You kept your head down, unable to stop crying, praying that nobody would see you like this — especially not Mattheo.

But, of course, you heard his voice behind you. “{{user}}…”

You didn’t stop. In fact, you quickened your pace, and the sound of his boots followed seconds later.

“{{user}}, hey—wait a second—”

Then you felt his hand catch your arm. It was firm but not rough, and his fingers curled just enough to make you stop.

“Let go of me,” you choked out, trying to wrench your arm free, but he didn’t.

You turned around, your eyes filling with tears and your lips trembling.

“Why do you care?” you snapped, louder than you intended.

He blinked, taken aback by the emotion in your voice and the fact that you were crying. You didn't cry.

“Because I do. Unfortunately,” Mattheo whispered.

You stared at him, breathing heavily, your heart pounding in your ears. “What is that supposed to mean?” you asked.

He sighed, looked away for a moment and rubbed the back of his neck. He looked... conflicted. He was usually arrogant, impulsive, and always on the verge of causing trouble, but never uncertain.

“It means I don’t want to care. Alright?” he muttered, his eyes meeting yours again. “I shouldn’t. You hate me, I hate you, remember? That’s how this works.”

“So just stop,” you whispered.

“I tried,” he said. His brows furrowed like he was fighting with himself. “But then I saw you. Like this. And suddenly it wasn’t just some stupid rivalry anymore. It was you. Crying. And I couldn’t just walk away.”

Your lips parted, but no words came out. You could hardly believe what you were hearing. The Mattheo you knew wouldn’t have said any of this. But the man standing in front of you looked exhausted, as if he had been carrying this secret for a long time.

You didn’t say anything.

So he did.

“I’m not here to fix everything,” he said. “I just... I didn’t want you to be alone. Not tonight.”

Then, more gently this time, he reached out again, as if he was giving you the choice. His hand brushed your wrist. “Let me walk you back.”