𝐕𝐀𝐌𝐏𝐈𝐑𝐄, 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐫𝐚𝐝 𝐟𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐫.

027.

cindy felt guilty, her and matt hadn't been dating but the guilt was still eating her out alive.

she had to end what they had.

she entered the backyard with a huff after a dreadfully long practice at the ballroom.

laurel and susannah shot their heads up at the gate closing, smiling at the girl as she shuffled past them, "hey, cindy."

"hey. have you guys seen conrad?" she questioned.

susannah shook her head, reclining on the chair with crossed legs. "i think he's out sailing. but come, join us," she invited, patting the empty space next to her.

"um... my guess is she has other plans," laurel chimed in, catching cindy's attention.

turning around, cindy saw matt standing there, a slight nervousness in his stance. he spoke up, his voice low and shaky, "hey. just thought i'd drop by. um... i'm sorry for, uh, taking off like i did yesterday."

cindy faced him fully, crossing her arms. "i don't blame you. i was a wreck," she admitted.

"oh, it's fine," matt replied, swallowing nervously. his eyes briefly shifted towards laurel and susannah, who were still watching the interaction intently. "um... do you want to maybe go for a bike ride? i know this really cool spot."

cindy hesitated for a moment, her exhaustion battling with the desire to spend time with matt. eventually, she gave a weary smile and agreed, "sure. yeah, yeah, yeah."

they hopped on their bikes, and as they pedaled along, cindy noticed a small bag in matt's basket. a smile tugged at her lips as she imagined a picnic.

he truly was amazing.

they continued riding, the coastal scenery captivating cindy's attention. she had never been to this place before, but it felt strangely familiar and comforting.

finally, matt kicked his bike stand out, and cindy followed, both of them stopping near a large rock by the water.

cindy settled down beside matt on the gigantic rock, her gaze fixed on the beautiful expanse of water. "i can't believe i've never been here before," she remarked, her voice filled with wonder as the scent of salt filled the air.

matt nodded, a laugh escaping him. "yeah. cam's been coming here since he was a kid. he showed me this spot, and now i come here more than him."

"i don't blame you," cindy chuckled. the atmosphere was serene, and she couldn't help but feel a sense of peace in this moment.

matt placed a wrapped sandwich in front of her, waiting for her to take it. "um... brought us some avocado and sprout sandwiches," he said, a hint of pride in his voice

cindy's smile widened as she grabbed the sandwich. "thank you," she replied gratefully.

"i made them," matt boasted lightly, their sandwiches tapping together in a toast. they both took a bite, sitting in a comfortable silence as they admired the view.

cindy couldn't shake off the guilt that gnawed at her. her thoughts kept drifting back to the events of last night, and it was eating her up inside. here she was, with a genuinely sweet and caring guy like matt, who had gone out of his way to plan this outing and make her food. yet, she couldn't stop thinking about conrad.

as the silence stretched on, matt shuffled slightly, bringing cindy back to reality. he reached into the basket, pulling out a wrapped snack. "fruit roll-ups," he announced, a hint of excitement in his voice.

cindy scrunched her face. "matt, i... i can't," she admitted, her voice laced with regret.

matt's face fell, his eyes flickering between the fruit roll-ups and the girl. "i thought you said these were your favorite," he said, a touch of disappointment creeping into his tone.

"no, they're... i-i love them. they're awesome," cindy hurriedly responded, shaking her head. she mustered the courage to look at him directly. "and, um... you're awesome. but, um..."

"yeah," matt interrupted, swallowing hard as realization dawned on him. he dropped the snack back into the basket, chuckling softly. "kind of saw this coming. when you, um, didn't ask me to be your escort."

cindy pressed her lips together. "i'm sorry. i was... i was planning to," she admitted, her voice filled with remorse.

"it's okay. you don't have to... do the whole speech, that's all," matt replied, his voice tinged with hurt. "the why or the who doesn't really matter. i obviously know the who."

cindy opened her mouth, searching for the right words to express her feelings. "i didn't mean to hurt you..."

"i know," matt nodded, his eyes becoming slightly glossy. he reached out and rubbed her knuckles gently before pulling away with a heavy sigh. "i'm bummed. but, um... i'll be fine. you should be with the person you really want to be with. and i hope he treats you right."

cindy felt a lump form in her throat, the weight of her guilt pressing down on her. matt's facial expression said it all—he was hurt. as he began packing up his things, cindy couldn't bear to let him go without expressing her genuine feelings.

"matt," she called out, grabbing his arm and standing up beside him. "you really are a good person. and any girl that gets to have you is gonna be so happy."

he nodded, his eyes shimmering with unshed tears. with a final glance, he got onto his bike and rode off, leaving cindy feeling utterly devastated.

cindy kimberly was a shitty person.