The Man Clad in Black: Book Two

An Explanation - Chapter 9

"[Y/N]..." Matthew murmured, his eyes pleading for an explanation. He looked unbelievably hurt, and as the door shut behind him, he did a double take multiple times. He could hardly understand. "What's this?"

Erik stood up after a moment, and the very moment he saw Matthew, he sighed softly with relief... However, when Matthew noticed that it was Erik, he looked ready to erupt.

"By God..." he muttered, massaging the bridge of his nose.

"Matthew please - I swear it's not what it looks like," you pleaded. You were about to stand up to comfort him, but you immediately stopped yourself. He looked like he could break at any given moment.

"What was it, then?" he asked, his eyebrows furrowing as he shifted his gaze between the two of you. "Because I think that the both of us know exactly what was going on."

"Actually... as much as I despise you, I have to say that you're quite wrong," Erik muttered. "Allow her to explain."

Matthew went from concerned to absolutely livid.

"You were just on top of her!" he said. "Am I wrong, or did I literally not just see you right on top of her and kissing her neck?"

Matthew's sense of sarcasm would normally make you chuckle, but at the moment, you knew that it was no laughing matter.

"You did," you gulped, tears brimming the bottom of your eyes. "I know exactly what you saw... While there's never an exception to behave in such a way, if you'll let me tell you the situation, I'm sure you will understand."

Matthew glanced back at you, and almost instantly, his anger seemed to diminish into what could only be described as sadness...

And he seemed to linger onto the hope that there was some sort of reasonable explanation. He wanted to believe it.

"[Y/N]... If we can talk alone, then I suppose that we can talk about this."

You nodded quickly, internally deflating with relief when he told you that he was willing to hear you out.

"I'll be back in a moment, Erik," you said with a small smile. "We'll be outside if you need anything."

At that, you and Matthew were right outside of the door, and once he was out of Erik's sight, he looked absolutely devastated... Heartbroken, even. It was that exact emotion you felt what seemed to be so long ago - when you saw that head of curly hair stir in Erik's bed, and when he had done the partnered and... Well, quite suggestive dance that you had taught him to get his true love in his arms.

That was the exact expression that Matthew held on his face.

He looked almost as if he were about to burst out into tears, and aside from Erik, it appeared as if he would be the only grown man you would see cry

"Please explain," he said softly. "You're a respectable woman, [Y/N] - I truly want to believe that... But after seeing you in that position with him - "

"It's a long story, Matthew, but I might get in trouble if anyone hears... Keep your voice down," you whispered.

Immediately afterward, you proceeded to tell him everything that led up to the moment of you two in bed together... and that involved the two of you being in love. You explained that you just wanted Erik to be safe, and you thought that it would grant Matthew a sense of security... However, he still seemed to be quite shaken.

"Alright," Matthew murmured. He didn't look you in the eye at all while you spoke, but he didn't pry upon the subject anymore. He rubbed the back of his neck with his hand as he looked at the floor. He seemed to suddenly remember something.