Unscripted After

Chapter 10

The next morning, sunlight streamed through the sheer curtains of the Locke guest room. Talia blinked against the brightness, groggy and disoriented until her eyes fell on the gold wedding band resting on her finger.

Right. That happened.

She stretched, every muscle aching from the tension of yesterday the crowd, the vows, the kiss.

The kiss.

It replayed in her mind like a movie on loop, and each time, it left her breathless. Real or not, she had felt it. The warmth, the hesitation, the unspoken something.

She pushed the sheets aside, padded barefoot toward the en-suite bathroom, and splashed cold water on her face. No matter how real it felt, she couldn’t afford to fall deeper. This was still a contract.

A knock sounded on the door, gentle but firm.

She opened it to find Cassian holding two steaming mugs of coffee. He was dressed in a soft navy sweater and grey joggers all casual charm and early morning ease. He looked like her favorite kind of daydream.

“Morning,” he said, voice low and a little rough. “I figured we could use caffeine after surviving the circus.”

She accepted the mug, fingers brushing his. “Thanks.”

There was a pause. Tension hovered like mist.

“I didn’t get the chance to say this yesterday,” Cassian began, rubbing the back of his neck, “but… you were breathtaking.”

Talia blinked. “I…thank you.”

He gave a half-smile. “And brave. You didn’t sign up for any of this madness, but you handled it like a pro.”

She sipped her coffee to hide the flush rising to her cheeks. “Well, I had a great co-star.”

They stood in silence for a beat, both sipping, both unsure where the line between fake and real was drawn this morning.

Then he stepped back. “I’m headed to the office for a bit. There’s bound to be fallout, and I need to get ahead of it.”

“Paparazzi?”

“And board members. Investors. Everyone wants to know if I’ve lost my mind.”

She tried to joke. “Well, technically you have you married me.”

He looked at her then, with something that wasn’t quite amusement. “Marrying you might be the least crazy thing I’ve done.”

Her breath caught, but before she could respond, he was already turning away.

Later, Talia curled up on the chaise by the window, phone pressed to her ear.

“You’re telling me the kiss wasn’t entirely staged?” Phoebe asked, voice hushed like she was afraid of jinxing it.

Talia groaned. “It didn’t feel staged. That’s the problem.”

“Well, babe… you’re married now. Maybe it’s time you both stop pretending.”

Talia looked out the window at the long Locke driveway, press vans still lurking beyond the gates.

“Pretending feels safer.”

Phoebe’s reply came gently. “Safe doesn’t always get you what you want.”