“Are you guys flying back to Hillford?”
“Yeah,” he says. “Usually at the end of a roadtrip we fly home the same night, but since it’s so late, we were able to just stay tonight.”
“That makes sense. With the time difference, you guys wouldn’t be back until early morning anyways.”
“I sleep like shit on planes,” he admits as I put him on speakerphone and set my phone on the counter. I grab my toothbrush, sliding some paste across the bristles. “What are you doing?”
“Getting ready for bed, too.”
“Perfect timing,” he says softly.
“I’m going to brush my teeth. Tell me about your game or something so we’re not just sitting in awkward silence.”
Matteo laughs softly as I wet the toothbrush and put it in my mouth. He starts to tell me how their team is turning things around. They’ve won every game on their road trip and his points are up. I scrub my teeth as I listen to him intently, smiling at how his voice fluctuates with emotion.
Something about him demands my attention. I know better than to get involved with him, but that doesn’t mean I won’t let myself feel the way his presence draws me in.
I don’t bother to tell him I’m finished as I pull my hair back into a braid and walk into my bedroom. The words finally fall from his lips, the silence stretching as I’m sliding in between the covers on my bed.
“Sunny?”
“Yeah?”
“I didn’t know if you were still there.”
“Yeah,” I breathe, ignoring the smile creeping onto my face. “I was just listening.”
“I didn’t call to tell you all about my night.”
I lie down on my side, tucking my other hand beneath my head. “What did you call for then?”
“I was hoping you’d tell me a story.” He pauses, his voice low. “The one you were working on all night.”
I don’t know what my hesitation is. Sharing my story ideas and brainstorming with him is what our pact is all about. “It’s not about you, if that’s what you were thinking.” I inhale deeply, holding the air in my lungs a moment before resigning myself to the fact that I should just tell him. “It’s about two people who end up falling for each other, even when they know they shouldn’t.”
“When they swear they wouldn’t?”
I squeeze my eyes shut. “Yeah.”
“Can you tell me more?”
“I told you, I don’t share my work until I can convince myself that it’s not trash.”
“I refuse to believe anything you write is trash.” Matteo is quiet for a beat. “I looked you up. Everyone loves you and your work. You didn’t tell me you’re famous like that.”
I blow out a breath. “I feel more like a has-been lately.”
“You’re not,” he declares. “I refuse to believe that. You’re working on your next bestseller and it’s going to go crazy. Don’t worry, I will be telling anyone who’ll listen to go read it.”
“Oh god,” I groan, dragging my hand down my face. I didn’t consider him and his overly confident self. I didn’t once think that maybe he’ll go telling everyone that he helped me with inspiration and research.
I do not want to be labeled as another one of Matteo Ford's conquests.
“I should have made you sign an NDA or something.”
Matteo clicks his tongue with amusement. “Am I your dirty little secret, Sunny?”
“No.” The word comes out without hesitation. “I just—you have quite the reputation and ego.”
