Page 42 of Matched (LSU #5)

FIVE YEARS LATER

A t the sound of the key in the lock, I jumped to my feet, attempting a casual pose next to the bookcase in the lounge. It clearly wasn’t casual enough because Charlie’s brows flew up when he took me in, and then his eyes narrowed in suspicion. “What?”

“What, what?”

“Why are you standing there like that?”

Time to distract him. Striding forwards, I wrapped my arms around him, kissing all over his face until he was laughing breathlessly and trying to shove my face away.

“I want to know how it went today.” I did have a secret I was keeping from him, and I wanted to share it, but truthfully, this was more important. Much more important. It was the reason we’d moved to this three-bedroom apartment in the town of Cheltenham. “I’ve been thinking about you all day.”

He rested his head on my shoulder. “Mmm. Really good. Tiring, but I’ll get used to it. All day, I kept thinking it was a mistake, that they’d meant for the job to go to someone else.”

“No, Charlie.” I stroked my hands down his back. “You got that job because of your skill. You were meant for this.”

“It’s just…to actually be employed as an assistant physio for Glevum, only a year after I got my master’s in physiotherapy… I can’t believe they picked me out of all the people who applied. I bet there were loads of people with way more experience than me.”

“They wanted you , though. That’s why you’re there.”

“Yeah,” he breathed. “It blows my mind. Maybe one day, I’ll see it as normal, but today isn’t that day.”

“You’re where you’re supposed to be,” I reassured him, and he held me tighter.

“How was your day?”

“Same old, same old.” I hesitated for a second, not wanting to steal Charlie’s thunder, but I knew he wouldn’t be happy later if I delayed my own news. “Except my boss told me today that I’m going to be taking the lead on the new housing estate project.”

“Really?” His wide green eyes met mine. “That’s amazing . I’m so fucking proud of you.”

Downplaying it, I shrugged. “Yeah, well…this branch of the firm is new, and I was in the right place at the right time. It all worked out for the best because if you hadn’t applied for this job, I’d probably still be in the London office, assisting on whatever architectural projects get thrown my way.

Not that I didn’t enjoy it all, but now… ”

“You get to lead,” Charlie finished. “This is huge. We need to tell our families.”

“We need to tell them how your first day went before anything else. I bet Rocky’s been blowing up your phone, asking if you got to see Jordan Emery and Theo Lewin or Jude Nielson.”

His lips skimmed over my jaw. “Mmm, but I’d rather put that off and celebrate with you now.”

Remembering my original task, I pulled away from him. “I want to show you something.”

He grinned at me. “I knew you were hiding something from me.”

“Don’t get too excited,” I warned him as he followed me down into the basement.

Our apartment was on the ground floor, with a tiny walled garden.

When we’d had our second viewing, we’d explored the door leading off from the kitchen and discovered it connected to a basement room that the previous owners had used to store junk.

Not anymore, though.

When I flicked on the lights, Charlie’s audible gasp echoed around the concrete walls. “Is this?—?”

“Our own version of The Game Room. That pinball machine there—” I pointed at the machine I’d paid an astronomical sum to restore. “—is the same one we first played on.”

“You sentimental bastard,” he choked out, his eyes filling with tears. “Nate. Nate . What were you thinking?”

“I was thinking that I wanted to surprise the love of my life with something significant to our relationship.”

“You surprised me, alright. Nothing will ever be able to top this.” Swiping his hand across his eyes, he pulled me into him.

“I love you more than anything. Anything ever. You’re everything to me.

Everything . I need you to know that. No matter what.

Even if we lost everything else. As long as we’re together, everything else is a bonus. ”

“I feel the same. It’s you and me, Charlie B. We were matched for a reason, and I’m never going to let you go.”

His eyes met mine, his gaze resolute. “Never.”

“Never,” I said.

THE END