Chapter 19: Post-Event Interview
The auditorium was a whirlwind of activity as the ceremony finally came to a close. The host's voice boomed one last time, signaling the end of the night's festivities. I stood up, my legs still shaking from the adrenaline and the weight of Matt's arm around me. He looked at me, his eyes gleaming with triumph, and I knew I had no choice but to play along.
I stood up, my legs still shaking from the adrenaline and the weight of his arm around me. Matt stood up beside me, his hand still on the small of my back, guiding me towards the aisle. As we walked, I leaned in close to him, my voice barely above a whisper. "Matt, I need to tell you something," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. He looked at me, his eyes curious, and I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I had to say. "The last time I was in a relationship was back in junior high school, Matt. And even that was nothing like this... fake thing we're doing now." I paused, my cheeks flushing at the memory of my first and only relationship. "And another thing, my crotch is still aching from last night.
Can we walk slowly, please?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper. Matt looked at me, a smirk playing on his lips, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Of course, Marina," he said, his voice laced with a teasing tone. "I'll be gentle, I promise." I rolled my eyes, my voice filled with sarcasm. "You're anything but gentle, Matt." He chuckled, his hand still on the small of my back, guiding me towards the exit. "And you know what? I think you like it that way." I glared at him, my cheeks flushing with anger and embarrassment. "You've ruined my pussy, Matt," I hissed, my voice barely audible over the din of the crowd. "And I can't even walk straight because of it." Matt's smirk widened, his eyes gleaming with amusement.
"You're a terrible liar, Marina. You loved every second of last night, and you know it. You came more times than I can count." He leaned in closer, his voice dropping to a low, seductive whisper. "I've fucked a lot of women, Marina, but none of them came as much as you did. You're insatiable." My cheeks flushed with embarrassment, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew he was right - I had come more times than I could count, my body writhing with pleasure as he took me again and again. But I couldn't let him see how much his words affected me. "That doesn't mean I enjoyed it, Matt," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. "You forced me, remember?" Matt's hand tightened on my back, his fingers digging into my flesh.
"You're not fooling anyone, Marina. You loved every second of it. Maybe you even liked being forced." His voice was low, a teasing lilt to it as we walked towards the exit, the crowd around us a blur. I felt my cheeks flush with anger and embarrassment, my heart pounding in my chest. "That's not true, Matt," I hissed, my voice barely audible over the din of the crowd. "You're twisting everything." He chuckled, his hand still on the small of my back, guiding me towards the door. "Am I, Marina? Or are you just too afraid to admit the truth to yourself?" I glared at him, my mind racing as we stepped out into the cool night air.
The red carpet stretched out before us, the cameras flashing like a strobe light as we walked towards them. The reporters, their faces illuminated by the harsh glare of the lights, called out our names, their voices a cacophony of questions and demands for clarification. "Marina, Matt, what's the story behind your sudden partnership?" one reporter shouted, his voice barely audible over the din of the crowd. "Are you two an item?" another asked, her eyes gleaming with curiosity. Matt's hand tightened on my back, his grip possessive, guiding me towards the reporters that lined up behind the red carpet barrier, just like Matt was ready to answer their questions. The crowd surged around us, the reporters' voices a cacophony of questions and demands for clarification.
I took a deep breath, steeling myself for the onslaught of questions. The first reporter, a woman with sharp eyes and a notepad at the ready, called out, "Is it true, Marina, that you said Matt is your sole inspiration for your solo-camping vlogs? That he's the reason you push yourself to explore the great outdoors?" I hesitated for a moment, caught off guard by the question. It was a lie, of course - I had started my vlog long before I even knew Matt existed - but I knew I had to play along. I nodded, forcing a smile onto my face.
"Yes, it's true," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. "Matt has been a huge inspiration for me. His passion for the outdoors, his dedication to his craft - it's all so inspiring." The reporter nodded, her eyes gleaming with curiosity.
"And what about your relationship? Are you two an item?" she asked, her notepad poised to capture our every word. I felt Matt's hand tighten on my back, a silent warning. I opened my mouth to speak, but Matt beat me to it. "We've been together for a few months now," he said, his voice smooth and confident. "But we didn't want to make a big announcement until Marina won the award. We didn't want to distract from her well-deserved moment in the spotlight." I felt a jolt of surprise, my eyes widening as I turned to look at him. He smiled at me, a small, private smile that sent a shiver down my spine. The reporter's eyes gleamed with interest, her notepad already filling with notes. "That's a wonderful story," she said, her voice eager. "And how did you two meet? Was it love at first sight?" Matt chuckled, his hand still on my back, guiding me closer to him.
"We met when Marina reached out to me for advice on her content," he said, his voice smooth and confident. "She was struggling to find her footing in the outdoor living contents, and I was happy to help. The rest, as they say, is history." I stared at him, my eyes wide with surprise. How could he twist the truth so effortlessly, making it sound like we were some sort of fairytale couple? I opened my mouth to speak, but Matt's hand tightened on my back, a silent warning. "And then, a few months ago, Marina asked me to be her manager," he continued, his voice barely above a whisper. "I was honored, of course, and we've been working together ever since." I felt a jolt of anger, my cheeks flushing with heat. How dare he take credit for my success, for my hard work?
I felt my cheeks flush with anger, but before I could respond, the reporter turned to me, her eyes eager. "Is that true, Marina? Did you ask Matt to be your manager a few months ago?" I hesitated for a moment, my heart pounding in my chest. I knew I had no choice but to play along, to confirm Matt's lie. I took a deep breath, steeling myself for what I had to say. "Yes, that's true," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. "Matt has been an incredible help to me, both personally and professionally. I couldn't ask for a better manager." I could feel Matt's hand relax on my back, a silent signal of approval. I wanted to scream, to tell them all the truth, but I knew I couldn't. Not here, not now.
The reporters were a relentless tide, their questions crashing over us like waves. I could feel the weight of Matt's hand on my back, a constant reminder of his presence, his control. I forced a smile, my eyes scanning the crowd as I tried to keep my composure.
"Marina, Matt, do you plan on celebrating your partnership tonight?" another reporter asked, her voice eager and curious. "Yes, we do," I said, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside me. "We thought it would be nice to celebrate Marina's hard work and dedication with a private dinner. Just the two of us." I forced a smile, my eyes flicking to Matt, who was smirking at the reporter's question. "We thought it would be nice to celebrate Marina's hard work and dedication with a private dinner," he added, his voice smooth and confident. "We don't know if that private dinner may lead into a feisty night," he teased, his eyes gleaming with mischief as the reporters chuckled. I rolled my eyes, my cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
Another reporter, a man with a notepad and a eager expression, stepped forward. "Marina, Matt, the question on everyone's mind - do you love each other?" he asked, his voice eager. Matt's hand moved from my back to my waist, pulling me closer to him. I could feel the heat of his body against mine, and I knew I should pull away, but I couldn't seem to make myself do it. "I do," Matt said, his voice steady and sure. "I love Marina more than anything in this world." He leaned down, pressing a soft kiss to my forehead as the cameras flashed around us, capturing the moment. I felt my heart skip a beat, my breath catching in my throat.
The reporter's eyes were fixed on me, her notepad poised to capture my every word. "Marina, do you feel the same way?" she asked, her voice eager and curious. I could feel Matt's hand tighten on my waist, his grip possessive, as if he were afraid I might run away. I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but my mind was racing. I loved him, didn't I? Or was it just the thrill of the moment, the adrenaline coursing through my veins? I opened my mouth, my voice barely above a whisper. "I... I love him too," I stuttered, my cheeks flushing with heat. The reporter's eyes widened, her notepad filling with notes.
I could see the surprise in her eyes, the disbelief. I had said it, hadn't I? I had said I loved him. Matt's hand tightened on my waist, a silent warning. "I'm sorry, everyone," he said, his voice smooth and confident. "But we have a private night to get to." He didn't wait for an answer, instead guiding me away from the reporters, his hand still possessively on my waist. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, my mind racing. What had I just done? What had I just said? I could feel Matt's eyes on me, could sense the questions he was dying to ask.
But I couldn't look at him, couldn't speak. I was trapped in my own head, my mind racing with the words I had just spoken. I love him. I had said it in front of all those reporters, all those cameras. I had said it, and now I couldn't take it back.
Their bus for accommodating the creators back to the hotel already parked, the doors hissing open to let us in. Matt guided me inside, his hand still on my waist, and we took our seats near the back. I stared out the window, watching as the city lights blurred into a stream of color. I could feel Matt's gaze on me, but I couldn't meet his eyes. I was too ashamed, too confused.
I couldn't look at him, couldn't speak. I just stared out the window, watching as the city lights blurred into a stream of color. "Matt, we need to talk," I said, my voice barely above a whisper.