Page 73 of That Secret Something

“I don’t snore!”

“Yes, you do. But it’s pretty cute. Like a tiny steam train.”

I pulled the covers over my head, but Rebecca tugged them back down. She planted a soft kiss on my lips before returning to tip-tapping on the keyboard. With a sigh, I rolled onto my side to retrieve my glasses.

“Are you still working on your portfolio?” I asked, brushing up against her.

She pushed her laptop backwards, scooting it along the bed. “Yeah, been updating my showreel. I’m sorry if I woke you, just couldn’t sleep. Nerves and all that.”

I wrapped my arm around her and squeezed. “You’re going to do great—in the game and with your reel.”

“Thanks, Jess.” She kissed my head and leaned back with a sigh.

“Can I see yet?”

“And let you into the deepest, darkest secrets of my soul? I mean, sure, why not?” She brought the laptop towards us, then hesitated. “It’s not quite finished, though.”

“Okay.”

“And it still needs some…tweaking.”

“I’ll bear that in mind.”

She tapped her fingers on the duvet. “And—”

I put my hand over hers. “You don’t have to show me if you’re not ready.”

“No, no. I am. I am. It’s just…scary. But I do want to show you.” She blew out a breath and brushed the mousepad to waken the screen. Before she could change her mind, she hit play on the video, and the music started.

A low-lit image of a man appeared, and then the screen jumped through flashes of him standing against different backgrounds. Cities. Mountains. Busy streets, empty streets. The reel cut to a close-up of his mouth—a huge smile that slowly drained from his face. The music kicked up a beat as the video cycled through more scenes: speeding cars and fast rivers, hectic streets filled with lights and people, all merging into a blur. I recognised some of the scenery from around here, including sections from her hockey team practising and shots of the moors. Others were as foreign as another country, her travels around Europe, but mostly I was just struck by the sheer beauty of it. I’d no expertise in this subject, but it was bloody good.

The instrumental wound down to a quiet hum, leaving the man’s face set in a frown. The corners of his mouth twitched, then the reel cut to black, and Rebecca’s name filled the screen. I felt like I’d just watched a whole movie.

“I know some of the lighting is a little off,” she commented.

“What? No, Rebecca, it’s…brilliant. You’re brilliant.”

“I don’t know… It still needs work.”

I turned her face towards me, moving my hand behind her neck. “Honestly, you’re really talented. Did you really film all that? I want to see more. Do you have more?”

A slow smile spread across her face. “Really? Yeah…I’ve got loads.”

“Great.” My heart squeezed. The fact she’d trusted me enough to show me made my insides all mushy. “You can show me some more later, because first, we need to prep you for the big final. Get you full of carbs.”

She gave me three quick kisses, then tangled her fingers in my hair. “You’re so adorable. You my acting manager now?”

I shrugged. “I mean, I could be, but there might be a conflict of interests in some places…and we don’t need any more rules.”

“No. No more rules.” She kissed me deeper, awakening the pulse between my legs, then pulled back suddenly. “Except for one.” She grinned.

“And what’s that?” I asked, even though I already knew the answer.

Her eyes crinkled with mischief. “Cup of tea, please.”

* * *

April stuck to its famous reputation, covering us with a pounding shower for almost the entire game. The gloomy mood carried through the home stands, as Rebecca’s team was down by a goal with ten minutes left to play.

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