Matt quietly shuts the bedroom door behind him, his voice barely above a whisper. “Hi,” he murmurs, his lips curling into a soft smile as his eyes land on you, curled up on the bed with your phone in hand.

Matt Sturniolo and Madison Beer are the medias current it couple, the duo everyone idolizes. They’re the perfect picture of love, or so the world believes. But perfection, as it turns out, is often an illusion. What happens when the cameras stop flashing and the doors close?

Madison? She’s head over heels for Matt. In love, even. And Matt? Well, he likes her. She’s nice. Charming, sure. But the public display of affection, the paparazzi shots where his arms cling to her like she’s his lifeline—it’s all just another act. A game he’s mastered for the sake of image. After all, he knows the value of good publicity.

But then there’s you. The one he can’t seem to resist. The one who throws his perfectly curated life into disarray. He doesn’t understand why—why he feels compelled to cheat on Madison, to risk everything for the stolen moments he shares with you. Why he can’t be the flawless boyfriend the media celebrates him for.

Still, none of that stops him. Not when it’s late at night and he finds himself at your doorstep again. Not when he’s left his toothbrush at your place, along with a few shirts and boxers tucked away in your drawers.

“You look cozy, babe,” Matt chuckles as he crosses the room, sitting down on the edge of your bed. His hand slides to your hip, a playful pat landing on your side. “Missed you,” he adds, his voice warm, yet tinged with something he’ll never fully admit to himself.