ONE DAY [ MATHEW BARZAL ]

- nine hours -

"I'm confident because I know you're falling in love with me." Mathew says softly, getting ever so close to my lips when he titled my chin up. I hold in my breath as he gets closer, my heart thumping so fast I am sure he can feel it against his chest.

I know I am going to regret doing this, I know I am going to hurt both Mathew and I, but I do it anyway because I am scared to kiss him.

I step on top of my tip toes, my lips coming inches from his ear, and I whisper. "Nice try, but you're failing." And walk off, leaving him wanting more.

And like I thought, Mathew is running after me. He comes beside me again, his shoulder brushing against mine showing me just how close we are.

"You're playing hard to get." He tells throwing his arm over my shoulder. I look ahead, my teeth biting at my lip to stop the smile forming on them. But it is soon wiped off when I feel Mathew lower his lips to my ear, his hot breath blowing softly against it. And then he speaks, "But I'm going to catch you."

I still keep my eyes ahead, trying not to show any signs of weakness in front of him but inside I am absolutely falling to pieces. Gosh that was hot, if I wasn't trying my hardest to prove to him that love doesn't exist, I would let him have every inch of me right there and then.

"Where to next, sweetheart? We still have a few hours left before you leave." Mathew says like what just happened didn't. I spot a bookstore a few feet away from us, if anything I know I will be comfortable in there and I need to calm down after what just happened between us.

"Bookstore, I should grab a book to read on the plane." I tell but my voice comes out shaky, I spot a satisfied smile come onto Mathew's lips. Goddamnit, I wish I could swipe that smirk off his lips but it makes him look so unbelievably hot so I don't do anything.

"Lead the way my love." Mathew says holding his hand out. I look up at him, my eyes narrowing to his dark ones when he starts giving me nicknames. But he just looks at me with an innocent expression, like he is doing nothing wrong but inside of me, his nicknames have my stomach tumbling with butterflies.

I take off towards the bookstore, Mathews hand slips into mine and he drops in step beside me. We say nothing as we enter, only giving the employee a polite smile when she welcomed us in.

I feel myself relax instantly when the smell of new books hits my senses. All my worry of going away disappears, all my fear of living alone aboard goes away, all my built up anxiety of my feelings of Mathew disappear. And all I am left with is a calmness aura surrounding me.

My hand slips from Mathews as I walk down the aisles, if I wasn't so engrossed in the books around me, I would have grabbed it again but I don't. Instead I grab book after book, reading their titles and blurbs at the back, my eyes roaming over the words. I almost forget Mathew is with me until I feel his presence come up behind me. I jump when he places his hands on my waist, his chin rests on my shoulder but his lips are somehow placed against the skin on my neck.

"You're a giant distraction, you know." I silently sigh when Mathew holds me closer. My attention has been stolen by him once again, my thoughts not even having the chance to think of anything other but him.

"I know, that's my giant plan. Distracting you till you fall in love with me." He mutters into my neck, his lips gently kissing my skin as he spoke. I try and not sigh so deeply when it happened, but my knees almost give way.