Belle frowned. "We're not being weird. I'm... I'm just giving Matty space."

I shrugged.

“And I'm Letting Belle decide what she really wants from me."

“No, you're both STALLING,“ Mari complained. Holding up her pencil, she flipped it and jabbed the eraser side at Belle, stating, “You're just going through the motions, hoping he'll magically wake up one day, realize he misses you, and ask you to come back to him. Probably on a

Saturday night when he's feeling lonely and maybe sees all the sexy lingerie you left in his closet and realizes he could have a horny hot little sexpot in his bed instead of sleeping alone."

Belle blushed and tried to hold back a little smirk.

“And you," Mari continued while turning to point the eraser at me, “are just going through the motions waiting for Belle to make some grand gesture of apology, swear that she'll never betray the BTC, and promise to love you forever as siblings-with-benefits.”

Well, she was right, and I blushed and bit my lip while staring down at my lap.

"So here's what's gonna happen," Mari sighed while packing up her binder and sliding off the bed to retrieve her tossed book. "You two are gonna work this out right here and now. And by the end of the night, Matty, you're either gonna give her the key back or take it away forever. Period."

I frowned.

“You can't dictate that kind of ultimatum."

“Of course I can. I'm ‘Matty's Girlfriend’ this week," she insisted while miming the air quotes. "I'm the primary, which means I give the orders.”

“It doesn't work like that." I laughed. "I think you're letting the power trip go to your head a bit."

“Maybe." She shrugged. "Doesn't mean I'm wrong about this, though."

I frowned. "You can't put a timeline on this. If I need another week or two, or a month, to give her the key back, then I need that time."

“No, you don't," Mari insisted. "You either trust her, or you don't.

There's no grand gesture that's gonna make everything all better. She's your Annabelle. She's always been your Annabelle. And yeah, she got a little crazy there for a bit, but that just shows how much she loves you, how important you are to her. That part's never gonna change. Have you forgiven her?"

“Yes, of course."

Mari raised both eyebrows and leaned forward.

“Then forgive her." With that, Mari slammed the book into her backpack and zipped it closed.

“Hey, don't go," Belle pleaded once she realized Mari was prepping to leave. "You're my best friend, you've had a really rough day, and we want to be here for you. I know I'd want you and Matty with me for company if some asshole ever grabbed my--"

“Stop right there," Mari cut her off. "Didn't I already tell you I wanted the whole thing forgotten?"

“You can't just forget him," I reasoned.

“And even wild and crazy sex with us can't wash away what already happened. You need to take the time to talk to someone about it, and if not us then someone else you trust."

“Thanks for the lecture, Matty, but I have a little bit of experience dealing with this kind of trauma."