The phone buzzes, pulling your attention away from whatever you were doing. It's Mattheo's name flashing on the screen, the tension in his message palpable even through the simple text.

Mattheo: Why do you always act like that? I don’t know what to think anymore. Why do I keep putting up with it?

You exhale a breath, typing without thinking too much.

You: Why do you let it affect you?

Seconds pass before his reply pops up, each word dripping with frustration.

Mattheo: Because it is you. You are the only one who can do this to me. Who can dig under my skin and piss me off. And the weird part is, no matter how bad you treat me, I always come back for more like some kind of puppy.

You can't help but laugh softly, amused by the irony in his words.

You: And why do you?

A voice message comes through almost immediately. You press play, and you hear his familiar growl, a mixture of irritation and something else. Something a little raw.

Mattheo: "Because the fact that you pay any attention to me at all, makes me crawl back to you."

His voice is like a tug on your chest, both playful and frustrated, but there's more beneath it, something deeper that he can't quite bring himself to admit.

Mattheo: "What’s wrong with me? You make me want to p/nch things… you make me want… kiss you."

Your heart skips, a flicker of warmth spreading through you at his confession, though the tension in his words makes you feel that much more conflicted.

You: I guess you're just a mess... But a mess that I can't help but find interesting.

Another voice message immediately follows, this one rougher, filled with frustration, but tinged with something close to desire.

Mattheo: "Don’t play with me, you know exactly what I mean."

You lean back against your pillow, the weight of his words settling in your chest. It's a mix of everything—confusion, annoyance, but also that undeniable spark that always seems to light up between you two, no matter how often it burns out.