Between us — Matt Sturniolo.
(enemies to lovers, fwb.)
Summary : Your high-school best friend, Nick Sturniolo, invites you to a party after not seeing you for years, unaware that seeing his brother Matt sturniolo again will remind you why you stopped coming around.
Warnings : explicit language, smut!fwb (not for this chapter), and toxic themes.
You were getting ready for the party, scrolling through your playlist and debating whether heels were worth it when your phone buzzed.
"Yo, you leaving soon? Party’s already getting stupid."
You rolled your eyes. Of course he’d call. “Yeah, yeah. I’m on my way.”
He paused, probably thinking about something he shouldn’t. Then:
"Oh… by the way. Matt’s going to be there too. Just so you know."
Your stomach twisted. Seven years, and somehow seeing him again still had a weight you weren’t ready for. You slipped your jacket on, grabbed your bag, and muttered under your breath, great. perfect.
You and Matt used to be close, best friends in high school. You liked him more than you’d admit, but he liked someone else. When he started dating her, he changed. He went cold, stopped joking around, and basically shut you out. After that, you stopped talking. You thought it was over, but apparently it wasn’t.
Once you were done getting ready, you grabbed your bag and headed downstairs. The house was quiet, your parents already out, leaving you alone with your thoughts, which weren’t exactly comforting. You slid your phone out and ordered an Uber, trying not to think too much about Matt.
The drive was short, but long enough for your nerves to kick in. You kept checking your reflection in the window, fixing your hair, tugging at your jacket, anything to keep from spiraling. By the time you pulled up to Nick’s street, the music from the party was already thumping through the open windows of nearby houses.
You stepped out, your heels clicking against the pavement. The front door opened as you approached, and the first thing you noticed was the crowd of people spilling into the driveway. Laughter, yelling, the smell of alcohol mixed with cheap perfume.
You walk inside the house, feeling the tension from your surroundings, You look around the room, spotting Nick and then sighing in relief.
Nick waved you over from the living room, oblivious to the storm about to hit. You plastered on a smile, but inside, your chest was already tight. You walked up towards Nick, giving him a side hug.
“Long time no see,” you said, keeping your voice light.
“Way too long,” Nick grinned, pulling back. “Glad you made it.”
He grabbed your hand and started guiding you toward the kitchen. “Here, let me get you a drink,” he said, opening the fridge and pulling out a soda. He handed it to you with a smile.
“Thanks,” you muttered, taking a sip, trying to ignore the buzz of people around you. The music was loud, conversations blending together, but your eyes immediately scanned the room, on instinct.
Matt, leaning against the counter by the snacks, drink in hand, casually observing the room like he hadn’t changed a bit. The moment your eyes met, it hit you: seven years had done nothing to erase the tension between you.
Nick leaned in, talking about something dumb about the party, but you weren’t listening. You could feel Matt’s stare following you as you leaned against the counter, pretending to scroll through your phone. Every instinct screamed at you to stay calm, but the tightness in your chest told you otherwise.
You took another sip, forcing yourself to look anywhere but him, even though you knew it was impossible. This was going to be a long night.
You tried to focus on Nick, nodding at whatever he was saying, but it was impossible to ignore Matt. He moved around the kitchen with that same easy confidence you remembered, laughing at something someone said, but not at you. Of course he wasn’t.
You felt a flicker of irritation, or maybe it was something else, and took another sip of your drink. Better to keep it casual, you told yourself. Act like it was no big deal.
Nick noticed your distraction. “Hey, you okay? You’ve been… quiet.”
“Yeah,” you said quickly, forcing a small smile. “Just… scanning the crowd, I guess.”
Nick shrugged and went back to chatting with someone else, leaving you to your thoughts, and to Matt, who had just grabbed a snack and turned to face the room. Your eyes met briefly, and for a moment, the air between you felt too heavy to breathe.
You took a deep breath, downed the last of your drink, and set it on the counter. Seven years of avoidance, seven years of pretending he didn’t matter, and here he was, in your line of sight like nothing had changed.
You told yourself to stay calm, to stick with Nick, and to survive the night. But deep down, you knew it was going to be impossible.
You excuse yourself from the kitchen, needing a moment to breathe. You grab a glass of water and lean against the counter in the hallway, scrolling through your phone to distract yourself.
You glance back toward the kitchen, and Matt is still there. His eyes catch yours for a brief second, and you quickly look away. No smiles, no words, just that familiar tension that makes your chest tighten.
Then a girl walks up to him, and instantly his mood changes. He’s laughing at something she says, smiling just like he did back then with you.
You scowl. Of course he’s smiling at her. Of course. Your fingers tighten around your glass. You sip the water slowly, trying not to let it show, but inside… you’re irritated, maybe even a little jealous, though you’d never admit it.
Matt doesn’t notice you this time, or maybe he does. Either way, it doesn’t matter. He’s smiling at her, and suddenly, the kitchen feels even farther away.
You take another slow sip of water, pretending to scroll through your phone, but your eyes keep darting back toward him. The girl is still talking, and he’s still smiling, leaning in just slightly like he always did back then.
You sigh deeply and push yourself away from the kitchen, weaving through the crowd as your chest tightens. Upstairs, the hallway is quieter, the muffled music fading behind you. You reach the balcony and step outside, letting the cool night air hit your face.
You lean against the railing, wrapping your arms around yourself, trying to calm the tension coiling in your chest.
after a few minutes, a shadow falls across the doorway.
“Fancy seeing you out here,” Matt says, his voice calm, but with that familiar edge that makes your chest tighten.
You glance up, forcing a casual expression. “Didn’t want to be in the crowd,” you mutter, shrugging.
He steps closer, leaning against the railing beside you. The air between you feels charged, like the seven years of silence never existed. “Yeah? I didn’t notice you heading upstairs,” he says, tilting his head slightly, watching you.
You take a slow breath, pretending to look out at the city. “It’s… quieter out here,” you reply, keeping your voice steady even though your heart is racing.
Matt sighs, running a hand through his hair. “Look… I actually need your help with something.”
You look at him, really look at him, like you’re trying to figure out when this became your problem again. “What?..”
There it is. No apology. No acknowledgment. Just yeah.
He keeps going, like he hasn’t already hit a nerve. “I wouldn’t ask if I didn’t have to. I just.. can’t really do it on my own, and you’re the only person I trust not to mess it up.”
You let out a small laugh, sharp around the edges. “That’s funny.”
He frowns slightly. “What is?”
“Trust,” you say. “You always bring that up like it didn’t disappear when you did.”
His jaw tightens, but he doesn’t deny it.
“There’s a girl,” he says after a moment. “I’m trying to get her attention. Or make her jealous. I need someone to- ” He pauses, watching your face. “I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend. Just socially. Nothing serious.”
Something in your chest drops. Not because you still want him, at least, that’s what you tell yourself- but because of how easy it is for him to say it. Like you’re a solution. Like you’re convenient.
You shake your head slowly. “You really don’t think before you talk.”
“I do,” he says. “I just-”
“No,” you cut in, voice tighter now. “You didn’t think about how this sounds. Or how it looks. Or how messed up it is to ask me to play girlfriend so you can get someone else’s attention.”
He exhales. “I’m not asking you to feel anything.”
“That’s kind of the problem,” you snap, then immediately look away, annoyed at yourself for letting anything slip.
The space between you feels heavier now.
“I need to go,” you say suddenly, pushing off the railing. “I can’t, ” You stop, taking a breath. “I need to clear my head.”
Matt straightens. “You don’t have to answer right now.”
“Good,” you mutter. “Because I don’t have one.”
You start toward the balcony door, then pause. “I’ll… text you,” you add, not looking at him. “If I decide anything.” the words slip out of your mouth, regretting every second of it.
He nods. “Okay.” His fingers fidgeting as be watches you walk away.
You step back inside, the music hitting you all at once, louder than before. Your chest feels tight, your thoughts messy, and the worst part is knowing exactly why.
You tell yourself it’s just irritation. Just old history. Nothing more.
But as you grab your jacket and head for the door, you already know this isn’t over.
Ugh this took way too long to make, buttt chapter 2 is in the making💓💓 and lmk if you wanna be apart of the taglist!!
