Page 49 of Fake Out

He suddenly seems nervous. He runs his palm over his head and shifts in his seat.

“What?” I push, my pulse roaring in my ears.

“I want to take the plunge with you.” His throat rolls with a swallow. “Come what may, I want to face it with you. I guess what I’m saying is that I’m serious about you, Marissa. This isn’t just a fling to me, like in the past. This, this is different. You’re special to me.”

His words hang between us, shockingly bold and heartfelt. My chest tightens until I think my heart might burst from the force of my emotions. I can only gape at him, the words swirling around in my head, both terrifying and exhilarating.

“I…” I fumble for a response, feeling the blush rise in my cheeks.

He brushes a stray hair out of my face, tucking it gently behind my ear. “Look, I get it if you need time to think about it.” He reassures me with a soft smile that doesn’t quite reach his eyes.

“No,” I say without thinking and then immediately clarify. “I mean, yes, but… no.”

A chuckle rumbles in Charlie’s chest, his lips curving up in amusement. “Which one is it?”

I let out a shaky breath, trying to gather my scrambling thoughts. “What I mean to say is… yes, I need time because this is… huge.”

His smile wavers for a moment but stays on his face as an encouragement for me to continue.

“But no,” I continue, my voice growing stronger with each word. “This isn’t just a fling for me either.”

His grip on my hand tightens ever so slightly as he leans closer, his expression earnest and hopeful. The kitchen fades into nothingness as his words echo in my mind. There’s that plunge again.

“Charlie,” I begin, looking into those warm eyes that hold nothing but pure affection for me. “I’m serious about you too.”

His eyes light up, the warmth in them intensifying as if someone has flipped a switch. His hands slip around my waist, pulling me closer.

I lean in until our foreheads touch. My heart throbs in my chest, pounding painfully hard.

“That’s all I wanted to hear,” he says, his voice so soft it’s almost a whisper.

My body vibrates with his words, each one wrapping around me like a warm blanket. I close my eyes, breathing in this moment, engraving it into my memory. The smell of him, the sound of his heart beating in sync with mine.

Everything is perfect.

And, because of that, I know we can face whatever comes next. Whether or not it includes receiving a phone call with good news.

CHAPTER 21

CHARLIE

Marissa sits back and sighs happily, her plate scraped clean.

“More?” I reach for another scoop of fettuccine Alfredo, but she shakes her head.

“I can’t eat another bite.”

“Fair.” I pat my stomach. I could probably eat another ton of pasta, but I shouldn’t be having any as it is.

Even though I’ve yet to be signed again, I’ve been religious about my diet and workouts — tonight being an exception. I’ve already learned that a big part of success is being prepared when an opportunity comes knocking.

“What would you like to do tonight?” I ask.

“Wanna watch a movie?”

It’s along the lines of the answer I expected. We’ve been together every night since arriving home after the interviews, either at my place or hers, and we almost always stay in.

The exceptions have been the few times we went out because Marissa said we needed to be seen together as a couple.

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