Page 6 of I've Walked Where You've Been
“I don’t want my life to change!”
Matty’s mom shook her head. “Come here. Please, honey, just come here and sit down, okay?”
Matty was panting with rage in front of the couch, eyes wild with disbelief. He hadn’t thought being Ethan’s bondmate could be any shittier, but apparently he’d lacked the sufficient imagination to predict that Matty would be hauled off to some private boarding school Ethan had gotten into. That he would have to leave his family and friends behind forEthan, for a school that would do nothing but highlight how fucking stupid Matty was—how much better Ethan was than him.
For a moment, Matty could barely move, muscles tense with a rage that was choking him. His mom’s eyes were pleading, though, hand outstretched, waiting for him.
He took a deep breath and walked over, sitting stiffly beside his mom, who took his hand gently between hers.
“Honey. Matty, honey, I know. I know.”
It was only when his mom pulled him towards her that he realised what was choking him was tears. He clung to her without meaning to, his breath coming out chopped up into painful little pieces.
“It’s not fair. It’s not fair.”
“I know you see it that way. I know it’s going to be hard at the start. But you don’t know how many opportunities this is going to bring you. We’ve set you up with the sports programme; it’ll help you get scholarships for college. I know you don’t care about this now, but trust me. You’ve got to do this for yourself. And for Ethan.”
“I don’t care about Ethan.”
His mom sighed. “Things would be a lot simpler for you if that were true.”
Matty closed his eyes. His mom was wrong—hedidn’tcare about Ethan. Not anymore.
“It’ll be okay, honey. I promise. I promise.”
Matty clenched his teeth and said nothing. Things would be a lot simpler if hedidcare about Ethan. At least then it wouldn’t feel as if he were being dragged behind him, willing or not.
**********
It wasn’t like Matty wassurprisedthat he was sharing a room with Ethan, but it still sucked when their parents left and it hit home that he was stuck in some lame-ass school with Ethan, unable to escape him for more than a few hours.
Fuck, how was he even going to survive this? He’d been so caught up in saying bye to his friends, and Barb breaking up with him, and dreading how hard the lessons would be, that he hadn’t had space in his head to think about the fact that he’d be sleeping in the same room as Ethan. That his bondmate would be privy to all his grades so that Matty could feel even more pathetically inferior than he did already.
Matty flopped on his bed, trying not to let the urge to run after his parents take over. He didn’t want this life, this bondmate. He just wanted to be normal—to be able to choose his own path, make his own mistakes. Instead, he was caught in the shadow of someone else. Someone he didn’t evenlike.
“It’s not going to be so bad, you know.”
Matty turned his head to see Ethan sitting on the edge of his own bed, looking back at him. “Oh, yeah?” Matty asked, anger bubbling up.
“I mean…what I mean is. Thanks. For, you know. I know you don’t want to be here, but you are, so. Thanks.”
Matty blinked, not knowing how to respond. He didn’t think Ethan had ever thanked him for anything. Not that Matty had done anything to be thanked for, admittedly. Still. The sincere gratitude flowing from the bond dampened his anger.
“Aren’t you sad about leaving all your friends behind?”If you even have friends, the mean little voice in his head said.
“Yeah. But. I just…want to do better.”
“Better atwhat?”
Ethan shrugged. “School, I guess.”
Matty sighed. “Youdorealise you’re going to be stuck in a room with me for two years.”
Ethan shrugged. “You’re already in my head. What’s a little less privacy?”
Matty snorted. “Sure. If you say so.” He turned his head, staring at the ceiling.
This wasn’t going to end well.
