Revealing

Clyde's POV

Now tell me what that was all about.

My hand grips Kate's hip as we make our way through the hallway and into the living room. When I think of that kiss, I can't shake it. Nothing makes sense anymore. I was pushing her against the door and grabbing her mouth the next thing I knew. For some reason, as soon as my lips came into contact with hers, I could not do anything but kiss her. It makes me swoon when I think about Kate's reaction, and I can feel my manhood hardening in my jeans.

She was just as enthralled as I was in that bathroom. My lips are still tingling as we enter the living room. Before joining my mom on the couch, I make a plate of snacks for Kate and myself from what my mom has already set out. Even though she's chatting with my aunt, she smiles at me when I offer her something from the plate.

Next, we sat down with my family and pretended to be the perfect couple. Kate's arm is still around my thigh. Our relationship is shifting, and it doesn't bother me in the slightest. On the contrary, I enjoy the way Kate affects me. I get a kick out of seeing her smile and feel at ease around me.

I smile as I watch Kate and my nephew play on the living room floor. I see my mom's grin on her face as they continue to play, and I smile back.

My father and my brother-in-law open the front door. It was their first day back at work at a nearby hospital, so they had to show up this morning. Both Kate and I step forward to give them a big snub and our best Thanksgiving wishes. Afterward, my father hugged me and whispered, "It's about time. Dinner is ready!"

While walking Kate into the dining room, I wrap my arm around her waist. Then I help Kate sit down at the table and get a glass of red wine for her and water for myself.

She thanks me when I give her the glass of wine.

Everyone in my family is beaming with pride when I look up. I sigh and take a seat next to her to block out their presence.

"Okay! Before we begin to eat, let's go around the table and express our gratitude." My mother sits at the other end of the table and says, "I'll begin." When she looks around the table, she says, "I'm grateful that our entire family can be here today," and she beams broadly.

Now it's time for my younger sister to share her gratitude for all of us being here and healthy.

Kate and I are at the end of the table, and the conversation continues in this fashion.

Kate says, "I'm grateful to have a healthy family and great friends as well."

I couldn't think of anything to say the entire time we went around the table. Everybody is happy, and here together is my generic response, but when it comes time for me to speak, all I can say is, "I am thankful I have Kate."

Everyone at the table is enthralled, but Kate looks a little perplexed as we sit down. As they all squeal, I can feel the blush on my cheeks.

"There you go, that's it! Let's go out and get something to eat!" I hear my mother yelp in disbelief.

It's time to savor the food we've gathered. When I watch Kate eat and interact with others, I notice that I'm smiling simultaneously as she is.

I'm glad she's having a good time. Having a relationship with her is something I'd like to have. If we can agree on something, I'm confident that we'll be able to meet each other's expectations, and she'll be satisfied. All that's left for me to do is take a chance.

As my mother begins to wash the dishes after dinner, Kate elbows me. While collecting the plates, I try to hide my smile as she gives me the plate with a friendly nod. I follow my mother into the kitchen, knowing what will happen.

When my hands are free, my mom reaches out and cradles me in her arms. She heaves a sigh as she holds him tightly.

"Thank you for finally leaping. Your entire family was aware that you had a crush on her after she stayed for more than two weeks from you. I knew the moment I saw you two together. I think she's the perfect match for you. Seeing you happy again is a real joy. In the past, I feared that you would exhaust yourself to the point of exhaustion."

"Mom, I'm fine," I told her.

"You weren't," she responded. "You were depressed. You always worked or thought about work, and you never cracked a smile."

I'm having a hard time remembering what happened before Kate came into my life.

"Did you tell her how much you care?"My mother whispers into my ear as she leans in close.

"Not yet."

"What are you waiting for?" Mom asked.

As soon as she's done speaking, she doesn't wait for a response. Instead, after grabbing cupcakes and a bottle of wine, she calls over her shoulder for me to grab the pies. But I'm still here, frozen.

The idea of pretending to be a couple for a day and then returning to normal has never occurred to me before today, but I already know it won't be the case. When you kiss like that, you can't go back to normal. It's great to have her close by, and I love being able to touch her whenever I want. We laugh and joke around together.

My mother was right. Spending time with Kate is a pleasure. Since she walked into my office, she has been doing so. Because I took everything so seriously before meeting her, I was bored and annoyed by everything. But now that I've met her, everything is better. I feel much better when I'm around her. It was all black and white before she came into my life, but now it's vibrant. I was afraid of losing her before today, but now that everything has happened, I believe she feels the same way. The only thing left for me to do is show some courage and take action.

Remove the pies from the counter and return to my seat, making my decision. My only problem now is how to tell Kate that she's no longer my fake girlfriend.