Page 22 of Kicking it with my Fake Fiancé
I held up a hand to cut him off. “Sit.” I gestured to a stone bench and he sat without questioning me further. He probably knew better than to try to interfere with my schemes. We’d managed a little trouble here and there in high school. When I finally spoke, my voice was quiet, just loud enough for Matty to hear. If I hadn’t had a mic on me, it would have been just between us. “I know it’s been hard, being apart for so long. Us suddenly being together again, in the same space after all this time, has really helped me understand some things. I want you to know what I’ve been thinking.”
I stepped back a bit, strummed the guitar a few times, and began to sing. The song, one I’d been working on during the trip, was about our relationship, one we’d cultivated across the Atlantic ocean, thousands of miles between us. My heart pounded as I sang, my gaze locked in on his, tears welling in his eyes. I wondered if he knew the words were real, a true representation of how I felt, or if he thought they were just for show. I ignored the gathering crowd and kept my gaze focused on Matty.
“Love’s the language of their beating hearts,” I sang, finishing softly. When the final notes ended, I leaned down and pressed a kiss to the top of his head. “Matthias Gunnar Solberg, thank you for being mine. I’m so honored to have you in my life.”
“Thankyou,” he murmured. “I’ve lived here all my life and never noticed just how beautiful Oslo is to share with someone you love.”
I grinned and my cheeks flushed. I didn’t know how sincere he was either, but I was pleased the song had landed the way it needed to.
The crowd burst into applause and then dispersed. Matty stood and I removed the guitar from around my neck and shoulder, handing it back to its owner before pulling Matty close. He stepped into my embrace, our bodies touching. Matty pressed a palm to my body, my heart thudding in my chest against his hand. I dipped down and kissed him, soft at first, hesitant. Matty made a small noise of surprise in the back of his throat before opening to my kiss, inhaling sharply through his nose and sliding his tongue against my own. I buried the fingers of my free hand in the back of his shirt, and his hand came up to run his fingers through my hair.
We kissed for a long time, tenderly, the world disappearing around us. I gripped Matty’s waist with my free hand, hooking in the waistband of his jeans and holding him close. When we finally parted, lips swollen and red, Matty laughed shakily.
“Well, then,” I said.
“Yeah?”
“I just wanted to let you know how I was feeling, that’s all.”
Matty smiled softly, and I couldn’t help but wonder if his smile was for the cameras or genuinely for me. “I’m glad you did.”
Chapter Twelve
Matty
IwasreelingafterJared’s performance in the park. Had he meant it? Probably not, right? He was just doing it for the show. To show off his musical ability and get his music in front of new fans. Right? Even though I knew he had to be doing it for the camera, my heart fluttered, and my cheeks flushed with pleasure when he sang. When the moment passed, we walked hand in hand up the hill toward the palace. The flag was raised and I made a comment when I spotted it.
“The king is in,” I said, pointing.
Jared raised his eyebrows. “Really? That’s cool. Are those the guards?”
I followed his line of sight and nodded. “Yes. They change stations periodically, if you want to stay and watch.”
He wrinkled his nose. “Nah. What’s next?”
We meandered away from the palace to the park behind it, where ducks serenely drifted on the pond and a variety of other birds hopped on the ground, looking for crumbs and other offerings. After that, I pulled up a map to the sculpture park and we walked that way. It was interesting, seeing everything with fresh eyes. It had been a long time since I’d gone sightseeing in Oslo, despite living so close, and I’d forgotten just how beautiful and exciting it could be.
After touring the park, my feet ached terribly and Jared looked ready to drop. Even Steve and Brock looked like they were ready to call it a day. Once we’d made our way back to the entrance of the park, Steve turned to us.
“Excellent job today, guys. I think we have what we need. We’ll take the next couple of days off to review footage and re-convene on departure day. Sound good?”
We both nodded and said our goodbyes before stumbling our way to the bus station. On the return trip, Jared fell asleep, head resting against my shoulder as he breathed softly. It took an hour, but we finally made it to the bus station directly in front of my side street, and I woke Jared.
He blinked at me a few times, confused, before he seemed to remember where he was. “Where are we?”
“Home,” I murmured, and the word caused heat to bloom in my chest. I wanted my home to be Jared’s, and soon enough, we’d be living together in the States and planning a wedding and the whole nine yards.
By the time we’d gotten off the bus, Jared was more awake, the veil of sleep lifted. He took my hand in his while we walked down the short driveway, and I froze for a second, unsure of whether he’d meant to do it or if he was still a little dazed from sleep.
“Oh, sorry,” he mumbled. “I hope I didn’t—I mean, if I misread things…”
“No, not at all.” I squeezed his fingers with my own. “It’s perfectly okay. I just wasn’t expecting it, that’s all.” The press of our palms and the intertwining of our fingers was comforting, and it felt like a different kind of home on its own. It felt right, and my heart pounded, warmth spreading through my body. This was what I wanted.
Back in the apartment, I made us a light dinner of sandwiches and we ate in front of the television, watching an American superhero movie. By the time dinner was finished, I was yawning and my eyelids were growing heavy.
“Yeah, I think I’m ready for bed, too.” Jared stood and stretched before helping me clean off the little coffee table.
The whole evening had felt incredibly domestic, making me happier than I could’ve imagined I would be. It was nice. I was afraid I’d get used to it, and I didn’t know how to tell Jared that I was developing feelings for him.
