Chapter 53

Celeste

Matt’s nod was almost imperceptible. “I couldn’t stand seeing you treated that way. I just wanted to help.”

A complex mix of gratitude and fear gripped me. What if she told him about ‘Rose’? What if that was why he hadn’t responded to my texts?

“Matt, she’s… she’s dangerous. You shouldn’t have—”

He shrugged, brushing away some dirt from his shirt, no indication of knowing about ‘Rose’ on his face. “It was worth a shot.”

There was an undeniable bravery in his actions, something I wished I had in me. “Thank you,” I whispered, the weight of those words bearing so much more than just gratitude.

He gave me a half-smile, that dimpled charm of his shining through the worry. “Stay safe, Celeste.”

“Thanks, Matt,” I said.

Matt turned to leave. But then, suddenly, he turned back to look at me, running a hand through his dark hair. “Hey, there’s a hockey game tonight,” he said. “You should come. Maybe it’ll help you relax.”

My eyes widened in surprise. Was Matt inviting me to one of his hockey games? Celeste? Not ‘Rose’?

“Um… I’ll think about it,” I said, offering a weak smile as the idea of breaking my curfew against Jack already weighed heavily in my mind.

With that, Matt left.

I leaned against a nearby tree, watching as Matt disappeared into the distance. The weight of my deception was beginning to feel unbearable. Every conversation, every stolen glance was tainted with lies, and it was wearing me down. Jack’s accusations from the previous night played on a loop in my head, gnawing at the fraying edges of my conscience.

Did he have a point? Was my behavior really so off-putting? To the casual observer, perhaps not. But to someone who knew me, really knew me, like Jack did, the facade was beginning to show cracks.

Each lie I spun, each half-truth I told, felt like another brick in a wall that was growing increasingly difficult to scale.

Matt. Dear, brave Matt. Why had he intervened with Sabrina? It was my battle, not his. And the guilt I felt for dragging him into my mess was overwhelming. Perhaps, distancing myself from him would be the best course of action—for both our sakes.

There was a stark allure in the idea of going back to the simpler times, where my life was predictable, and my secrets safely tucked away.

But could I really go back? The pull I felt towards Matt was undeniable, almost magnetic. I wanted to go to that hockey game tonight as Celeste, not ‘Rose’. I wanted to see him, and he had invited me.

Was it fair to deny us both the chance of something real, something beautiful, out of fear?

Then there was the option I dreaded most: coming clean. Laying all my cards on the table for Jack and Matt to see. The thought alone was terrifying. Would they understand? Or would they see me as the fraud I felt I had become?

As I watched his fading form, my inner turmoil—and the mystery of Matt’s strange woodland escapade—still weighed on my mind. But for now, I had more immediate concerns to address.

It was going to be a long week.

…

In the dimly lit sanctuary of my room, the silent whispers of Fiona’s voice on the phone tried to beckon me away from my confinement.

“Come on, Celeste,” she urged for the millionth time that day since I told her about Matt’s invitation, her voice ripe with mischief. “Just sneak out to the hockey game tonight. Matt will be there. And we both know how you feel about him.”

I sighed, pulling my knees closer to my chest as I leaned against the window frame. The temptation to see Matt, unguarded and in his element, was irresistible.

But the consequences of sneaking out under Jack’s overbearing watch were potentially disastrous.

“I don’t know, Fiona,” I mumbled. “Jack is really mad at me, and if he finds out…”

But Fiona was persistent. “Look, if you keep hiding behind ‘Rose’, you'll never let Matt get to know the real Celeste. He obviously cares about you, even outside of those texts. This could be your chance.”

She had a point. And, deep down, I knew it was true. I wanted to be free from the shadow of ‘Rose’.

Maybe this was my chance. Perhaps tonight, I could bridge the gap between the two personas, and let Celeste take center stage.

“Alright,” I finally whispered, a hint of excitement creeping into my voice. “I’ll do it.”

“Yes!” I could almost see Fiona’s triumphant grin. “You won’t regret this. I promise.”

After hanging up, I quickly set to work.

I got dressed in an outfit that could easily be concealing if I needed it to be: an oversized hoodie, layered underneath a jacket. Hesitating a moment, I held my tight leggings in one hand and my oversized men’s jeans in the other hand, weighing my options.

Finally, I decided on the leggings. Then, after carefully styling my hair and even putting on a touch of makeup, I got to work on my ‘body double’.

Using pillows and some of my clothes, I tried my best to create a believable figure under my blanket. It wasn’t perfect, but in the dimness of night, it might just fool Jack. Hopefully, if he peeked into my room, he would just think that I was fast asleep.

Hopefully.

Then, with a racing heart, I slowly pushed the window open and slipped out. The chilly air greeted me, invigorating me with a sense of adventure as I carefully climbed down the trellis.

Once I was at the bottom, and I felt my feet touch the ground, I took off into the night without a sound.

The hockey arena was alive with noise and fervor. I could feel the vibrations from the cheers and jeers, the energy palpable and infectious. Fiona waved me over from where she sat, her eyes gleaming with mischief.

“Took you long enough,” she teased, pulling me into a seat next to her.

“Thanks for this,” I whispered, my eyes scanning the rink for Matt.

As if on cue, he glided into view, his movements graceful and assured. He was a vision on the ice, commanding attention effortlessly. Nearby students swooned over Enzo, the old hockey captain and the school’s heartthrob, but my eyes were only on Matt.

Throughout the game, I found myself cheering, getting lost in the excitement. The thrill of the sport, combined with the joy of watching Matt, made for an intoxicating mix.

Every so often, my eyes would meet Matt’s, and every time, he would flash that heart-stopping smile at me.

At one point, I watched with wide eyes as Matt carefully scored a goal by tricking one of the other players. He deftly feigned to the right, catching the other player in front of him off guard, but flicked the puck into the net with ease at the same time.

The buzzer went off, and our students cheered. Fiona and I leapt up out of our seats, cheering right along with them.

Matt ripped his helmet off, pumping his fists in the air and grinning at the crowd.

And then, as though time slowed down, his eyes met mine. And he smiled a little wider.

I felt my heart practically stop. The game continued, but I was frozen in time, my eyes fixed on Matt. It wasn’t until Fiona grabbed my wrist and pulled me back down to my seat that I came back to my senses.

As the game progressed, I felt a weight being lifted off my shoulders. It wasn’t about ‘Rose’ or the secrets anymore.

It was about living in the moment, about taking chances. The roaring crowd, the bright lights, the chill of the arena—all of it made me feel more alive than I had felt in a long time.