The Fake Boyfriend Gambit - Chapter 9: Chapter 9
You are reading The Fake Boyfriend Gambit, Chapter 9: Chapter 9. Read more chapters of The Fake Boyfriend Gambit.
In just twenty-four hours, the house underwent a total makeover.
I arranged my favorite plush toys on the bed and sofa. Lucas called them childish—but I caught him secretly squishing them when he thought I wasn't looking.
The dull gray bedding was swapped for soft pink. The plain slippers? Gone, replaced by fluffy bunny ones. I even picked out matching couple's pajamas for Lucas.
Fresh-cut flowers brightened the living room—a bouquet of fiery orange-red roses, glowing like winter sunlight.
On the bathroom counter, two porcelain dolls sat facing each other—a boy and a girl. Lucas swore the girl looked just like me, with her round cheeks and sweet expression. I argued the boy was his spitting image—adorably awkward and totally kissable. Neither of us would back down, so we settled on placing them by the mirror.
We'll check every day, we decided, until one of us admits the truth.
Later, freshly showered, we curled up on the couch under a thick, fuzzy blanket, watching a movie. It was one of those sweet romances—two people secretly pining, then finally finding happiness together. The ending showed them settled into cozy domestic bliss, a dog curled at their feet.
My throat tightened.
What if I leave again? The thought hit me like a punch. Lucas would do something reckless—just like before.
I swallowed hard, then cupped his face in my hands.
"Lucas," I said, voice firm. "Let's get a pet. A cat or a dog."
His grip on my wrist tightened instantly, his eyes sharp with suspicion.
"Why?" he asked. "I thought you hated animals."
I arranged my favorite plush toys on the bed and sofa. Lucas called them childish—but I caught him secretly squishing them when he thought I wasn't looking.
The dull gray bedding was swapped for soft pink. The plain slippers? Gone, replaced by fluffy bunny ones. I even picked out matching couple's pajamas for Lucas.
Fresh-cut flowers brightened the living room—a bouquet of fiery orange-red roses, glowing like winter sunlight.
On the bathroom counter, two porcelain dolls sat facing each other—a boy and a girl. Lucas swore the girl looked just like me, with her round cheeks and sweet expression. I argued the boy was his spitting image—adorably awkward and totally kissable. Neither of us would back down, so we settled on placing them by the mirror.
We'll check every day, we decided, until one of us admits the truth.
Later, freshly showered, we curled up on the couch under a thick, fuzzy blanket, watching a movie. It was one of those sweet romances—two people secretly pining, then finally finding happiness together. The ending showed them settled into cozy domestic bliss, a dog curled at their feet.
My throat tightened.
What if I leave again? The thought hit me like a punch. Lucas would do something reckless—just like before.
I swallowed hard, then cupped his face in my hands.
"Lucas," I said, voice firm. "Let's get a pet. A cat or a dog."
His grip on my wrist tightened instantly, his eyes sharp with suspicion.
"Why?" he asked. "I thought you hated animals."
End of The Fake Boyfriend Gambit Chapter 9. Continue reading Chapter 10 or return to The Fake Boyfriend Gambit book page.