Chapter 52
JOSIE
Well, it appears like Victor and I are the only people out here on the lake. It’s actually probably the truth – I’ve not seen anyone else during my entire stay here at the villa except for one or two hikers far in the distance as I sunbathed yesterday.
“There really is no one out here, isn’t there?” I ask Victor as we drift out into the middle of the lake on the boat. He’s currently captaining it. Yeah, of course he is in charge - the proud man wouldn’t dare let me control it.
“No, there isn’t,” he says without even a look around.
“You knew about that, didn’t you?” I ask him.
Victor smiles at my question. He absolutely knew there would be no one else around tonight.
“It’s a special place out here,” he says seriously. “So very private. I spend my days getting mobbed outside coffee shops, so I always relish the chance to go out in nature and just be me.”
“Yeah, I love it here,” I whisper. “I never want to leave. I don’t want to go back to reality.”
“I like it better when you’re here with me,” he adds.
I look up at him. He practically sparkles in the slowly descending nighttime. The dying sun is behind him, illuminating his outline with a golden glow. As always, he’s so damn tall and mesmerizing and just so annoyingly... charming.
“I like it too,” I manage to squeak out. “I like being with you.”
Still smiling, Victor turns around and produces a bottle and two wine glasses from the back of the boat.
“It’s non-alcoholic wine,” he informs me before I can protest. “Don’t worry your pretty head.”
I blush.
He thinks of everything...
“You shouldn’t have, Victor.”
“I wanted to,” he replies. “I want to make it special tonight, for just you and me.”
He pours us both a glass and hands it over.
I raise mine to him.
“To the movie,” I say. “And to you winning that award one day.”
Victor laughs. “Yeah, to winning that award one day.”
“I believe in you,” I say. “I really do. I think you’ll win it, and you’ll stand on that stage, and you’ll feel on top of the world.”
The man stares at me for a long while.
“Thank you, Josie,” he finally says.
“No need to thank me.”
“Thank you for everything,” he says. “For coping with me and my crazy schemes. For coming all this way. For living a lie.”
“It’s not all a lie,” I say softly.
“No,” the man says. “It’s not.”
And then we chink our glasses together and drink.
Yeah, he looks beautiful in the sunset. His blue eyes twinkle – the same color as the surrounding lake. His skin is so pure and smooth. His lips are full, and his jawline is impeccable.
I kissed him...
And then, as the sun dips below the horizon, there’s a loud bang in the distance. Both our heads turn to the sudden noise.
It’s fireworks. Over the lake.
I gasp and put down my wine, straining to look at the fiery explosion.
Bang!
Another colorful display of fireworks.
Bang!
“Wow,” I exclaim to Victor. “Fireworks? They’re amazing. I wonder who’s setting them off...”
“They’re for you,” the actor says nonchalantly.
What?
I stop and turn around to stare at him as another explosion ripples in the air above us.
“For me?”
“Yes, Josie.”
Victor is dead serious.
He did this?
Did he organize the fireworks? For me?
Last night he held me as I cried, and tonight he has planned fireworks just for me. I know I promised myself not to open my heart up after my messy separation from Kevin, but I have the sudden realization that it is far too late for promises now.
I’ve been falling for Victor Penmayne.
This entire time.
For this entire fake relationship.
It’s not a lie.
I have been hurtling toward him this entire time.
I can’t deny it anymore. I can’t try to wave it away. It has happened. The proof is real - I am going crazy for this man.
And these damn fireworks aren’t helping.
“You really did all this for me?” I ask him, my voice barely a whisper.
“Yes, Josie. I really did them for you. Everything I’ve done since I met you has been for you.”
I take a step toward him.
“It’s... too much... Victor...”
“Nothing is too much when it comes to you, Josie. Nothing.”
And then it’s too late.
I’m kissing him again.