two can keep a secret,

chapter thirty-eight.

Mattheo.

(bet you didn't expect that one bitch)

Mattheo Riddle is sitting on the couch in the Slytherin common room. Blaise is with Lilith in his dorm. They were probably ripping their hair out right now because, unlike when Mattheo and Lilith were together, they were actually studying for the O.W.L.s. Draco is in the loveseat with Astoria Greengrass.

Mattheo is sitting in Lilith's normal spot on the couch because she wasn't there. Nott sat in Blaise's spot, and people were leaving the spot between them open. Warrington sat across from Mattheo. Perks, Parkinson, and Davis all sat next to him. There was hardly enough room on the couches for four people, but they somehow made that work.

Bletchley was sitting on the arm rest of the couch next to Warrington, an ice pack against his temple. The two kept glancing at Mattheo as he sat there boredly.

Quidditch practices were fun now.

Montague had to snap the three out of their glaring contests every ten minutes during practices, and he was getting tired of it.

Mattheo's knuckles still stung from the fight he had earlier. Lilith didn't know about it. She didn't need to know about it. The only blood on Mattheo was his busted knuckles. There were no wounds for Lilith to clean, and she would just question him about why he got in the fight. To be completely honest, he wasn't sure.

"Oh, I know," Davis says, shaking her head at Warrington. "Lilith has gotten so annoying lately."

Mattheo knew he should, but he didn't care. People already knew, and even Lilith wasn't the most excited about it being out, she didn't seem to give a fuck anymore.

"She wasn't when I fucked her last night."

That shut everyone up. They all looked over at him while he started flipping the pages of a book on the side table. Slowly and hesitantly, they all started talking again. Mattheo knew they were trying to be quiet while talking about Lilith, but he could still hear them.

"I just don't think she should be sleeping around so much," Warrington says. Mattheo looks up through his brows, though no one seems to notice it. "It's ruining her reputation, and I'm concerned for her."

"She's not your girlfriend anymore, Warrington," Mattheo says, looking over at Warrington.

Warrington looks over at him, as does everyone else. "Well," he says, laughing nervously, "I know that."

"Right," Mattheo says, dropping the book on the side table. He turns to face Warrington completely, leaning his elbows on his knees. "So, I don't understand why we're having this conversation." Warrington looks at the other girls nervously. "Do you see where I'm going with this?"

Warrington scoffs. "I don't think it matters to you, Riddle."

"Warrington, you were the one that told her months ago you needed to go your separate ways."

Warrington shakes his head. "Yeah, I know. It just never occurred to me that she would—"

"Would what?" Mattheo asks. "It never occurred to you that maybe she would actually go her separate way? Maybe that her separate way would mean stopping by me?"

"She just didn't seem like the disloyal type—"

"Disloyal? Warrington, that woman is one of the most loyal people on Earth. She never even looked at another guy while you were dating. She never would have. She's not disloyal, and saying that is trying to make excuses for yourself as to why she actually moved on. You aren't dating, you haven't been dating for months. You have no say in who she hangs out with or who she sleeps with.

"Do you think that the minute she looks at a guy they won't come running to her? She's a fucking goddess. She's fucking gorgeous, and she's always loyal. She cares about everyone, even if they've wronged her. She doesn't care what people think, as long as she thinks it's right.

"You can't expect her to not move on when you told her yourself that the two of you needed to go your separate ways. You can't get mad at her for that, not when you were the one who changed her. You can't really think that she won't go to anyone else. It takes an idiot to not realize that.

"She's independent. She doesn't need anyone. And she doesn't need anyone's approval. No one gets that about her. Independent women don't hand themselves over on a silver platter, they make you work for what you want. She doesn't need you, Warrington. She can survive without you. It takes a lot to control her, she's made that known to everyone. You broke up with her. That shit's on you."

Without another word, Mattheo got up and walked out of the common room. But not without hearing a 'damn' from Draco and a 'holy shit, dude' from Bletchley.

Maybe Mattheo did care.

Just a little bit.