The Wedding Charade

16

Ethan

Two days later, it was already the eve of Liam’s wedding, and I was on edge. Liam—my *ex*. My *cheating* ex. The thought of seeing him again, surrounded by people who had no idea what he’d done, made my chest tighten like I couldn’t catch my breath. What if he saw through this charade? What if Riley and I weren’t convincing enough? What if…?

The spiral of *what-ifs* consumed me all morning at work. Thankfully, Jonathan wasn’t there to make things worse. He’d claimed he had a cold, but I knew better. It was Friday, and Jonathan loved to take advantage of our shorter workdays. Still, my distraction was obvious enough that Clara had to snap me out of it more than once.

“Ethan!” she called sharply, leaning over the edge of my cubicle. “Are you even listening to me?”

I blinked, shaking my head to clear it. “Sorry, what?”

Clara sighed, crossing her arms. “I said everything’s going to be fine. Stop working yourself into a panic over this wedding. You’ve got a solid plan, and Riley seems like he’s got your back. Trust yourself for once.”

Her words were meant to reassure me, but they only chipped away at the wall of anxiety I’d built around myself. “Easier said than done,” I muttered, returning my attention to my screen.

Clara didn’t reply, but I caught her giving me a sympathetic look before heading back to her desk.

By the time the clock struck two, signaling the end of the workday, I was practically buzzing with nervous energy. Riley and I had planned to go shopping that afternoon to pick up what we needed for the wedding. I’d barely slept the night before, my mind running through every possible scenario in which this fake relationship blew up in our faces.

---

When I got to Riley’s place, he was waiting for me by the door, looking far more relaxed than I felt. He gave me a once-over as I walked up the steps, his brow furrowing slightly.

“You look like you haven’t slept in a week,” he said bluntly.

“Thanks,” I replied dryly, stepping inside. “That’s exactly what I needed to hear.”

Riley shut the door behind me and leaned against it, arms crossed. “Seriously, Ethan. You need to chill. We’ve got this.”

I ran a hand through my hair, pacing a few steps before turning to face him. “What if Liam sees through us? Or what if I screw something up? He knows me too well, Riley. I’m not exactly a great liar.”

Riley’s expression softened, and he stepped closer, resting a hand on my shoulder. “Hey. You’re not doing this alone, remember? I’ll be right there with you the whole time. If Liam tries anything, I’ll shut it down before he even gets the chance.”

His words, combined with the steady weight of his hand, managed to slow my racing thoughts. I nodded, exhaling shakily. “Okay. You’re right. Let’s just… get through today.”

“Exactly,” Riley said, his lips twitching into a small smile. “And step one is shopping. Come on, we’ve got work to do.”

---

The mall was crowded, but Riley navigated it with ease, his casual confidence grounding me as we browsed the stores. We started with suits, finding something that struck the perfect balance between formal and effortless. Riley looked annoyingly good in everything he tried on, and I couldn’t help but feel self-conscious as I compared myself to him.

“Stop overthinking,” Riley said as I adjusted the cuffs of my jacket for the third time in the mirror. “You look great.”

I gave him a skeptical look. “You’re just saying that because you don’t want to be here all day.”

Riley rolled his eyes, stepping closer to adjust the lapel of my jacket. “I’m saying it because it’s true. Now stop fidgeting. You’ll look even better once we get you a decent tie.”

As we moved on to the accessories section, a middle-aged woman standing nearby smiled at us. “You two make such a handsome couple,” she said warmly.

I froze, my mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. “Oh, we’re not—”

“Thank you,” Riley cut in smoothly, his arm slipping around my shoulders like it was the most natural thing in the world. “He’s the picky one, but I think we’re almost done here.”

The woman chuckled. “Well, it’s worth it. You both look great together.”

I shot Riley a glare as the woman walked away, but he only grinned down at me, clearly enjoying himself. “What?” he said innocently. “It’s good practice.”

“Practice?!” I hissed, shrugging his arm off. “You’re having way too much fun with this.”

“Guilty as charged,” Riley said, chuckling. “But hey, at least she thinks we’re convincing.”

“God, I want to punch you,” I muttered, yanking a tie off the rack and stomping toward the register. Riley followed, his laughter trailing behind him.

---

By the time we left the store, I felt a little more like myself, though Riley’s antics had left me equal parts mortified and amused.

“See? That wasn’t so bad,” Riley said, nudging me as we walked through the mall.

“Easy for you to say,” I muttered, though my tone was more teasing than annoyed. “You could show up in a paper bag and still look better than everyone else.”

Riley laughed, the sound warm and genuine. “If it makes you feel any better, I’d never do that. Gotta keep you on your toes.”

A couple passing by gave us an approving look, and the woman whispered something to her partner. Riley must’ve noticed too, because he leaned closer, his voice low and teasing. “Think they’re talking about us?”

“Don’t start,” I groaned, but Riley just smirked, draping his arm around me again as we walked. “You’re insufferable.”

“And yet, you’re stuck with me,” he replied, giving my shoulder a light squeeze.

---

By the time we got back to Riley’s apartment, the tension in my chest had eased a bit. We dumped our bags by the couch, and Riley flopped onto the cushions with a sigh.

“Alright,” he said, stretching his arms over his head. “We’ve got the clothes. Now all we need is a foolproof plan for tomorrow.”

I sat down beside him, rubbing the back of my neck. “I still don’t know how we’re going to pull this off.”

Riley turned to look at me, his expression serious but not unkind. “One step at a time, Ethan. Tonight, we prep. Tomorrow, we put on the show of a lifetime.”

I nodded, his confidence contagious. For the first time in days, I felt like maybe—just maybe—we could actually do this.