Chapter 73

She heard what he said loud and clear but it took a second for Aliyah to process what she just heard and the ramifications of it.

"What?" She blurted out in disbelief

"Y-Y-You are joking right?" Aliyah immediately uttered, with a stammer, before she could stop herself. She didn't know him to mess around yet she asked.

She searched for any glint of joke in his eyes but she saw nothing that indicated that.

"I'm dead serious," Ben said and with one straight look into his brownish eyes, Aliyah saw the heavy seriousness in his eyes.

"Why do I have to do that? For what reason do I have to do that" She muttered again, visibly not comfortable with what he had said. It sounded strange and suspicious that he would say that.

There was a brief silence before he opened up to speak.

"In case you've forgotten," Ben paused, he glanced upstairs before staring back at Aliyah, " Cecile is here and I don't want her sniffing around and thinking we are just pretending to be a—" he paused "A couple," he