𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐒 𝐃𝐈𝐅𝐅𝐄𝐑𝐄𝐍𝐓!
a matt sturniolo fanfic
[ chapter four # social media, imessage]
⋆｡‧˚ʚ🍓ɞ˚‧｡

INSTAGRAM!

lovalentina

Liked by christophersturniolo, naomi.cameron, zarahalton and 244,545 others

lovalentina 🪩🪄🥁

657 comments

zarahalton heyyy 💋💋💍💍
↳ lovalentina hi baeee 👰‍♀️

user MOTHER!
↳ user MAMA!

user why are u the prettiest person ever

elithatcher showstopping jawdropping never seen before 
↳ lovalentina u flatter me 😘

user are eli and val... yknow?
↳ user THEY CANT BE (i'm still holding onto matt&val)

christophersturniolo Cute 😊
↳ lovalentina you.... okay??? blink twice if u need help chris 
↳ christophersturniolo i'm great! 🙂

naomi.cameron me @ the pretty person competition when you walk in 😦
↳ lovalentina i'm blushing 😇😇

user i miss matt commenting on her posts 💔💔
↳ user he still comments though
↳ user but there's no flavor in the comments 

matthew.sturniolo 👍

user matt's comment.... awkward 101 LMAO

IMESSAGE!

zar's bitches 🥰💋🤱

group leader ; valentina 
zesty z ; zara
pussy eater ; naomi

zesty z
NOW VAL
I NEED YOU TO BE SOOO SERIOUS
WTF IS UP WITH YOU AND MATT

pussy eater
right cause why tf is he commenting a thumbs up emoji on ur post
that's so ex situationship of him

group leader
you guys'll never believe what i'm about to say lmaooooooo 

zesty z
??????

group leader
not rn i js got ready for the party 😊 
sleepover @ mine today????
mom's not home today

pussy eater
😐😐
babe
i'll take the offer for the sleepover but
u can't leave us hanging like that
WHAT and i mean WHAT happened 

zesty z
right liiiiike 
i NEED the deets

group leader
okay um 😬
matt and i kinda dated for like... the majority of summer
idek if we dated LMAO we just kissed and did coupley shit
but he never really called me his gf
we kinda decided to not let u guys know because it would be awkward if we broke up
 and now we broke up its still #awkwardasfuck
because bro just won't be normal
like it was your decision bae stand tf up
he broke up with me the day after i told him i loved him
who the fuck does that?

zesty z
jesus fucking christ
you guys dated and he BROKE UP WITH YOU????

pussy eater
that man better not be in my eyesight tn
because i'm feeling extra homicidal rn 

group leader
AND YKNOW WHAT ELSE
I GOT FUCKING PAIRED UP WITH HIM FOR A GROUP PROJECT
WHO TF PRAYED ON MY DOWNFALL CAUSE ITS SO HAPPENING RN

pussy eater
oh wow
yk what you'll do today?
you're going to go to the party 
and enjoy yourself. 
you're gonna talk to new people
and maybe old ones (aiden)(bro has a thing for you) 😜😜

group leader
ykw
i'm gonna do that  

zesty z
REAL!
fuck m*tt honestly 🤣🤣

pussy eater 
you're in love with his brother

zesty z
SHUSH
this isn't about me 

group leaader 
😭😭😭
can we go together instead of with eli and the sturniolos lmao
not ready to get in that car once again 

pussy eater
getting my keys rn !
liked by group leader and zesty z 

REAL LIFE!

valentina stood in front of the mirror, pulling at the hem of her top. she wasn't sure if it was the outfit or the whole situation that made her feel out of place. her reflection stared back at her, a girl who looked like she had it all together—except she didn't feel that way at all. the weight of the past few weeks had been crushing her. the lies, the secrecy, and worst of all, the abrupt way matt had ended things after she told him she loved him.

"don't think about it," she muttered under her breath, but the words were hollow. no matter how hard she tried to focus on something else, her mind kept drifting back to the same place—matt, his cool detachment, the way he'd dumped her as though it didn't matter.

she pulled her phone from her pocket and stared at the text she'd sent to zara and naomi earlier in the day

matt and i kinda dated for like... the majority of summer
idek if we dated LMAO we just kissed and did coupley shit
but he never really called me his gf
we kinda decided to not let u guys know because it would be awkward if we broke up
and now we broke up its still #awkwardasfuck
because bro just won't be normal
like it was your decision bae stand tf up
he broke up with me the day after i told him i loved him
who the fuck does that?

the last line still made her stomach churn, even though it was just the text of her venting. if only she had known how little matt was ready to admit about their "thing," how little he was actually willing to let it become real. she remembered their conversations from before they ever crossed that line—how matt had always kept things ambiguous, almost as if he was testing the waters to see how far she would go without ever needing to fully dive in.

she glanced at herself in the mirror again, forcing the thoughts out. *tonight. i'm going to have a good time. i'm going to let it go.*

taking one last look, she grabbed her purse and made her way downstairs. as she reached the bottom of the stairs, she could hear naomi and zara chatting with her mom in the living room, the muffled sounds of their voices drifting toward her.

zara glanced up as she entered the room, a teasing smile immediately appearing on her face. "look who finally decided to come out of hiding," she said, her tone light but laced with concern. "you okay?"

valentina forced a smile, trying to brush it off. "yeah. just—doing what i've gotta do."

naomi raised an eyebrow from her spot on the couch. "is that so?" her voice was sharp, but there was an understanding in it too, like she could see right through valentina's facade. "you've been texting us all day about how *not okay* you are. if you're not ready to go, we can just go grab food and chill. no pressure."

valentina shook her head. "i need to get out of my head. i need to have fun, okay? if i sit at home anymore, i might just... spiral."

zara jumped up, ready to head out the door. "that's my girl. aiden's party is the perfect distraction. and don't worry, we've got your back. we won't let you think about matt for one second."

valentina winced at the mention of his name. it was too soon to just move past everything, but she had to try. she quickly wished her mom good bye and followed zara and naomi outside.

"you guys... i just feel like everything's messed up," she confessed quietly, closing the door behind her.

naomi, always the one to be blunt, turned to face her as she got in the car. "you don't have to explain yourself. we got it, okay? you spent most of the summer kissing him and doing all this couple-y stuff, but he never even called you his girlfriend? i don't know about you, but that sounds like his issue, not yours."

zara nodded in agreement. "exactly. you don't owe him anything. especially not after he dumped you like that."

valentina opened the car door and slid into the backseat, feeling an uncomfortable tightness in her chest. she had so much she wanted to say about the whole situation, but she hadn't been able to articulate it, even to herself. how was she supposed to explain everything about matt without sounding like a mess? how he would say the sweetest things to her, but when it came down to it, he'd never give her the security she wanted. how, even when they were together, there was always that lingering doubt—was it real or just a summer fling?

the air in the car grew thick with tension as naomi started the engine. they were driving to the party, but valentina was still thinking about matt. the silence in the car was broken by zara's voice, quiet but direct.

"you still think about him a lot, don't you?"

valentina blinked, startled at the question. but she didn't deny it. "yeah. i guess i do. i mean, i can't stop thinking about how i told him i loved him, and he just... left. he didn't even try to work it out. it's like he didn't care."

naomi glanced at her through the rearview mirror, her voice more gentle than usual. "you *did* put yourself out there, val. and you were vulnerable. and yeah, it sucked, but that's on him, not you. you did the right thing by telling him how you felt. he didn't deserve you, and you definitely don't deserve someone who can't even call you his girlfriend after all that time. he couldn't even give you the respect you deserved."

zara's voice cut through next, more light-hearted than naomi's but still holding a quiet truth. "he was playing games, val. and you let him. i know, it's hard, but now that you know what kind of person he really is, you can move on."

the words stung more than valentina was ready to admit. she didn't want to admit that she had let matt lead her on for so long. she didn't want to admit that she had ignored the signs. but deep down, she knew it was true. she could have walked away so many times before things got too tangled. but she had let herself get too close.

"i just—" valentina's voice caught as she tried to find the right words. "i don't understand how everything changed so fast. like, one moment it was perfect. we were hanging out, laughing, doing all that lovey dovey bullshit like it was nothing. and then the next, i tell him i love him and he... he pulls away. he's just so cold. and now every time i see him, it's like... i'm the one who messed everything up. i feel like i'm the one who can't get it together."

naomi didn't sugarcoat it. "val baby, he messed it up, not you. he didn't want the same things. and it's not on you to try and fix him. i think he's the one who's still not over something. maybe it's his fear of commitment, or maybe he just couldn't handle being real with you. but whatever it is, it's not your problem anymore."

zara added, "you don't need someone who can't give you what you deserve. honestly, i think matt was scared of something real, and he didn't know how to handle it."

valentina was silent for a moment, letting their words sink in. she couldn't deny what they were saying. matt had always been a little distant when things started to get serious. he'd kept her at arm's length, just enough to make her feel like there was something there, but never enough to make her feel secure. she'd convinced herself that it was just the way he was—until it hurt too much to keep pretending.

she exhaled, feeling the tension in her shoulders begin to release. "i don't want to let him take up so much space in my head. i want to just enjoy tonight and let myself be free. i need to stop letting him control how i feel."

naomi glanced at her through the rearview mirror again, her eyes softening. "i get it. and you will, babe. just focus on being here now. we're gonna have a great time tonight, no distractions."

zara's teasing smile was back as she leaned forward from the passenger seat. "speaking of distractions... you know aiden wants you bad, right?"

valentina snorted in surprise, raising an eyebrow. "what? no way. he's just friendly, that's all."

zara laughed, her voice dripping with mock sarcasm. "friendly? uh-huh. you should've seen him at the last party. every time you walked by, he was practically spinning to follow you with his eyes. don't act like you didn't notice. and the smile on his face whenever you're talking to him?"

valentina couldn't help but roll her eyes, but there was a small smile tugging at the corner of her lips. "aiden's cute, sure, but... we're just friends. and i don't think i wanna change that."

naomi shot her a look from the mirror, her tone playful yet knowing. "don't sell yourself short. he'd definitely like it if you two were a thing. i'm just saying, you don't have to settle for the guy who ghosts you after the first kiss."

zara chimed in, "exactly. aiden actually knows how to treat someone. and he's not shy about it. i think he'd make a way better rebound than matt ever could."

valentina shifted uncomfortably in her seat, torn between wanting to be free of the whole matt situation and the weight of the idea that she might be jumping into something else too quickly. "it's not like that," she murmured. "i'm not looking for a rebound. i don't even know if i'm ready for anything new."

naomi was quick to reassure her. "you don't have to jump into anything serious, but it wouldn't hurt to let someone show you a good time. you deserve that. hell, just go dance, have fun, get your mind off things."

naomi pulled into the driveway of aiden's house, the thumping music growing louder as they neared. "alright, val," naomi said, her voice full of energy. "let's make tonight about you—not matt, not your ex-summer fling, not anything from the past. tonight, it's all about you getting out of your head and having a good time. let's go!"

zara leaned over, shooting valentina a wink. "and if aiden looks at you the way i think he will? you'll beglad you didn't spend your whole night thinking about matt."

valentina laughed, but it didn't feel forced. she let herself feel the excitement building up inside her as she unbuckled her seatbelt. she hadn't felt like this in weeks—alive, ready to shake off the weight of everything. maybe tonight could be the first step in moving on.

as they all climbed out of the car, valentina caught sight of aiden across the yard, talking with a group of guys near the bonfire. he was laughing, his smile wide, and for a moment, she allowed herself to just see him—not as some distraction from matt, but as someone she could enjoy talking to, someone who might actually want to treat her well.

zara nudged her with her elbow. "he's already looking over here. don't let him off the hook so easy tonight."

valentina shot her a glare. "i'm not going to just... let him chase me or anything."

naomi raised an eyebrow. "we'll see about that. you've got this."

as they approached the door, the bass of the music vibrated through the ground beneath their feet. aiden looked up just as valentina reached the porch, his eyes catching hers across the crowd. his lips twitched into a smile, and for a brief moment, the world around her seemed to quiet, as if she was the only one he saw.

she didn't know what to make of it, but there was something in that smile that told her maybe this night, at least, she could let go of everything else.

zara leaned in with a whisper. "see? i told you."

valentina shook her head, a soft laugh escaping her lips. "alright, alright. let's see if i can have fun without thinking about anyone else for a change."

as they stepped into the party, the music, the lights, and the laughter all swallowed her up. for the first time in a long while, she allowed herself to just... be.

🤍🫧🪸
hello.......?