Chapter 5

CHAPTER FIVE

EASTON

We walked around the interior of the ship for a while, checking out the gift shops, jewelry stores, casino, and various bars and lounges. Everywhere we turned, there were twinkling lights, shimmering garlands, and ornate Christmas trees. The scent of cinnamon and pine wafted through the air, and familiar carols played softly in the background. The entire ship seemed to be awash in Christmas cheer and I loved it.

As we strolled along, West's hand brushed against mine, sending a jolt of electricity through my body. I quickly shoved my hands in my pockets, hoping he hadn't noticed my reaction.

I couldn’t believe he’d said we were married in order to win the tickets, but that was Weston—act first and think second. It was one of the things I adored most about him, his carefree, fun-loving attitude.

I just hoped we could pull this latest idea of his off without getting kicked off the ship. And more importantly, without me giving away my true feelings. That was going to be hard when the two of us were pretending to be madly in love.

“Hey, are you hungry?” he asked after about an hour.

“Starving,” I admitted. I’d been too nervous to eat before the flight and now, my stomach felt like it as trying to eat itself.

“Me too. Let’s go find some food. There are supposed to be some amazing restaurants here, but I think most of them require a reservation. How does the buffet sound instead?”

“Perfect.”

The buffet was a sight to behold, stretching as far as the eye could see with an array of dishes that made my mouth water instantly. Christmas-themed centerpieces adorned each station, and the servers wore Santa hats, adding to the festive atmosphere.

“Wow,” he breathed, his eyes wide with excitement. “I don't even know where to start.”

I chuckled, grabbing a plate. “Maybe with some actual food before you hit the dessert bar?”

He grinned, bumping his shoulder against mine. “You know me too well.”

We loaded our plates with a little bit of everything—roast turkey, glazed ham, buttery mashed potatoes, and crisp vegetables.

Several plates later, we both called it quits. I leaned back in my chair, a hand on my abused stomach. “I don’t ever remember eating this much in my entire life,” I groaned.

“Yeah, and just think, we get to do it all week.”

“Ugh! No way! If I keep eating like this, they’ll have to roll me off the ship.”

Weston laughed. “Then we’d better walk it off.” He reached across the table with his hand. I stared down at it, confused. “Come on, husband . Let’s see what kind of activities they have going on tonight.”

My eyes darted to his where I could see a teasing sparkle. He was testing me. I arched a brow at him. Two could play at this game. “Great idea, sugar britches.”

I stood up, thrilled with the idea of turning the tables on him, but my breath caught as we linked hands, our palms warm against each other, our fingers lacing perfectly together.

Deep longing surged through me, and I had to remind myself this was all pretend. But as we walked hand-in-hand through the bustling corridors of the ship, it felt so natural, so right. I allowed myself to savor the moment, knowing it would all be over once we got back home.

“Oh, check it out!” Weston suddenly exclaimed, pointing towards the ship's atrium. A massive Christmas tree dominated the space, its branches still bare but promising grandeur. A small crowd had gathered around it, and a crew member was gesturing excitedly. “Let's go see what's happening,” he said, already moving towards the group.

I hesitated for a moment, my natural inclination to hang back warring with my desire to follow this man anywhere. In the end, as always, Weston won out.

As we approached, I caught the crew member's enthusiastic voice. “... and we'd love for all of you to help decorate our tree! We've got ornaments, tinsel, the works. Who's ready to make this the most festive cruise ever?”

A cheer went up from the gathered passengers. I glanced at Weston, seeing the excitement dancing in his sea-blue eyes. “What do you say, East? Wanna help deck the halls?”

I couldn't help but smile at his eagerness. “Sure, why not? Although I should warn you, I’ve been dubbed the Christmas Elf at work due to my decorating skills.”

He laughed, the sound warming me more than any cup of hot cocoa ever could. “Was it your skills or your enthusiasm that earned you that name?”

I shrugged. “Either.”

We approached the ornament table together, and my eyes were immediately drawn to a delicate glass bauble. It was a deep blue, like the ocean at twilight, with swirls of silver that reminded me of stars. Without thinking, I reached for it—only to find my fingers brushing against Weston's as he went for the same ornament.

A jolt of electricity shot through me at the contact. I looked up, meeting his gaze, and for a moment, the world around us seemed to fade away. His lips quirked into a soft smile, and I felt an answering grin spread across my face.

“Great minds, huh?” he said, his voice a touch huskier than usual.

I nodded, suddenly breathless. “It, uh, it reminded me of your eyes,” I admitted before I could stop myself.

Weston's eyebrows shot up, and I immediately wanted to crawl into a hole. But then he let out a warm chuckle. “Funny, I was thinking it looked like the sky on those nights we camped out in your backyard. Remember? When we were kids?”

The memory washed over me, bittersweet and comforting. “How could I forget? You convinced me there were aliens hiding behind the constellations.”

“Hey, I still stand by that theory,” he said, his eyes crinkling at the corners.

We both laughed, the sound mingling with the festive music and chatter around us. As our laughter faded, I realized we were still holding the ornament between us, neither of us in a hurry to let go.

We stayed a while longer, adding our own touches to the tree before eventually wandering off in search of other activities. We found ourselves in a crowded lounge where a karaoke night was in full swing.

The room was decked out in festive decorations, with a massive Christmas tree dominating one corner. Weston's eyes lit up as he scanned the song list. “Oh, we have to do this!” he exclaimed, tugging me towards the sign-up sheet.

I dug my heels in. “No way, West. You know I hate being the center of attention.”

He turned to me, his blue eyes twinkling. “Come on, East. I’ll be right there with you and besides, we're on vacation. Time to let loose a little.”

I couldn't help but chuckle. “Your version of 'loose' or mine?”

“Definitely mine,” he winked, and I felt my cheeks warm despite the cool air. “Come on,” he coaxed, nudging my shoulder. “Remember how we used to belt out songs in your bedroom? This'll be just like that, only with better equipment.”

I couldn't help but smile at the memory. “Yeah, but that was just us. This is... a lot of people.”

He leaned in, his breath warm against my ear. “I'll be right there with you. We'll knock their socks off.”

My heart raced at his proximity. Part of me wanted nothing more than to say yes, to share that moment with him. But another part—the shy, bookish Easton who'd rather disappear into the pages of a novel—was terrified.

“I... I don't know,” I hesitated, fidgeting with my glasses.

“Tell you what,” Weston said, his blue eyes twinkling mischievously. “I'll go sign us up, and you can decide when they call our names. No pressure, okay?”

Before I could protest, he was weaving through the crowd towards the sign-up sheet. As I watched him go, I couldn't help but marvel at how effortlessly he navigated the throng of people. He'd always been like that—magnetic, drawing others to him with his easy charm and infectious energy. In other words, the complete opposite of me.

“What am I getting myself into?” I muttered, running a hand through my hair.

“Ready to rock, East?” Weston's voice jolted me from my thoughts as he bounded back, grinning from ear to ear.

I gulped, my palms suddenly sweaty. “What song did you pick?”

“'All I Want for Christmas Is You,'” he replied, wiggling his eyebrows. “Thought we'd go full cheesy romance since it’s our honeymoon and all.”

I couldn't help but laugh, even as my heart skipped a beat. “You're ridiculous.”

“You love it,” he teased, nudging my shoulder.

All too soon, it was our turn. My legs felt like jelly as Weston grabbed my hand and led me to the stage. He must have sensed my nervousness because he gave my hand a quick squeeze.

“Just look at me,” he whispered. “Pretend it's just us in your living room.”

The music started, and I took a deep breath. Weston's clear voice rang out first, and as I joined in, something magical happened. Our voices blended perfectly, and the world around us faded away. It was just us, singing our hearts out, trading lines and sharing smiles.

When we finished, the lounge erupted in cheers. Weston threw an arm around my shoulders, beaming with pride. “See? Told you we'd kill it,” he said as we made our way to a nearby table.

I was still riding the high of our performance when a couple approached us. “That was fantastic!” the woman exclaimed. “You two have such amazing chemistry. How long have you been together?”

I froze, panic rising in my chest. But Weston, ever the smooth talker, jumped in without missing a beat. “Oh, we go way back,” he said, his arm still draped casually around me. “Childhood sweethearts, you could say. Right, babe?”

I nodded, trying to ignore the flutter in my stomach at the word babe . “Y-yeah, that's us.”

The couple settled into the chairs across from us, clearly eager to hear more. As Weston launched into our “love story,” I found myself both terrified and oddly thrilled.

He leaned back in his chair, a mischievous glint in his sea-blue eyes. “So picture this,” he began, gesturing dramatically. “Two five-year-olds, first day of kindergarten. I'm the wild child, running around like a tornado. And there's East, quiet as a mouse, clutching his favorite book.”

Heat flared in my cheeks as his gaze landed on me, his smile softening. “I knocked over his block tower, and instead of crying, he just looked at me with those big hazel eyes and asked if I wanted to build a bigger one together.”

My heart skipped a beat. This wasn't exactly how it happened, but God, I wished it was.

“From that day on,” Weston continued, “we were inseparable. He was my calm in the storm, you know? Always there with a kind word or a gentle touch.”

I swallowed hard, trying to remind myself this was all pretend. But Weston's words, the warmth in his voice, it felt so real.

“What about your first kiss?” the woman asked, leaning forward eagerly.

Weston chuckled, running a hand through his messy blond hair. “Oh, that's a good one. East, want to tell it?”

I panicked for a moment before blurting out, “It was at prom.” The words tumbled out before I could stop them. “We, uh, we'd gone as friends, but...”

“But I couldn't resist anymore,” he jumped in, saving me. He reached out, intertwining our fingers. “I pulled him under the bleachers and just went for it.”

As he continued spinning a beautiful, fictional tale of our love story, I found myself getting lost in it. For a moment, I let myself believe it was true—that we weren't just best friends, that he truly saw me the way I saw him.

But then reality came crashing back. This was all an act, a game we were playing for strangers. The warmth in my chest turned to a dull ache as I reminded myself: Weston didn't love me, not like that. Never like that.

I relaxed into my seat, the tension in my shoulders easing as the conversation turned to the couple across from us, Mark and Lisa. They regaled us with their own meet-cute story, and I found myself genuinely laughing at their antics.

“So there I was,” Mark said, “covered in paint and standing in the middle of her art studio like some kind of clumsy Picasso!”

Lisa giggled, playfully swatting his arm. “You looked adorable, though. Like a human rainbow.”

I felt Weston's arm drape casually over the back of my chair, his fingers absently brushing my shoulder. The touch sent a shiver down my spine, but I tried to focus on the conversation.

The night wore on, filled with laughter and shared stories. As the lounge began to empty, Weston stood up, stretching. “What do you say we get some fresh air, babe?” he asked, offering me his hand.

I took it, ignoring the flutter in my stomach at the endearment. “Sounds perfect.”

We bid goodnight to Mark and Lisa, then made our way out onto the deck. The cool sea breeze hit us immediately, ruffling my hair and making me shiver slightly. Weston noticed, moving closer to share his warmth.

We leaned against the railing, our shoulders touching as we gazed up at the star-studded sky. The vastness of it all took my breath away.

“It's beautiful,” I whispered, not wanting to break the tranquil spell that had fallen over us.

He hummed in agreement, his eyes fixed on the horizon where the inky black sea met the star-speckled sky. “You know,” he said softly, “I always feel small looking at the stars. But tonight, I don't know... I feel like I'm exactly where I'm supposed to be.”

I turned to look at him, my heart skipping a beat at the soft expression on his face. A whirlwind of emotions swept through me. The day had been a rollercoaster, filled with moments of pure joy and nagging anxiety. I was grateful for every second spent with him, yet a part of me ached, knowing it was all pretend.

“West,” I began, my voice barely above a whisper, “today was...”

“Absolutely ridiculous?” he finished, turning to me with a grin. “I mean, who knew we'd make such convincing lovebirds?”

I chuckled, but it felt hollow. “Yeah, who knew?”

Weston must have sensed something in my tone because his expression softened. “Hey, what's going on in that big brain of yours, East?”

I shook my head, trying to dispel the conflicting thoughts. “It's nothing. Just... thinking about how easy it is to get caught up in all of this.”

Weston nudged my shoulder playfully. “Well, that's the point, isn't it? We're supposed to be madly in love. And let's face it, I'm pretty irresistible.”

Despite myself, I laughed. “Oh, is that so?”

“Absolutely,” he said, puffing out his chest dramatically. “I've got the charm, the looks, and let's not forget my impeccable karaoke skills.”

I rolled my eyes, but couldn't help smiling. “How could I forget? I'm sure the entire ship is still recovering from your rendition of 'All I Want for Christmas Is You.'”

He clutched his heart in mock offense. “Excuse me, but I believe we brought the house down. Face it, Easton, we're a dynamic duo.”

As I looked at him, his eyes twinkling with mischief and that familiar, easy smile on his face, I felt the tension in my chest begin to ease. This was Weston, my best friend, the person who knew me better than anyone else in the world. Fake relationship or not, I was lucky to have him by my side.

“You're right,” I said softly. “We are.”

“We should probably head back,” he said. “It's getting late, and I don't want you turning into a genie on me.”

I chuckled, grateful for his ability to lighten the mood. “I think you're mixing up your fairy tales there, West.”

As we started walking back towards our cabin, I made a silent resolution. This trip was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, a chance to spend uninterrupted time with the person I cared about most in the world. Even if it wasn't real, even if my feelings would remain unspoken, I was determined to cherish every moment.