Unmasked

Audrey gripped the book she'd been holding so hard her knuckles were white as everyone inside the store turned to look at her curiously. She kept her expression calm as she flipped the book closed and set it back on the shelf, even though her heart was pounding wildly.

"What?" she asked. "You've never seen someone declare their love in a bookstore before? I know you've all seen romantic comedies; go back to your shopping."

The old woman who had shooed Matt forcefully out of the store approached her, looking concerned.

"Are you all right, dear? That man didn't alarm you?"

"Oh, no. Really, it's fine. I know him. He's my boyfriend."

The woman looked at her skeptically. "You think it's wise, dear, to be dating that sort?"

"He's actually very nice-"

"Young hoodlums," the shopkeeper muttered, ignoring Audrey altogether. "Probably hopped up on the E or whatever it is kids call it today. You mark my words young lady, drugs lead to nothing but trouble."

"Yes, ma'am."

"If that crazed urchin bothers you any don't you hesitate to get help. Give him a good pop on the nose first though." The woman made a fist and shook it to emphasize her point and Audrey had to swallow a grin.

"I'll keep that in mind. I'd like to buy this, please." Audrey grabbed a random book without even glancing at the cover. Then she got a cab and told him to get to her address as fast as possible and she'd give him a hundred dollar tip. Her thoughts and feelings were a discordant tangle and she needed to be alone to sort them out. She bolted from the elevator and into her apartment, pacing across her living room until Jekyll and Hyde woke up and started meowing irritably at her.

"Hey, you have a guy burst into a store to tell you he loves you in front of a crowd of strangers, and we'll see what you do about it," Audrey scolded them. They looked supremely unimpressed. Audrey sank down onto her couch, crossing and uncrossing her legs nervously as she reached for the remote. She clicked aimlessly through channels without actually paying any attention to them, worrying her bottom lip between her teeth.

Other than Nichelle, people in her life weren't in the habit of telling Audrey they loved her.

"I have to go see Matt," she said out loud. Then she thought for a moment. "What the hell do I even say to Matt?"

There was no answer, aside from some overly chipper duo on an infomercial trying to convince her to buy some oven mitts. Audrey turned off the tv and raced back out of her apartment to the garage. Her Aston Martin purred to life and she just may have set or broken some kind of record with her reckless driving this time. When she pulled up in front of Slice of Heaven she realized that she still had no idea what she was going to say to Matt when she saw him.

"Shit," Audrey muttered, sinking down in her seat. She was wholly unprepared for how to handle this. "Shit shit shit."

She noticed the trio of teenagers that Matt was always complaining about pull into the parking lot and he's inside. The hamsterish one; Leon; spotted Audrey and waved cheerfully, shouting something about her awesome car. Audrey climbed out of the car slowly, catching a glimpse of Matt through the parlor window. Her heart started jack-hammering inside her chest again and she felt her cheeks turn red even though Matt hadn't noticed her standing out there like an idiot.

The girl was ushering Leon and the other boy inside, shutting down Leon's protests. Audrey waited until they were inside and seated before she went barreling through the front door. Matt was scowling at Leon as he placed his order, but his expression changed to one of shock as he did a double take at Audrey.

"Audrey? What are you doing-"

"I need to talk to you," Audrey blurted.

"I have to finish-"

"Right now, Matthew." Audrey grabbed him by the front of his shirt and hauled him outside with a surprising burst of strength. She fairly pinned him to the side of the building.

"Listen Audrey, I'm sorry about earlier. I know I seemed crazy, I just-"

"Shush!" Audrey realized she was still gripping the front of his shirt in her fists. Matt was watching her warily.

"I..." Audrey began. Nothing resembling a coherent sentence was forming in her mind, so she ended up instead making a strange choking sound before yanking him down to her level and kissing him. She untangled herself from him after a moment, face flaming.

"So...you're not mad at me?" Matt asked hopefully, looking a little dazed. Audrey blinked.

"Why would I be mad?" she asked.

"Because I embarrassed the both of us in the middle of a bookstore and sprung a pretty major announcement on you."

"I admit, I'm still feeling more than a little frazzled by it." Audrey finally released his shirt and hugged herself. "But I'm not mad at you. I think I'm in shock."

"But like...good shock, right?"

Audrey rolled her eyes but she smiled slightly. "Yes, Matthew. I'm just trying to gather my thoughts here. I told you before; I'm not so good with the touchy feely stuff. But um...I think that I feel the same thing. That you feel. Um. The love thing."

"So if my translation of Audrey-speak is correct, you're saying: "Matthew, I love you too." Right?" Matt was smiling slightly as Audrey fidgeted.

"Yeah," she said quietly. "That's what I'm trying to say. Love you too."

Matt looked relieved, catching her jacket and gently pulling her forward so he could rest his forehead against hers.

"Well that's a relief," he said. "When I saw you come inside I thought you were going to knock my ass to the ground and beat me with a pizza rack."

Audrey laughed. "I didn't feel like getting banned from the pizza place like you were banned from the bookstore. That old lady was most unimpressed with you. She was convinced you were a crazed drug addict."

Matt grimaced and chuckled. "I would say I should take her an apology pizza, but I think if she sees me again she might thrash me with a broom, so I'd best stay away."

"Probably a good idea," Audrey nodded. "The only one allowed to smack that pretty face is me. Actually, the only one allowed to do anything with your face is me. So you're hereby ordered to bring it to my apartment when you get off tonight."

"Yes, ma'am." Matt saluted and she shooed him back to work before he got yelled at. She drove home with a small smile on her face. Her good mood took a slight blow when she got home to a text from Nichelle, informing her that Fade had been to see Madame Mystic again and wanted a final answer from Phantasma about his offer.

Audrey texted Nichelle back and had her instruct Fade to meet her where they met before, and then she'd give him her answer. Then she put Fade out of her mind and ordered Chinese takeout to share with Matt. He looked strangely shy when he got to her apartment that night; like he was worried she had changed her mind in the last two hours.

"I ordered that kung pao chicken that you like," Audrey said.

"Aw, you do love me," Matt teased. Audrey settled on the floor in front of her coffee table with a bowl of rice and broccoli beef. Then she pointed her chopsticks at him and gave him a stern look.

"Now that we're entering into the L word stage of this relationship, you're taking me to that house that you apparently own," she said. Matt choked on his chow mein, having to take several large gulps of water before he recovered.

"What? Why?"

"Because couples in love don't keep secrets. About houses they own," she added quickly, realizing the irony in what she was saying. Matt shifted awkwardly but Audrey wasn't backing down.

"You sleep on a couch, Matt. Let's at least go clean this house up. I want to see where you grew up."

Matt sighed. "You're not going to drop this, are you?"

"Not on your life, buster."

He was quiet for a long time, tapping his chopsticks against his bowl. Finally he nodded slightly.

"Okay. If it's that big a deal to you, we can go clean it up a little."

Audrey smiled and pushed the kung pao chicken towards him. The next afternoon found them on the front porch of the little house; Matt practically having to break the door down to get it open.

"You haven't been here for a while I take it," Audrey remarked. The house had a definite feel of being un-lived in, and everything was covered in a layer of dust.

"Not for a while," Matt agreed. Audrey wandered the rooms, occasionally sneezing from the dust. Matt remained in the living room looking around while Audrey poked her head into the small bedrooms. There was a worn and faded floral print comforter on one bed, and she assumed it must have been his foster mother's room. She spotted some picture frames on the nightstand and picked one up, blowing the dust off. After her sneezing fit passed, she found herself looking down at a younger Matt. At least, she thought it was Matt.

The boy in the picture looked exactly like him, save for a couple of important features. The Matt in the picture had brown hair and brown eyes, nothing like the pale blond and ice blue eyes of her Matt. Audrey didn't know what to make of it. She jumped as she heard Matt approaching down the hall and stuffed the small picture into her purse.

"You okay in here? I thought maybe you'd sneezed to death." Matt peered around the doorframe and Audrey gave him a reassuring smile.

"All fine," she said. She slipped forward and kissed his cheek. "Lets get this place cleaned up a little, then we'll go get some lunch."

Matt headed toward the kitchen and Audrey stuffed the picture deeper into her purse before following him.