Matt hadn't ever been good at taking care of anyone other than himself. He was too selfish of a person to put other's needs before his own. However, it was not like he'd have even considered leaving her out there alone after what had happened.
Sometimes, he forgot how alien sweet tea was to northerners and he looked at her with an expression of confusion for a moment. "Oh, yeah," he finally responded. "We drink it all the time in Georgia so I always keep some on hand while I'm here... it's the whole reason I got the refrigerator." Sure, it would hold a six pack of beer, too, but, most of the time, he preferred the tea.
When he realized that he was babbling about tea, he fell silent again. For the first time since he'd met her, his nervous side was showing.
"You're not an idiot," he corrected quickly. "That... guy... he was the... it's not your fault. A woman should be able to walk across campus by herself without worrying about being sexually assaulted." Pause. "You are definitely not to blame."
He wasn't sure about how he was supposed to handle this but he was certain of that fact. Regardless, she hadn't deserved this.
When he noticed that the bruise on her cheek had darkened, he wished that he kept a bag of frozen peas on hand. Without the ice pack, that bruise was just going to keep growing.