Max
Tonight's our first 'big' event. The biggest since these entire 'dating' rumours began circulating. Tonight will be the night that really changes everything, publicly at least. Because tonight, Persephone and I are making our public appearance as a 'couple'. Where there'll be cameras waiting to watch us strut down the streets of Boston, just one click away from changing the trajectory of both our lives, forever.
For reference, it's only been a week since we started 'dating'. Fuck, how I wish I could remove the quotation marks from the top of that word, and leave the remaining letters in peace.
And my feelings, the confusion, the silent angst and everything else, is only getting worse as time goes on. The more time we spend together, the more time we take in acting like we're together, every time I see her out of the corner of my eye. She's driving me insane by just existing as my fake girlfriend, let alone a real one.
For a week, I'm surprised that I haven't let our whole plan slip yet. I've come close to letting the cat out of the bag, particularly around Fitz, who seems absolutely enthralled in Persephone and I's joint love life. He's like a little pest, that keeps buzzing around with a aggravating smirk on his face. At least, Persephone doesn't seem to mind too much. Ever since she joined the club, Fitz made her feel welcomed, mostly due to his love of her baked goods. But regardless, I'm just happy that she isn't completely creeped out by his nudging and completely over-the-top eyebrow raises, because that's just normal for Fitz.
I walk the short distance from my bathroom back to my bedroom, spying the time on a wall clock as I grab a pair of shoes out of my cupboard. I cross to my bed while pulling my phone from my suit jacket pocket, thumbing my screen open with one hand. I open up my most recent text, firing another off to tell Persephone I'll be at her place in 20 minutes, just as soon as I get this fucking shoe onto my fucking foot.
I stand from my bed, doing a final, highly sophisticated push of my heel, until my stubborn shoe slides onto my foot. I deposit my phone back into an inner pocket of my jacket, before racing into the kitchen to grab my keys. I dangle them from my index finger, swinging them nervously as I cross to the front door, pulling it open, slipping into the cool corridor, and locking the heavy door in a mere matter of seconds. I walk with my head down along the quiet breezeway in the direction of the industrial elevator, with air hitting my face as the doors slide open. I step inside, pushing my back to the wall as my bare index finger slides onto the ground floor button. The doors whoosh closed in front of my, and I take the few moments of peace to breathe as I descend the few stories below me, in search of the car park.
What am I doing? Seriously? How fucked up is this plan? Pretend to date a girl who makes my heart practically stop every time I lay eyes on her, while knowing I'm only doing it to try and keep the media, the people I hate the most, happy? Given my history, I know this can't end well. But I knew this before. And all while knowing this, I still consciously pulled Persephone into this mess, when I know she couldn't think of any worse way to spend the next few months of her life. Pretending to date some random guy who she will have to keep working with even once things turn to shit.
It's selfish. There's no other way to describe it.
But, I'm in too deep now, a consequence of my own actions. And I can't let go. I can't ever imagine letting go.
Fuck.
The elevator bell screams at the same time I do, both of us acknowledging out mistakes. Briskly, I step out from the open doors, continuing to keep my head low as I cross to my car park. Once I'm close enough, I lift my head, just enough for my eyes to meet the door's handle, my hands clicking it open. I slide into the comfortable leather seat, the security allowing me to finally lift my eyes.
...
I can't stop looking at her. My eyes are drawn to every movement of hers, every flowing, easy movement. And I swear, if my hands weren't white from gripping the steering wheel so tightly, this car would have crashed a long time ago.
I catch another side-long glance at Persephone, an irritated cough suddenly rising up my throat. I press my mouth to the outer side of my shoulder, hearing a soft snicker from the opposite side to the car. I can't help a bitten smirk from releasing itself onto my lips, as I finally allow my head to fully tilt towards the beautiful woman sitting in the passenger seat of my car. She bites back a smile at my expression, shaking her head before her voice fills the small space between us.
"So, are you going to tell me where we're going, or did you just make me get dressed up for nothing?"
It's my turn to shake my head, but not before smirking once more.
"Nope."
Persephone grumbles in response, looking out her side window. Bad move. This only lets me glance at her once more, a lump growing in my throat.
The other day, when Persephone and I agreed to make out 'public' debut, I told her I'd sort everything out. Then, yesterday, after I'd booked our reservations, I'd texted Persephone, telling her that where we were going for dinner would require a more... formal attire. Like, pretty formal. As we'd spoken about, we may as well go big, or just go home.
And my god, did she deliver.
I struggled to breathe for an entire 5 minutes after she open her apartment door, my eyes involuntarily raking over every inch of her body. She's wearing a deep, shiny red satin dress with thin spaghetti straps, with the hem stopping just above her heel-clad feet. Like the dress she wore to Lera's wedding, every part of her body fits the dress perfectly, like it was sculpted just for her. She's wearing just a tad bit more makeup than she usually would, but instead of hiding any part of her face, it only highlights the curve of her eyes and deepens the bone of her cheeks. She's perfect, I swear on my own life.
I clear my throat as I direct my eyes back to the road, turning one final corner before I pull my car into a parking lot, snagging the nearest one. I stop the car, hiding a smile as Persephone surveys the bustling street in front of her. While she's still people watching, I slip out from the car, walking around and opening her door. She meets me with a shocked smile, shaking her head as she speaks.
"You did not bring me to the fanciest restaurant in the entirety of Boston."
"Go big or go home, right?" I instinctively pull her hand into mine, guiding her out of my car and onto the cold pavement beneath our feet. Persephone laughs softly, pulling strands of her hair out of the wind and behind her ear.
"Yeah. And thank fuck I wore my good dress."
Yeah, thank fuck for giving me a near hard-on in the middle of a parking lot, in the busiest street in the entirety of Boston.
Kidding (totally not kidding).
I picked this place because it's practically a hive for 'celebrities'. And where celebrities are, so are people with camera's. The perfect place to put our insane plan into action.
I close Persephone's door from behind her, with the both of us standing still as statues in the harsh wind, staring at the glowing lights of our night.
"Are you ready?" I ask quietly, my own heart racing a little at what the hell we're about to do.
"I am if you are."
"Okay. If it gets too much, we can just leave."
"Okay."
Silence. Neither of us moves. The wind and other people swirl around us, but in this moment, it's just us.
"Maybe they shouldn't let two introverts date." Persephone breaks the silence, her words dripping with a humour not present on her current expression.
"Probably not. But, it's too late for that." Persephone lets out a deep breath at my words, gripping my hand a little tighter as she begins to pull me.
"Alright. Let's go." I follow behind her, locking the car over my back and chucking the keys into my pocket. We weave along the pavement, hand-in-hand, and I'm surprised by how Persephone dodges past people in heels. Like, I'm a hockey player, who dodges people for a living, and she's still miles better than I am. I tell her so, and she laughs in her light-hearted way once more.
"You should see me in a car. No one is safe on my roads."
"And this is why I drive."
"No, you drive because you've been told to, due to the social construct." Persephone looks up to me, shaking her head before continuing. "Oh, don't worry, it happens to all men. They feel like they need to drive their woman around for social rationale."
"Well, I didn't mean to for those reasons, I just..."
"Just felt like it was normal?" I nod my head, watching as Persephone nods hers too.
"It's okay, I'm not mad at you. I'm just pointing out that that mindset is normal amongst our current society." I nod once more, gulping before I speak once more.
"Well 1, you can drive from now on, if you want to. 2, you're really smart." Persephone scoffs, but I shake my head, continuing. "No, seriously. I knew you were smart, obviously, but everything you say is so... poised."
"Wow. No one has ever been that nice to me before."
"Well, I'm happy to be the first." My eyes continue to wander across her face, my voice soft against her own. "Not to mention it's all true."
...
Dinner was a success, I think. We sat down, our hands met over the table. I kissed hers during one moment of serenity. We ordered wine and pasta. We gazed longingly into each others eyes. We smiled. Acted like we're in love. There wasn't a second of silence the entire time we were sitting. I learnt she had just started pottery classes. We talked about her friends, my friends, where we grew up. Everything had gone perfectly. One, perfect date, between two seemingly perfect people. We would be the perfect couple.
Up until now.
"Get your hands off of her." My voice is icy, but filled with boiling hot rage. My hand is still attached to Persephone's, from when we got up from our table a matter of seconds ago, but now, it's half-wrapped around this idiot with a sauce stain down the front of his grey, Bruin's t-shirt.
"Woah buddy, I just wanted a picture. Massive Bruins fan here." The guy pats his heart, like it's taking everything in him to explain that fact. Like that fact isn't blaringly obvious from his severe lack of understanding surrounding the world 'formal' wear. Like I give a fuck who I am off of the ice. Like any of that matters given the situation.
"And you're not going to push my girlfriend out of the way to get it. Move." I attempt to edge past the guy, but he steps in front of me, blocking me from Persephone.
"Oh come on, I barely even touched her, she's not even hurt. Just one photo."
I'm a few inches taller than the guy, and would have the ability to knock him out with a singular touch. But, this doesn't seem to stop him from badgering me.
"Why the fuck would I take a photo of you after you touched my girlfriend?" I fire back, taking a step closer to stare down at the guy, who's confidence has seemed to crumble just a little bit. I raise my eyebrow as I continue to look down at him, but a soft squeeze on my hand pulls me entirely from that world.
"Max. I'm okay." Persephone's sweet, soft voice flows into my ears, causing me to take a step back from the altercation I'm startled with. With ease, I'm now able to sidestep whoever that guy was, my eyes trained on Persephone as I approach her. "He's not worth it. Let's just go."
There's something in her eyes. A glimmer, perhaps. That tells me everything will be okay, so long as we get out of here together. So I nod. I nod and nod and nod, until she pulls my hand towards the grand doors of the restaurant. I know there's paparazzi outside the restaurant. There has been since we first got here, when someone tipped them off or something. And I know they probably saw what happened inside, since we were sitting in view of the street from the large window that blanketed the entire front of the building. But I don't care. I just want to get Persephone home in one piece.
So, we step out into the bustling street once more, and begin our dodging game. The wind has only gotten heavier since we entered the restaurant two hours ago, it's bitterness causing Persephone's shivering shoulder to jut against mine as we walk. I shrug out of my jacket, placing the shoulders of it against her own. The grip on my hand tightens again as we go to cross the street, her eyes landing on mine just before we step onto the road.
And she smiles. And a pressure is taken off of my heart, the organ feeling gooey once more.
I smile back, lacing her fingers through mine and pulling her onto the road. We quickly reach the parking lot where my car sits, with the paparazzi hanging back a little to simply watch us.
There's cameras everywhere on us. We both know this. But it isn't the reason I back Persephone up against the side of my car, just as she goes to open the passenger door. This isn't the reason I place my hand on her cheek, or bend my head slightly and slowly until our lips make contact. I don't think of the paparazzi as my lips pull against Persephone's, and I don't think of the paparazzi as Persephone places one of her hands against the back of my neck, pulling me closer to her. I'm not thinking of anything apart from the girl in front of me, and what she's doing to my heart.
It's not until I pull away that I realise I shouldn't have done that. Not with the mindset I had. That's how things get messy.
"I'm so sorry." I whisper, one of my hands playing in her hair as it's pulled with the wind.
"For what?" Persephone seems oblivious, with her tone of voice dark and mysterious, her eyes darting all across my face.
"For everything."
"It's okay." Neither of us speaks for a minute after this, my heart practically pulling itself out of my chest and into hers.
There's camera shutters behind us, the chill of the air breaking our moment, only slightly. Keeping my eyes on Persephone, I fish my keys out of my pants pocket, before instinctively reaching forward and pressing my lips to her cold forehead.
I hand her the keys.
"You drive."
A/n:
hey friends!
i'm so sorry about these weird updates. literally, i won't be offended if you shoot me, i'm a horrible person
i hope you liked this chapter??? idk, kinda hated the start but then i got a little spark of love towards the end
who knows when the next update will be, but i hope to see you guys soon (YOU'LL SCREAM AT THE NEXT UPDATE IF YOU'VE READ UNFORGETTABLE!!! A WHEN WORLDS COLLIDE MOMENT AND A HALF!!!!!)
love to you all
em, xx