Chapter 13

Everleigh's POV.

"We are going to have a real wedding for a fake proposal?" I asked Felix as we both posed in front of the many cameramen. 

"Yes, we are," He retorted. "What do you think?"

"I think we are taking this thing too far."

"We will talk about this later, when we get home." Felix said, holding my hand as the photographer had demonstrated. 

He gave me the most passionate gaze ever, It appeared as if he loved me genuinely. 

Click! The light beamed and the photographer's face lit up with a smile. 

"That was beautiful," He said to us. "Pull her closer." Felix had his hands on my butt as he pulled me close. The familiar way he used to grab my butt cheeks.

 A smile parted my lips as I crossed my arms around his neck. It was a real smile. I didn't realize how much I missed Felix.

Pictures flashed back to me as his hands gently squeezed my arse and the smile on my lips widened. The first night he and I had gotten intimate, I was eighteen. 

I met him when I was seventeen and he had waited patiently until I was older to have me, because he was older than I was by two years and didn't want to violate me. 

I recalled how he had slapped my ass with so much vigor and how he nibbled on my nipples with passion and thirst.

"Kiss her." The photographer said, interrupting my train of thoughts.

"Whoa!" I stepped back. "A kiss? A real kiss?" I raised my voice, utterly embarrassed. That wasn't part of the plan.

"What?" Felix asked with a shrug. "It's just a kiss." He sounded like this whole thing meant nothing to him, more than a revenge scheme.

 It didn't mean more to me, either but the bitterness in him scared me.

"Oh, really? So, then you go about kissing random women because kisses mean nothing to you?"

 I knew I sounded jealous but I didn't care. I wasn't jealous. I was trying to protect myself from him. 

"If that is the case then you have a lot of diseases inside of you and I'm not sure I want to kiss you."

"Of course not. And you know that about me. I'm a one-man woman. 

Don't you believe me when I say that I have not had another after you? You have been on my mind."

"Well, I'm not your woman. We are acting, remember?" I blamed the pregnancy hormones for how I felt. 

"I'm still not sure I want to kiss you because this whole thing seems like a set up. 

You have probably been waiting for the moment when they would ask you to kiss me. I'm certain it's preplanned with them."

"Ma'am, actors kiss all the time. There would be no sentiments attached. 

All you have to do is shut your eyes, tilt your head to a comfortable side, part your lips and brush your lips against his.

" The photographer painted a vivid picture, obviously upset by the attitude I displayed.

Felix looked at me for my consent. I reminded myself that all the kisses I ever gave to Clyde were fake and I reminded myself why I accepted to marry Felix. 

I then pulled close to Felix and did as the photographer described.

 Our eyes were shut, my head tilted to the left, my nose brushing against his. I felt his breath on my skin as many seconds passed.

 Although I was just acting, my heart began to race. Our lips met and the moment became ecstatic.

"You can choose to trap his tongue in yours!" One of the photographer's assistants said with a soft chuckle.

"Aw! This looks so real and romantic." Another said. 

"He's her ex. I bet he still has feelings for her." 

"Maybe she has feelings for him. Did you not see her reaction earlier?" Although they spoke in whispers,

 I heard every word they said but I didn't care.

I ignored the many snide comments and continued with the kiss.

 I felt Felix's grip around my waist tighten as the kiss began to feel more than just an act.

 I felt the need to pull away, but how could I? 

I was enjoying this as much as he seemed to be enjoying it, too. It got more intense and wet. 

"Really sloppy!" The photographer said. It appeared that he had seen the moment he had been waiting for. 

The flash of his camera reminded me that we had an audience with us and I made a futile attempt to pull away from Felix's grip. 

Felix refused to let go and I had to admit, I wasn't trying hard enough.

"Get a room." One of the other photographers said. That was what we needed to recoil. I pulled away from him, wearing a bland expression.

 I parted my eyelids and exhaled deeply. My eyes locked with Felix's. His face appeared the same.

 It was impossible to guess how he felt. I watched him closely, wondering if he felt a certain way. 

Wondering if his eyes would flutter like they used to after we kissed.  Wondering if he would lick his lips and thank me like he used to. 

He grabbed a table towel and dabbed the saliva out of his mouth. He then spat into it and said, "It's been so long since I did that, urgh." 

Although I didn't know why, my feelings were crushed by those words and even more by his actions. 

I felt like swallowing a lump but didn't, because I could still taste his lips.

 He didn't taste the same way he used to, but he certainly didn't taste bad.

"Let's hit the road, Ever." He conclusively said, taking my hand and heading towards the door. I followed him without a word.

"Thanks for coming," The doorkeeper said to us. Felix walked on, not turning to give a tip. 

I would have mentioned that to him, but I was still awestruck by his action after the kiss, I silently joined him in the car and we both headed home.