Chapter 4

CHAPTER FOUR

WESTON

The taxi screeched to a halt, and I stepped out onto the sun-baked pavement, my heart racing with excitement. As I steadied myself, the sight before me took my breath away—a colossal cruise ship loomed against the clear blue Florida sky, promising a week of holiday adventure.

“Holy crap, West.” Easton breathed beside me, his eyes wide behind his black-framed glasses. “It's like a floating city.”

I grinned, drinking in his awe-struck expression. “Ready for our grand Christmas getaway?”

He nodded, a smile lighting up his face. “I can't believe we're actually doing this.”

As we joined the throng of eager passengers, I couldn't help but steal glances at my best friend. The bright sunlight caught in Easton's dark hair, highlighting the shorter sides and the longer strands on top that—even after hours spent in an airport and on a plane—seemed to fall just right. His hazel eyes sparkled with an excitement I rarely saw, and I felt a strange flutter in my chest.

Has East always been this... attractive? I shook my head, trying to clear the unexpected thought. “So, what's first on your vacation agenda? Let me guess—finding the ship's library?”

He rolled his eyes, but his lips quirked up. “You know me too well. But I was thinking we could explore the deck first, maybe catch the sunset later?”

“Look at you, being all adventurous,” I teased, playfully nudging his shoulder. “I'm rubbing off on you, Beckett.”

He ducked his head, a faint blush coloring his cheeks. “Don't get used to it, Holt. I still plan on spending quality time with my books.”

As we finally stepped onto the ship, I felt a sudden pang of guilt. The excitement of our adventure had momentarily distracted me from the weight of my deception. I knew I had to come clean before we got too far into this charade.

“Hey, East,” I said, pulling him to a quieter spot on the deck. “There's something I need to tell you.”

His hazel eyes met mine, curiosity and a hint of concern etched across his face. “What is it?”

I took a deep breath. “Remember how I won these tickets in that contest? Well, I... I might have bent the truth a little when I entered.”

Easton's brow furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I may have entered as a… newlywed couple,” I confessed, the words tumbling out in a rush.

His eyebrows shot up, his mouth falling open in shock. “You did what?” I watched as his expression shifted from shock to disbelief, then to something that looked suspiciously like panic. He ran a hand through his hair, messing up the perfectly styled strands.

“West, are you serious? You told them we're married?” His voice was barely above a whisper, his eyes darting around as if afraid someone might overhear.

I nodded, feeling a mixture of guilt and nervous excitement. “I know it's crazy, but hear me out. It was the only way to guarantee we'd win. And you were so sad not to get to spend Christmas with your family, I… I just wanted to do something special for you.”

Easton's face softened slightly at my words, but the worry didn't leave his eyes. “I appreciate the thought, but we have to tell them the truth.”

I opened my mouth to protest, but before I could say anything, a cheerful voice interrupted us. “Ah, here are our newlyweds! Welcome aboard, Mr. and Mr. Holt-Beckett!”

We turned to see a bubbly crew member with a clipboard, her smile as bright as her crisp white uniform. Easton's eyes widened in panic, but I quickly slipped an arm around his waist, pulling him close.

“That's us!” I said, flashing her my most charming smile. “We're so excited to be here.”

Easton stiffened beside me, but I gave him a gentle squeeze, silently willing him to play along. The crew member, oblivious to our tension, continued cheerfully.

“Wonderful! We have a special surprise waiting for you in your cabin. If you'll follow me, I'll show you the way.”

I felt Easton's hesitation as we followed her, his body still tense under my arm. I leaned in close, whispering in his ear, “Just go with it for now. We'll figure this out, I promise.”

He gave a barely perceptible nod, his breath warm against my neck as he hissed back, “You owe me big time for this, West.”

The crew member led us through winding corridors, chattering about the ship's amenities. I tried to pay attention, but I was acutely aware of the threatening glares my best friend was shooting my way.

Finally, we reached our cabin. The crew member threw open the door with a flourish. “Here we are! Your honeymoon suite!”

Easton's sharp intake of breath matched my own as we took in the sight before us. The room was bathed in soft, romantic lighting, with rose petals scattered across the plush carpet. A bottle of champagne sat chilling in an ice bucket, accompanied by a plate of chocolate-covered strawberries. And there, dominating the center of the room, was a single king-sized bed adorned with silky sheets and heart-shaped pillows.

The crew member beamed at us. “Enjoy your stay, lovebirds! And congratulations again on your nuptials! If you need anything at all, don’t hesitate to ask.” With a wink, she closed the door behind her, leaving us alone in the romantic paradise.

Easton stood silently; his eyes fixed on the bed. “Well, at least we won't have to fight over who gets the good pillow,” I joked, trying to lighten the mood.

He slowly turned to face me and the expression on his face told me I’d failed miserably. “This isn’t funny, Weston! We could get in serious trouble if anyone finds out.”

I ran a hand through my hair, feeling the weight of his disapproval. “Look, I know this isn't ideal, but think about it. We've got this amazing suite, all these perks. It would be a shame to give it up now.”

Easton's eyes narrowed. “A shame? West, this is fraud. We could get kicked off the ship!”

“Come on, East,” I pleaded, taking a step closer to him. “No one’s going to find out. We've been best friends for years. We know each other better than anyone. We can totally pull this off.”

He shook his head, but I could see the resolve weakening in his eyes. “I don't know...”

“It'll be an adventure,” I said, grinning. “What do you say?”

“You're impossible, that’s what I say.”

“True, but that's why you love me,” I teased, throwing him a wink.

To my surprise, a faint blush colored his cheeks. His gaze darted from the plush king-sized bed to the champagne chilling in an ice bucket, then back to my face. I could see the conflict in his eyes, his brow furrowed as he weighed the options. The tension in the room was palpable, and I held my breath, waiting for his decision.

“I... I guess we could give it a shot,” he finally said, his voice barely above a whisper. “But West, if it gets too weird or uncomfortable?—”

“We'll call it off and I’ll explain to everyone that this was all my fault,” I finished for him, unable to contain the grin spreading across my face.

“You won’t have to because if we get caught, I'm throwing you overboard,” he informed me jauntily as he moved toward a set of curtains and pulled them aside, revealing a private balcony with an incredible view of the ocean.

I laughed, flopping onto the bed. “Deal. Now come on, hubby. Let's pop that champagne and start our fake honeymoon right!”

Relief flooded through me, mixing with a surge of excitement that made my heart race. I couldn't believe he'd actually agreed. A whole week of pretending to be married to my best friend? It was going to be interesting, to say the least.

“So, uh, what now?” he asked, fidgeting with the hem of his shirt as he turned to face me. “Do we need to... practice or something?”

I laughed, the sound breaking the lingering tension in the room. “Practice being married? Come on, we've practically been an old married couple since we were kids. Remember when your mom used to joke about us bickering like we'd been together for fifty years?”

A small smile tugged at Easton's lips. “Yeah, I remember. She always said we'd end up together someday.”

My breath caught in my throat at his words, and for a moment, I imagined what that might be like—not just pretending, but actually being with Easton. The thought sent a warmth spreading through my chest that I wasn't quite ready to examine.

“Well, looks like she was right,” I said, trying to keep my tone light. “Even if it's just for a week.”

I clapped my hands together, eager to move past the sudden flicker of awkwardness. “Alright, Mr. Holt-Beckett, let's get unpacked and settled in. I bet you brought half your library with you, didn't you?”

Easton's cheeks flushed adorably as he unzipped his suitcase. “Only a quarter, thank you very much. I had to leave room for actual clothes this time.”

I chuckled, pulling out my own haphazardly folded t-shirts. “Unlike that camping trip where you packed nothing but books and I had to lend you my clothes all weekend?”

“Hey, I was prepared for intellectual emergencies,” he retorted, carefully arranging his neatly folded clothes in a drawer.

As we bantered back and forth, I found my gaze continually drawn to Easton. The way his brow furrowed in concentration as he organized his belongings, the soft curve of his smile when he laughed at one of my jokes—it was all suddenly captivating in a way I'd never noticed before.

“Earth to West,” Easton's voice broke through my reverie. “You okay? You've been folding that same shirt for like five minutes.”

I blinked, realizing I'd been staring. “Oh, uh, yeah. Just... thinking about all the fun we're gonna have this week. So, what do you say? Should we go explore this floating palace?”

“Absolutely!” His enthusiasm was infectious. “I can't believe we're actually here.”

“Me either. You know,” I said as we stepped into the hallway, the scent of sea salt and pine garlands mingling in the air, “I have a feeling this is going to be a holiday we'll never forget.”