a sigh before he said, "Teach me Chemistry. This time, it's real. I suck at it. It's the only subject in the entrance exam where I got several mistakes." 

"Several mistakes? You almost perfected the exam. You got five mistakes, Matt. I won't call that 'I suck in Chemistry.'"

Matt continued to rub the back of his neck while looking at the floor. Then she remembered what Gail had said back then. 

He wants to spend time with you. She heard Gail's voice inside her head. 

She cleared her throat. "I suck in Chemistry, either. I bet you're better at it than me. Why don't you teach me instead?" 

Surprise passed his eyes and it was replaced with a smile. "That could work," he said. 

And before she knew it, she had just arranged a study date with Matt Adams.

* * *

It was hard to fake a smile to the customers but for a certain reason,  she didn't find it hard to smile that night on her work shift. She couldn't help but remember how Matt shyly asks her to teach him chemistry when he knows too well that he's better at it than her. She shook her head as she wiped the tables. 

Eli has been giving her incredulous look as she delivers orders to the customers but Eli didn't ask her what's the matter but she could see in her eyes she's wondering why she's smiling a lot. But she didn't care. All she could think of was what she and Matt had talked about. She did her job with that in mind and she couldn't believe she's actually looking forward to it! Even as she removed her uniform, her mind wanders somewhere else. 

She didn't receive any more of those texts and she felt relieved. But she also couldn't help but feel as if she's in for something bigger. That whoever was sending her those texts, is preparing something big for her. She feels anxious but she has already changed her number. Whoever it was, he couldn't send her creepy messages again. 

And with the recent picture he sent, her father was driven to push the investigation through. Only to reach a dead end as they found out the number that the culprit used was from a lost phone. She knows how frustrated her parents are. She was frustrated too. It's like it's almost there for them to reach only to reach a dead end. It's like somebody's hindering the investigation. 

Gail was always with her and she even decided not to go home on weekends. She was thankful for it but of course, she didn't agree. Gail has a life too and she can't possibly take it away. And it took a lot of convincing to finally let Gail agree that she's going to be fine on her own. She has reached this far. She won't let anyone drag her back down. 

When she got out of the locker room, she saw Matt sitting comfortably on one of the chairs inside while drinking coffee. Her brows furrowed. She sauntered close and she got his attention. He stood up and handed her a cup of hot chocolate. Celeste looked at Matt curiously. As far as she can remember, they didn't agree to meet tonight. 

"Why are you here?" 

"I had to visit a friend who lived behind this restaurant. I borrowed some notes too and I figured I should walk you home." 

She scanned him. She couldn't see any notes. "So where are the notes?" she asked. 

Matt just scoffed and tapped his temple. "In here," he answered and he opened the door for her. 

It was her turn to scoff. "Must be easy to be insanely smart." 

She just saw him shrug followed by a chuckle as they continued to walk. The street was crowded as always. Even if it was 1 o'clock in the morning, there would still be students walking the street. The thing with the campus is that it's surrounded by establishments and apartments. A lot of students are from around the vicinity. 

They walked down the streets and strange enough, she didn't mind the glances of the people who knew Matt. Matt tried to step back when they saw a group of guys coming towards their direction but she stopped and looked at him. She knows he's being thoughtful again but he's done enough. So she jerked her head and urged him to walk together with him. 

A small smile curved his lips as he stepped beside and they started walking again. The group of guys looked at her and gave her a small smile before they all tapped Matt's shoulder. It wasn't as bad as she thought. 

"My friends...they're nice people," Matt started and she just gave him a sideward glance. 

"I know," she said. She knows it. She's the one who was quick to judge. And so they walked quietly. It wasn't suffocating silence. It was comfortable. They were both immersed in their own thoughts. And when they reached the front of her apartment, she faced Matt to thank him. 

But she was pinned on her spot as she saw someone behind Matt. And when she recognized who it was, words left her. Matt noticed it and was about to say something when the man behind him spoke first.

"I've been looking for you, Cel."

Matt whirled to see another man.

She couldn't form a response. She hasn't seen him for over a year.

But she managed to say, "Trevor." 

Trevor walked close ignoring Matt beside her. Before she could even say another word, Trev pulled her into a hug.

* * *