Page 143 of The Match Faker

‘You don’t know how long I’ve wanted you to say those words,’ Mia said, her breath ragged.

‘You don’t know how long I’ve wanted to say them to you.’ I brushed my thumb over her cheek.

‘So how can we make it work? What about the film you’re doing?’

‘I don’t care about that. I’ll quit, if it means being with you.’

‘But don’t you have a contract?’

‘Yeah,’ I exhaled. ‘Geena would kill me if she knew I was here.’

‘She doesn’t know? When are you due back on set?’

‘In about twenty-two hours…’

‘Oh my God!’ she gasped. ‘You flew nine hours just to see me for one night?’

‘The flight was about ten and a half hours, but, hey, who’s counting?’

‘You’re crazy!’

‘Damn right. I’m crazy for you. But I didn’t think this was a conversation we could have on the phone. I wasn’t even sure if you’d take my call…’

‘I was actually about to call you!’

‘Yeah?’

‘Yeah.’ She smiled. ‘How did you know I’d be here?’

‘Trudy. When I went to your place and you weren’t there and didn’t answer your phone, I called her.’

‘Oh, my phone’s in my bag. Well, I’m glad you came. It’s a long trip to make for… how long do we have together now?’

‘About half an hour…’ I winced. ‘It would’ve been a bit longer if your neighbour downstairs hadn’t kept me chatting…’

‘Mrs Reynolds, right?’

‘That’s the one. Although she said I could call her Crystal.’ I smiled.

‘Such a charmer! My boyfriend even gets the old ladies going!’

‘Boyfriend.’ I smiled. ‘I like the sound of that a lot more than fake boyfriend.’

‘Yeah. You know I’ve still got you listed in my phone as My Hot Boyfriend, though…’

‘I thought you’d changed that as soon as I handed back your phone!’

‘I wanted to. But somehow, I just didn’t get around to it. Maybe because I wanted it to be true. But not just because you are obviously gorgeous. You’re more than pretty packaging to me, Liam. You always have been. It’s your heart that I love the most. I love all of you.’

My heart swelled.

Well, fuck.

Mia loved me.

Right now, I felt like the luckiest man alive.

‘You make me so damn happy, you know that?’

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