A Practice Run

Chapter 3: A Practice Run

Ethan's POV

I couldn’t believe Riley had actually agreed. Relief washed over me, but it was quickly followed by the realization that I had no idea how to pull this off.  

“So,” Riley said, leaning casually against the counter, his grey eyes twinkling with amusement. “What’s the story? How did we meet?”  

“Uh…” I paused, racking my brain. “We met… at a coffee shop?”  

Riley raised an eyebrow, a small smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. “A coffee shop? Really? That’s the best you’ve got?”  

“Hey, it’s believable!” I protested, crossing my arms.  

“Sure,” he said, his tone teasing. “Except we’d need to agree on which coffee shop, who approached who, and what we were drinking. You know, details.”  

I groaned, running a hand through my hair. “Okay, fine. How about you come up with something, then, Mr. Creative?”  

Riley chuckled, tapping his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm. How about this? You were at a bookstore, hopelessly lost in the self-help section. I came over to recommend a book because you looked so… desperate.”  

“Desperate?” I repeated, glaring at him.  

“Well, you were in the self-help section,” he pointed out, shrugging.  

“Fine,” I said grudgingly. “Bookstore it is. But I wasn’t desperate—I was curious.”  

“Sure, let’s go with that,” Riley said, his smirk widening. “And what happened next? Did I ask for your number, or did you beg for mine?”  

“You’re really enjoying this, aren’t you?” I muttered, rolling my eyes.  

“A little,” he admitted, laughing. “But seriously, if we’re going to sell this, we need to be convincing. That means practicing, right?”  

I hesitated, remembering his earlier suggestion about holding hands and hugging. My cheeks burned at the thought. “Right,” I said quickly, trying to sound nonchalant. “Practice. Sure.”  

Riley straightened and held out a hand, palm up. “Okay. Let’s start with the basics.”  

I stared at his hand like it was a live grenade. “You mean… now?”  

“No time like the present,” he said, his tone light but his gaze steady.  

Swallowing hard, I stepped closer and placed my hand in his. His grip was warm and firm, and an unexpected jolt shot up my arm. I looked up, meeting his eyes, and for a moment, the room seemed to shrink around us.  

“Not bad,” Riley said, his voice softer now. “But you’re holding my hand like it’s going to bite you. Relax.”  

I exhaled sharply and adjusted my grip, lacing my fingers with his. “Better?”  

“Much,” he said, his smile softening. “Now, let’s try a hug.”  

“A hug?” My voice cracked slightly, and Riley laughed.  

“Relax,” he said again, stepping closer. “It’s just a hug. Nothing weird.”  

I nodded, though my heart was pounding in my chest. Riley opened his arms, and I hesitated for a moment before stepping into them. His arms wrapped around me, strong and steady, and I found myself melting into the warmth of his embrace.  

“See?” he murmured, his breath brushing against my ear. “Not so bad.”  

“Yeah,” I said, my voice barely audible. “Not bad at all.”  

When we pulled apart, Riley’s gaze lingered on mine, and for a moment, neither of us said anything. The air between us felt charged.

“So,” Riley said finally, breaking the silence. “What’s next on the practice agenda?”  

I blinked, forcing myself to focus. “Uh… maybe we should practice talking about each other? You know, like how couples do.”  

“Good idea,” he said, leaning against the counter again. “Why don’t you go first? Tell me something about me.”  

“Okay,” I said, taking a deep breath. “You’re a freelance photographer. You’re new in town. And… you have a thing for helping hopeless neighbors move boxes.”  

Riley laughed, shaking his head. “Close, but you’re missing the important stuff. Like how I make the best pancakes in the world or how I have a secret talent for karaoke.”  

“Karaoke?” I asked, raising an eyebrow.  

“Oh, yeah,” he said, grinning. “You should hear my rendition of 'Livin’ on a Prayer.' It’s legendary.”  

I snorted, shaking my head. “I’ll take your word for it.”  

“Your turn,” Riley said, gesturing to me. “Tell me something about you that I don’t already know.”  

I hesitated, caught off guard by the question. “Uh… I have a cat. Her name’s Luna.”  

“A cat person, huh?” Riley said, smirking. “I should’ve guessed.”  

“What’s that supposed to mean?” I asked, narrowing my eyes.  

“Nothing,” he said, holding up his hands in mock surrender. “It’s just… fitting.”  

I rolled my eyes, but I couldn’t help smiling. Riley had this way of making everything feel easy, even when it wasn’t.  

As we continued to talk, the tension between us began to fade, replaced by a growing sense of familiarity. By the time I left his apartment that evening, I felt oddly hopeful about the wedding in two weeks.  

For the first time since receiving that cursed invitation, I wasn’t dreading it.  

Because now, I wasn’t going alone. 

---

When I got home, Luna, my cat, greeted me with her usual indifference, her golden eyes tracking my every move from her perch on the windowsill. I scooped her up, burying my face in her soft fur for a moment.

“Luna, you won’t believe the day I had,” I muttered, carrying her to the couch. She purred lazily, clearly unimpressed by my dramatic entrance.

I dropped onto the couch, pulling out my phone. I couldn’t wait to tell Ava.

Me: You’re not going to believe this.

The three little dots appeared almost instantly.

Ava: Oh no, what did you do?

Before I could even type a response, my phone buzzed—Ava was calling. Typical.

“Okay, what happened?” she demanded the moment I picked up, skipping any formalities.

“I got a new neighbor today,” I said, scratching Luna behind the ears as she sprawled across my lap.

There was a beat of silence. Then, “Wait. Is he hot?”

I rolled my eyes, though I couldn’t help but smile. “Yeah. He’s hot.”

Ava squealed. “Oh my God. You have to introduce me. I need to meet him.”

“Well,” I said carefully, “about that…”

She picked up on my hesitation immediately. “What did you do?”

“I may have asked him to be my fake boyfriend for the wedding.”

There was a sharp pause. Then Ava burst out laughing—loud, delighted laughter that made me pull the phone away from my ear.

“I’m glad my personal chaos is so funny to you,” I said dryly, waiting for her to catch her breath.

“Oh, Ethan,” she gasped between giggles. “I was expecting something dramatic, but this? This takes the cake.”

“I’m serious,” I said, though I couldn’t help chuckling at her reaction. “It made sense in the moment. He’s good-looking, charming, and he agreed. No hesitation.”

“You’re telling me this hot new neighbor just agreed to be your fake boyfriend? Just like that?”

“Yep,” I said, shifting a little under her scrutiny. “I mean, I told him about the situation—sort of—and he was totally on board.”

“‘Sort of?’” she repeated. “Did you at least mention Liam?”

“Kind of,” I admitted. “I didn’t lay out all the gory details, but he knows enough to get the gist.”

“And he still agreed?” Ava asked, her voice tinged with disbelief. “Ethan, are you hearing yourself? Either he’s a saint, or…”

“Or what?” I prompted, though I wasn’t sure I wanted to hear the answer.

“Or he likes you,” she said bluntly.

I scoffed, even as I felt heat rising in my face. “He’s just being nice.”

“Nice, sure,” she said, clearly unconvinced. “Or he’s jumping at the chance to spend more time with you. Which, honestly, I don’t blame him for.”

I opened my mouth to argue but found myself at a loss for words. Why had Riley agreed so quickly?

“Look,” Ava continued, her tone softening, “crazy or not, I love this for you. It’s bold. It’s a little insane. But maybe it’s exactly what you need to shake things up.”

“I hope you’re right,” I said, though my stomach still twisted at the thought of seeing Liam again.

“I am right,” she replied confidently. “And if you need help with anything, outfits, strategy, emotional support, you know I’m your girl.”

“I’ll hold you to that,” I said with a small smile.

After we hung up, I leaned back into the couch, letting my head fall against the cushion. Luna had curled up into a perfect ball on my lap, her gentle purring cutting through the noise of my thoughts.

For the first time in a long while, I felt a spark of something I couldn’t quite name. Excitement? Hope? Whatever it was, it was better than the

emptiness I’d been carrying since the breakup.

And maybe, just maybe, this ridiculous plan might actually work and I would get my revenge on that bastard, Liam.