Chapter 6
Matthew: [I was passing by the south side of town and brought you some of your favorite snacks from when you were a kid.]
That day, my heart melted for a long time because of those words.
It turned out that he never remembered what I liked.
It was Phoebe's favorite, not mine.
He happened to have some and gave me a bit too.
Matthew looked up and saw me, his eyes lingering on my bare neck.
I wasn't wearing the moon necklace today.
He noticed it.
But with so many people in the living room, he didn't ask.
He walked over to me. "Does your hand still hurt?"
I shook my head.
He reached out, wanting to check the back of my hand.
I pulled my hand behind my back.
He stiffened for a moment.
Selena didn't notice and kept laughing. "Matt, you're worrying too much.
"Monica's not a kid anymore. It's a little burn. What's the big deal?"
Matthew paused for a moment and then said softly, "She can't handle pain."
I looked up at him.
It was like a little stab to my heart.
He remembered I couldn't handle the pain.
But he had no idea that being called his sister in front of everyone by the guy I had a crush on stung worse than any burn from hot coffee.
Suddenly, the sound of a car came from outside.
Selena immediately put down the necklace and ran out excitedly.
"Phoebe's here," she called out.
Everyone in the living room got up.
Regina straightened her shawl and went out with a smile.
Matthew stayed where he was, but his eyes had drifted past me and fixed on the door.
His expression was almost blank.
But I knew him too well.
I caught his fingers tightening unconsciously and nervousness flashing across his eyes.
That was the reaction I'd never gotten from him in front of everyone.
Phoebe walked in, surrounded by everyone.
She looked slimmer than I remembered, her long hair softly curled, dressed in an ivory coat. When she smiled, her eyes crinkled at the corners.
She was like a light everyone wanted to be close to.
As soon as she walked in, Selena threw her arms around Phoebe.
"You're finally back. You won't believe it. Matt went out of his way to bring you peach pies," Selena said.
Phoebe turned to Matthew, her eyes wide with surprise. "Oh, you remembered?"
Matthew smiled.
It was a faint smile, but it was real.
"You've always loved it since you were little," Matthew said.
Everyone immediately made a fuss.
"Wow, Matt, your memory is impressive," someone joked.
"You never forget Phoebe's favorite, even after all these years," another person chimed in.
Phoebe's cheeks flushed as she gave them a playful glare. "Come on. Stop making things up."
I stood on the sidelines, watching from the edge of the crowd.
I watched as Matthew handed her the peach pie, still perfectly warm.
Suddenly, I remembered how he'd asked about my necklace last night.
He remembered I'd stopped wearing the gift he gave me.
But he didn't remember that the necklace came three months late.
He remembered that Phoebe loved peach pies when she was a kid.
But he never knew I didn't like peach pies.
I liked orange candy, the kind you could buy for two bucks a pack at the convenience store.
It was because that was the first thing he ever gave me.
At dinner, Regina made sure to arrange the seating.
Phoebe sat next to the head of the table.
Matthew took the seat to her right.
I was placed at the very end, next to one of Selena's friends.
No one thought anything was wrong with it.
After all, that was how it had always been.
Phoebe always got the spot where all the action was.
And as for me, no one cared where I sat.
The servants started bringing out the dishes.
The first course was shrimp.
Regina smiled and said, "I had the kitchen make everything a bit lighter today.
"Phoebe just got back, and her stomach might need some time to adjust."
Phoebe gave an embarrassed smile. "Regina, you still remember?"
"Of course I do. You could never handle spicy food as a kid. It always gave you a stomachache," Regina replied.
Matthew jumped in, "She can't have anything cold either."
With that, he had someone swap out the cold drink in front of Phoebe for a glass of water.
"And the cilantro, too," Matthew said.
Phoebe blinked in surprise. "How do you even remember that?"
Matthew lowered his gaze and smiled. "Just something I remember."
Everyone started joking around again.
I looked down at the plate of shrimp in front of me.
Out of nowhere, I almost wanted to laugh.
I was allergic to shrimp.
It was not serious enough to kill me, but I'd break out in a rash, my throat would itch, and if it got bad, I couldn't breathe.
The first time I had a reaction to shrimp at the Shelton Manor, Matthew was the one who rushed me to the hospital.
That night, with an IV stuck in my hand, I bawled my eyes out, mortified.
He sat by my bed and unwrapped an orange candy for me.
He said, "No more shrimp for you, okay?"
I thought he'd remember.
Suddenly, a fork reached over to my plate.
Matthew put a shrimp on my plate and said in a matter-of-fact tone, "Why aren't you eating? Don't be such a picky eater."
The buzz around the dinner table faded for a moment.
I stared at the shrimp on my plate, my stomach churning.
After a moment, I put down my fork and looked up at him. "I'm not picky."
Matthew was caught off guard for a moment.
I spoke up, my voice calm. "I'm allergic to shrimp."
As soon as I said it, the whole table went quiet.
The atmosphere froze in an instant.