Faking Forever

Chapter 8: Faking Forever

Ethan

I didn’t mean for tonight to go this way. In fact, I’d hoped it would be a quiet, straightforward evening. Just me, Riley, and some practice. But things with Ava never go the way I plan.

“Riley’s looking at you again,” Ava remarked, tossing a chip into her mouth as she lounged across the couch, staring at the TV with an intensity that couldn’t possibly be genuine.

I shifted uncomfortably, my gaze flicking to Riley, who was sitting across from me in my living room, half watching me and half trying to focus on the game we’d been supposed to practice. His eyes were on me, sure, but it didn’t feel like the casual look of someone who had no other interest. My heart thudded in my chest, and I hated myself for reacting this way. It was just practice. Just a favor.

“You know, you should probably stop looking at him like that,” I muttered, hoping Ava wouldn’t catch the undertone in my voice. The last thing I needed was her drawing attention to the tension I was feeling.

“What’s wrong?” she asked, barely glancing up. “He’s not your boyfriend, right? I’m just pointing out the obvious.”

I clenched my fists, wanting nothing more than for her to just drop it. But Ava had never been good at letting things go. “He’s helping me out, Ava. Just focus on the game, okay?”

But it didn’t matter. Ava was a force of nature, and within moments, she’d taken over the atmosphere, transforming what was supposed to be a simple night of practice into something far more complicated. She leaned toward Riley, her smile over the top as she said, “You know, Ethan here thinks you’re some sort of knight in shining armor, rescuing him from his little mess. But you look like you’re enjoying yourself. I bet you do this for all your friends, huh?”

I felt my cheeks burn, my stomach flipping as Ava pushed Riley into a corner I never wanted him in. The teasing had always been a part of Ava’s charm, but tonight it felt like a slap. Riley hadn’t asked for this. He hadn’t asked to be in the middle of whatever mess I was building.

Riley’s gaze flicked to mine, a hint of confusion in his eyes, but he didn’t back away. Instead, he smiled slightly and shrugged, clearly not taking Ava’s bait. “Maybe I enjoy helping people,” he said, his tone light but firm. “But it’s not a big deal. Ethan’s been a good friend. He’s the one who’s been here for me when I first came here.”

I felt my chest tighten at the mention of friendship. I wanted to say something, to stop the conversation, to remind Ava that Riley didn’t owe me anything. But instead, I forced a smile, not trusting myself to say anything that didn’t come out as desperate.

“See?” Riley added, glancing at Ava, then back to me. “It’s fine. We’re just… figuring things out, right?”

It wasn’t the answer I was expecting, but it made something shift in me. Maybe I was overthinking all of it. Maybe I was blowing things out of proportion because I was too afraid of what might happen next. Riley wasn’t interested in making me uncomfortable. He was just trying to help.

“Fine,” I muttered, sinking back into the couch and letting the tension seep out of me. “Just, next time, don’t make it so… weird.”

Ava’s eyes narrowed, clearly not done with her game. “Oh, trust me, I’m not the one making things weird, Ethan. It’s all on you and Mr. Knight in Shining Armor over here.” She waved a hand toward Riley dramatically.

I shot her a look that said more than words could ever express. She knew exactly what she was doing, and I couldn’t stand it.

But Riley, surprisingly, didn’t flinch. Instead, he smiled faintly, shaking his head. “If you say so. But I think we’re done here, right? We’ve got more work to do, Ethan.”

He stood up, collecting his things, and I followed suit, feeling the weight of the night finally pressing down on me. I hadn’t expected to feel so… heavy. But here I was, sitting with all this unease swirling around in my chest.

Ava stood as well, slinging her bag over her shoulder. “Oh, I’m out of here,” she said, her voice suddenly much more relaxed. “You two have fun. I’m gonna go catch up with some friends.”

“Yeah, sure,” I said, barely able to hide the sarcasm in my voice.

Ava grinned, giving me a wink as she made her way toward the door. “Later, losers.”

I turned back to Riley once the door clicked shut. “Sorry about that,” I muttered. “She’s a little… much.”

Riley chuckled, shaking his head. “It’s fine. She’s fun, actually.” He hesitated before adding, “I think she was just trying to help. Not that she has a great way of going about it.”

I ran a hand through my hair, sighing. “Yeah, she’s always been like that. But sometimes I wonder if she actually gets it, you know? How she makes things… harder for me.”

Riley nodded thoughtfully, glancing around the room before focusing back on me. “I get it. But you don’t have to worry about me, okay? I’m not some fragile thing. I’m here to help, and I’m not going anywhere.”

My stomach flipped at his words, and I immediately regretted letting myself feel any kind of relief. This wasn’t about me or Riley, it was about what came next. I was already pushing myself to trust him, to let him in. But I couldn’t let my guard down too much. I couldn’t risk it.

“Thanks,” I said, trying to keep my voice neutral. “But let’s just focus on getting things done, alright? No more distractions.”

Riley smiled again, a small but understanding gesture, and I couldn’t help but feel a bit of warmth spread through me. “Sounds good. Let’s get to work.”

We moved to the living room, setting up everything we needed to practice. My mind was still whirling, but there was something comforting about Riley’s steady presence. He wasn’t overbearing, and he wasn’t pushing me too hard. I needed that calm, especially after the chaos Ava had left behind.

The evening passed much more smoothly after that. Riley was patient, letting me lead the way but never once making me feel like I was failing. 

By the time we finished, I was exhausted, my mind a haze of new seductive things. But despite everything that had happened earlier—Ava’s teasing, my own doubts—I couldn’t deny that something about this felt good. For the first time in a long time, I felt like I was working toward something that mattered.

Riley was packing up his things when I finally spoke again, my voice hesitant. “Hey, Riley?”

He glanced up, eyebrow raised. “Yeah?”

“Thanks,” I said, feeling the weight of my words. “I know it’s a lot to ask, and you didn’t have to help me, but… I appreciate it.”

Riley’s smile softened. “No problem, Ethan. It’s what friends do.”

And for the first time tonight, I felt a strange but welcome sense of peace settle over me.

Maybe things weren’t so complicated after all. Maybe I could make it through this. With Riley’s help—and, somehow, with Ava’s twisted version of support—I was starting to think I might just have a chance.