Faking Forever

**Riley’s POV**

By the time I arrived at Ethan’s place, the sun had dipped below the horizon, and the city was bathed in a soft orange glow. I sat in my car for a moment, gripping the steering wheel, trying to calm the fluttering in my stomach. This wasn’t just about playing pretend anymore—something about Ethan’s desperation, the pain in his voice when he’d called earlier, made this feel personal.

With a deep breath, I grabbed my camera bag—it always went everywhere with me, though it was useless tonight—and made my way to his apartment. When the door swung open, Ethan’s face greeted me, his expression frazzled. His damp hair clung to his forehead, and his fitted black sweater clung in all the right places, despite his nervous energy.

“Riley,” he said quickly, stepping aside. “Come in.”

I stepped into his apartment, the cozy space buzzing with a chaotic warmth. Grocery bags were half-unpacked on the counter, and a red-haired woman lounged on the couch, her legs stretched out and a bag of chips in her lap.

Her sharp green eyes landed on me, widening. “Oh, *my* God.” She bolted upright, brushing crumbs off her leggings, and stared at me with unabashed excitement.

“Ava,” Ethan groaned, already anticipating the chaos. “Riley, meet Ava. Ava, this is—”

“*The* Riley?” she interrupted, springing to her feet. “Holy crap. Ethan wasn’t lying. You’re a certified snack!”

My eyebrows shot up as I looked at Ethan, who seemed to be regretting every decision that led to this moment. “Uh, thanks?”

“Seriously,” Ava continued, circling me like she was appraising a piece of art. “Broad shoulders, sharp jawline, killer eyes—I mean, you’re even better looking than Ethan described, and he was practically drooling when he talked about you.”

“Ava!” Ethan snapped, his face turning crimson.

“What? I’m just telling him the truth!” Ava shot back, grinning at me. “You’re doing all of us a favor, you know. Fake boyfriend and upgrade extraordinaire. Liam’s going to feel *every ounce* of regret.”

“Liam?” I asked, glancing at Ethan.

He sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “Yeah. I saw him today. With his fiancé.”

My stomach tightened. “And you didn’t think to tell me that before I got here?”

“I didn’t want to ruin the night,” he admitted quietly, avoiding my gaze.

“You should have told me, Ethan,” I said sharply. “What happened?”

“He just… acted like nothing ever happened,” Ethan muttered. “Like I didn’t exist. And his fiancé? All smiles. Like they’ve got it all together.” His hands clenched into fists.

Ava let out a low whistle. “Yikes. Okay, now I get it. Riley, you’re not just a snack—you’re the main course, dessert, and wine pairing. Liam’s not going to know what hit him.”

I gave her a tight smile before turning back to Ethan. “Look, Ethan, if this is too much, we don’t have to do it. But if we’re doing this, we’re doing it right. We’re going to walk in there and make sure he *feels* it.”

Ethan’s eyes softened as he looked at me. “Thanks, Riley. I don’t know how I’d get through this without you.”

“Don’t get mushy on me now,” I said, smirking.

Ava’s laughter rang out, and she clapped her hands together. “Oh, I *love* this. Riley, you’re my new favorite person. Ethan’s been mopey for weeks, and now you show up looking like a GQ model, ready to fight his battles? Iconic.”

“I’m not fighting battles,” I said, exasperated.

“Yes, you are,” Ava countered, her grin wicked. “You’re fighting the war of hotness. And guess what? You’ve already won.”

Ethan groaned, dragging a hand down his face. “Ava, can you *not*?”

“What? I’m only speaking facts,” she said, popping a chip into her mouth. She turned back to me. “Anyway, Riley, tell me, are you single? Because if this fake thing doesn’t work out, I might have a couple of friends who’d sell their souls for a date with you.”

I couldn’t help but laugh. “I’ll let you know how it goes.”

“Don’t be shy,” she teased. “You’re the whole package. Tall, broody, talented—I mean, look at those hands. Are you secretly a sculptor? Because they look like they’ve been kissed by the gods.”

Ethan looked like he wanted to crawl into the couch cushions. “Oh my God, Ava. Stop objectifying him.”

“It’s not objectification if it’s admiration,” Ava shot back, raising her glass of wine. “To Riley. The savior of pathetic exes everywhere.”

I smirked, clinking my glass against hers. “To making Liam regret his life choices.”

Ethan sighed heavily, but I saw the faint smile tugging at his lips. For the first time since I’d arrived, the tension seemed to ease, if only a little.

By the time I left that night, Ethan looked a little more steady, and Ava waved enthusiastically from the couch.

“Don’t forget,” she called out as I walked to the door, “you’re not just a fake boyfriend—you’re the dream team! And if it all goes south, just flash that smile. Instant victory.”

I glanced back at Ethan, who gave me a grateful smile. “Thanks for doing this, Riley. I really mean it.”

“Don’t mention it,” I said, though I could still feel the anger simmering beneath my skin at the thought of Liam. “Just be ready for tomorrow session since we didn’t practice today. We’re going to own that room.”

Ethan nodded, his jaw tightening. “I will be.”

As I stepped into the cool night air, Ava’s voice echoed in my mind, and for once, I let myself laugh. This was going to be messy, but I wasn’t about to back down.