the hours of writing back and forth over the past few months might have added up to something that could go beyond this virtual relationship. And that’s what they were doing, whether either of them could really admit it; they were having a relationship. More specifically, they were having two relationships. The blending of those two, that was what could make this all fall apart. Would make it fall apart, Matt realized.
As Finn, he had fallen into an online relationship that was safe and controlled. He could show Julie sides of him that he wanted to and guard the others. He could show her who he wanted to be.
As Matt, their friendship had to battle all the real-world challenges that he carried with him, and he had no clue how to act like any guy Julie would take interest in. He didn’t know how to flirt anymore, and half the time that he was around her Matt was stressed to no end about what Julie was going to do next with Celeste, or whether she would somehow find out about the family’s lies. And while he didn’t really care much about how he looked, he figured that a girl as breathtaking as he found Julie to be could easily attract modelesque guys. On the other hand, she didn’t seem like someone who would date just for looks. She was too smart and dynamic to be that superficial. Maybe that was the problem. She was everything that Matt wasn’t. Not anymore. She was so well rounded that it nearly hurt to be around her. As things were, while they had established a friendship and a certain companionship, she wasn’t falling for him. She was falling for Finn, a part of Matt that no longer fit into the real world.
Julie Seagle
Shit. The elevator is working now.
Finn is God
That’s good news!
Julie Seagle
Right now it doesn’t feel like it. I’ll find you later.
Matt shut his laptop. What the hell had just happened to him? To them ? He got up and went down to the kitchen. He needed water. And probably a cold shower. Or two. He was definitely more riled up than he’d been in a very long time.
He stood at the same counter where Julie grilled him about Celeste after her first dinner here. She’d been relentless in her questions about Flat Finn, but not once did she seem put off. A bit pushy, perhaps, but always very kind. She just wanted to understand, and who could blame her? Matt hopped up and sat on the counter in Julie’s spot and downed a tall glass of ice water.
What was he going to do?
Maybe nothing. He might as well try to enjoy this online relationship for as long as he could. At some point it would probably fade out the way most things do anyway. Julie was presumably with Seth right now, so it’s not as if that thinly veiled elevator chat had caused her to brush aside her evening date.
No , he told himself. This was wrong. Julie deserves the truth. She hasn’t done anything wrong, she didn’t ask for this.
So he would tell her. Tonight when she got home, he would tell her everything, and he would deal with the fallout. That elevator chat between them had gone too far, and he had to put a stop to this. It was clear to him that this was the only choice. He’d dealt with everything falling apart before, and he would do it again.
There. It was decided, and the torturous back and forth debate about what to do was over.
He shut off most of the downstairs lights, but made sure to leave the front porch light on. He got to the top of the stairs before he came back down and also turned on the entryway light and one in the living room before going back up. He stopped at the top of the stairs. The light was on in his parents’ room, and he could see Erin standing in the middle of the room with a full wine glass in her hand. She really shouldn’t be drinking, and he could tell by the slight sway in her stance that she had already had more than enough.
“Mom.” Matt stood just outside her room. “What are you doing?”
“What is it, Matthew?” Erin didn’t bother to look his way, but
As Finn, he had fallen into an online relationship that was safe and controlled. He could show Julie sides of him that he wanted to and guard the others. He could show her who he wanted to be.
As Matt, their friendship had to battle all the real-world challenges that he carried with him, and he had no clue how to act like any guy Julie would take interest in. He didn’t know how to flirt anymore, and half the time that he was around her Matt was stressed to no end about what Julie was going to do next with Celeste, or whether she would somehow find out about the family’s lies. And while he didn’t really care much about how he looked, he figured that a girl as breathtaking as he found Julie to be could easily attract modelesque guys. On the other hand, she didn’t seem like someone who would date just for looks. She was too smart and dynamic to be that superficial. Maybe that was the problem. She was everything that Matt wasn’t. Not anymore. She was so well rounded that it nearly hurt to be around her. As things were, while they had established a friendship and a certain companionship, she wasn’t falling for him. She was falling for Finn, a part of Matt that no longer fit into the real world.
Julie Seagle
Shit. The elevator is working now.
Finn is God
That’s good news!
Julie Seagle
Right now it doesn’t feel like it. I’ll find you later.
Matt shut his laptop. What the hell had just happened to him? To them ? He got up and went down to the kitchen. He needed water. And probably a cold shower. Or two. He was definitely more riled up than he’d been in a very long time.
He stood at the same counter where Julie grilled him about Celeste after her first dinner here. She’d been relentless in her questions about Flat Finn, but not once did she seem put off. A bit pushy, perhaps, but always very kind. She just wanted to understand, and who could blame her? Matt hopped up and sat on the counter in Julie’s spot and downed a tall glass of ice water.
What was he going to do?
Maybe nothing. He might as well try to enjoy this online relationship for as long as he could. At some point it would probably fade out the way most things do anyway. Julie was presumably with Seth right now, so it’s not as if that thinly veiled elevator chat had caused her to brush aside her evening date.
No , he told himself. This was wrong. Julie deserves the truth. She hasn’t done anything wrong, she didn’t ask for this.
So he would tell her. Tonight when she got home, he would tell her everything, and he would deal with the fallout. That elevator chat between them had gone too far, and he had to put a stop to this. It was clear to him that this was the only choice. He’d dealt with everything falling apart before, and he would do it again.
There. It was decided, and the torturous back and forth debate about what to do was over.
He shut off most of the downstairs lights, but made sure to leave the front porch light on. He got to the top of the stairs before he came back down and also turned on the entryway light and one in the living room before going back up. He stopped at the top of the stairs. The light was on in his parents’ room, and he could see Erin standing in the middle of the room with a full wine glass in her hand. She really shouldn’t be drinking, and he could tell by the slight sway in her stance that she had already had more than enough.
“Mom.” Matt stood just outside her room. “What are you doing?”
“What is it, Matthew?” Erin didn’t bother to look his way, but
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