Chapter 42

Celeste

“A… A date?” I stammered, the words feeling foreign in my mouth.

“Yes,” Matt said, his smile growing, his eyes alight with excitement. “A date. You, me, a nice restaurant. Or maybe a movie? We can just talk and have a nice time. Nothing needs to happen outside of that.”

I frowned, pulling away slightly, my heart aching with conflicting emotions. Matt’s grip on my wrist released, and I slipped out from between him and the wall to broaden the distance between us.

“I don’t know…” I murmured.

“Come on, Mystery Girl,” he said gently, still holding my mother’s necklace in his hand. “You know we had something special at the ball. Don’t you want to explore that a little?”

I swallowed, adjusting my mask on my face. “I do, but… I don’t know. You realize this can’t go anywhere, right?”

Matt said nothing. His face remained stony, determined. It seemed as though he wasn’t backing down.

This was dangerous territory. The logical part of me knew that getting involved with Matt would only lead to complications. The truth was bound to come out, and when it did, it would shatter everything.

But the other part of me, the part that had been silently longing for something real, something genuine, couldn’t help but be tempted by his offer.

For the first time in my life, mask or no mask, I was being approached by a guy who really wanted me. The younger version of myself would be kicking me right now for not jumping at the opportunity.

“Just one date,” he said. “I’ll take you somewhere really nice, somewhere private if that’s what you want. If you still want to kick me out of your life after that, fine.”

“You don’t know me, Matt,” I said, my voice trembling. “I’m not who you think I am. This… This isn’t a good idea.”

He reached out, his hand gently brushing a stray lock of my hair behind my ear.

“But that’s exactly why I want to go on this date,” he answered. “To get to know you. Please, Mystery Girl, just one date. You can keep your mask on, and we'll just enjoy each other’s company for a little while.”

His eyes were earnest, his words sincere. I knew that he meant it, that he truly wanted to know me, and the realization sent a thrill through me. Could I really do this? Could I allow myself this one indulgence?

I looked into Matt’s eyes, my mind whirring, my heart pounding. Finally, I found myself nodding, a soft sigh escaping my lips.

“Okay,” I finally relented. “One date. But that’s it.”

Matt’s face lit up, his smile wide and genuine. “Really? That’s great! I’ll pick you up tomorrow night, then?”

I felt a flutter in my stomach, the reality of what I had just agreed to sinking in. “Yes,” I whispered. “Tomorrow night.”

“Perfect,” Matt beamed, moving closer and closing the distance between us. For a second time that night, I felt the warmth of his breath on my face, the scent of his cologne emanating from his body. And the hungry look in his eyes. “I’ll need your address, then.”

My eyes widened, panic surging through me. My house? He couldn’t come to my house. There were too many things that could go wrong, too many questions that might be raised. It would instantly give me away.

“No!” I said, a little more forcefully than I intended.

Matt’s eyes widened slightly. “Um… You okay?” he asked.

I paused, clearing my throat and composing myself. “I mean, you can’t come to my house. It’s… being fumigated,” I lied. “You can just pick me up on campus. That would be best.”

Matt’s eyebrows shot up, but he quickly masked his surprise with a nod. “Of course, Mystery Girl. Whatever you’re comfortable with. Campus it is. I can’t wait to see you tomorrow.”

With a slight smile, I reached for the necklace again. But Matt, quick as ever, smirked and pulled it away, slipping it into his pocket.

“Ah ah,” he teased, his voice low and thick. “You’ll get it back tomorrow. After our date.”

“This is extortion,” I murmured, although I couldn’t deny the hint of humor in my own voice.

Matt shrugged, the smirk on his face still evident. “Maybe it is,” he said. “But I think it’s worth it.”

Without another word, he turned and left, leaving me alone in the lecture hall. My mind spun as I watched him leave, my emotions in turmoil.

“Really, Celeste?” I murmured to myself once I was alone again. I was almost a little disappointed in myself for falling for Matt’s little trap. Once again, I had willingly leaped into a pit of snakes, and it was bound to go south.

But at the same time, I couldn’t deny the sense of excitement growing in my belly as I began my walk home. With each step, as I removed my mask and my contacts and hid my body beneath my oversized coat, I felt more determined.

I stepped in through the front door, and Jack was none the wiser to my antics.

“Celeste,” he said, looking up at me from the couch, “where have you been?”

I shrugged. “Hanging out with Fiona,” I said.

The lies were slipping from my tongue so easily now, like it was my second nature. Something about it was both exciting and horrifying, almost as though this alter ego of mine—this ‘Mystery Girl’—was taking over the quiet and timid Celeste.

Jack shot me a wary look, but said nothing. I quickly leaped up the stairs to my room, where I carefully hid my mask, my contacts, and my tight-fitting gym clothes in the back of my closet before slipping back into my usual oversized clothes.

As I looked in the mirror, I wondered to myself: which version of me was becoming the costume? Which one was real?

I made dinner, and everything was just the same as always.

“Have you been straightening your hair or something?” Jack asked, eyeing me suspiciously from across the table.

I shrugged, feigning confident ignorance. “I’ve been experimenting with it,” I said. “It’s easier to manage this way.”

Jack frowned, but said nothing more about it. The rest of our dinner together was spent in silence, just as usual. When he was finished eating, he left me to do the dishes, and I heard the television click on in the living room.

“Hey, Jack?” I asked, feeling a sense of confidence surge through me thanks to my ‘successful’ night. “Can I ask you something?”

Jack sighed, turning down the volume on his sports game. “What is it?”

I swallowed, wanting so badly to figure out where he had really gone that night when he went on that ‘date’. He had been acting differently for a few weeks now, and I wanted to know why. But at the last moment, I blanched, and shook my head.

“Nevermind,” I said, stepping back into the kitchen. “I forgot.”

“Whatever.” Jack’s annoyed voice was quickly drowned out by the game on the TV, and I returned to daydreaming about my alter ego—about how I was willingly jumping back into the pit of snakes, but I was welcoming it.

Even as I climbed the stairs to my bedroom for the night, I couldn’t deny how I felt a slight sense of accomplishment—that I had survived another night without my double life being revealed.

Maybe I could do this after all. Maybe, for just a little while longer, I could enjoy being wanted. Even for just one date.

I climbed into bed that night feeling a mixture of excitement and terror.

What had I just agreed to? This was insane. Yet, as I lay in bed, staring at the ceiling, I couldn’t help but feel a thrill of anticipation.