The Holiday Hoax

The First Night

It was all fun and games until it was time to go to bed.

Dinner was over and as I stood over the bed in my night dress, I realized that the bedroom situation was worse than the logistics.

It was the intimacy, as I guessed. I have not shared a bed with anyone for over two years. This was already proving to be a disaster.

‘Boy! Am I exhausted,’ Miles said as he came out of the bathroom.

He had changed into a T-shirt and sweatpants, like us sleeping together on the same bed was normal; like sleeping beside your fake girlfriend who was your enemy three days ago is perfectly reasonable.

I let it slide and laid down on the bed, facing the opposite side. My whole senses were alert, making me super aware of every shift on the mattress, no matter how small it was.

Miles also laid still, almost too still, like he was also not sleeping but better at pretending. I could hear his breathing, steady and shallow.

The night cicadas shrilled outside, making it hard for me to focus on forcing myself to sleep. After sometime, they stopped their noise and the silence hung thick, with everything we were not saying.

The events of the day finally got to me and my eyes grew heavy, making me drift off into a peaceful dreamless sleep.

The sound of birds outside the window woke me up. And as I did, I noticed something worse.

I was wrapped up in Miles’s arms, my head snuggled on his chest and his arms around my waist.

My eyes flew open in shock and I could see Miles was already awake.

‘Good morning, sunshine,’ he was watching me with an expression I couldn’t read.

‘How did we end up like this?’ I asked him as I detached myself away from him. ‘I don’t remember moving.’

‘I have no idea…’ he laid on the bed, still watching me.

Sunlight poured into the room, illuminating the bright walls and carpet. I tried to remember anything from last night after I had slept off, but nothing.

Oh well…

‘It’s probably almost breakfast time,’ I told him. ‘We should get ready.’

We showered and dressed and went downstairs for breakfast.

Breakfast was a whole performance.

Everybody treated Miles, a.k.a. Derek like he was a celebrity guest.

‘How’s the architecture market going, Derek?’ Dad asked Miles as we all ate,

‘Never been better,’ Miles replied. ‘With the inflow of clients and me traveling a lot, I’d say the market is quite favorable this season.’

Dad went on to ask Miles more questions relating to architecture and Derek answered effortlessly.

Mom decided to chime in. ‘And what about the proposal? How are the plans for the wedding coming along?’ She asked Miles.

‘Everything’s coming along fine,’ Miles answered and continued to talk about it with mom.

‘When’s the wedding?’ One of my cousins asked. ‘Have you guys set a date?’

‘Not yet,’ Miles responded. ‘But Thea and I have been talking and we’re yet to find a perfect date. I was thinking sometime during the spring, because that’s her favorite time of the year….’

I looked at him. I never told him spring was my favorite weather. How did he know?

The more questions they asked, the more he handled everything perfectly, and the more I noticed he knew details that weren’t in the Derek file. He even referenced some conversations he shouldn’t have heard from the “thin” walls of our apartment.

‘And have you guys gone sightseeing together before?’ Another cousin asked him.

‘We do that everytime I get back,’ Miles chuckled. ‘That is, if she has the energy to get out of bed after a bowl of Jell-o Krispins. She’s literally addicted to that cereal.’

‘Oh yeah,’ mom laughed. ‘Don’t tell me you still eat those, Thea.’

I was too stunned to laugh, because I was still addicted to Jell-o cereals and I have never mentioned that to Miles.

Josie, who had been silent all along began her ground check.

‘So, Derek,’ she faced him squarely, ‘what restaurant did you guys go for Thea’s birthday last year?’

‘Sotelby,’ Miles looked at her. ‘She loves the ambience there.’

‘And what did you get her for your last anniversary?’

‘A necklace encrusted with a blue sapphire because it matched her eyes- shoot! We forgot to bring it along. Then I also got her a music note of Beethoven’s songs, even if she can’t play the piano yet.’

‘Hmm,’ Josie narrowed her eyes. ‘And where did you guys first meet actually?’

I closed my eyes for a second, silently praying Josie would stop asking so many questions. But Miles handled all her questions with ease, answering them without hesitation. Every answer matched what I had told my family, even the things I forgot I said.

I needed to find out how he knew all these.

And fast.

As soon as breakfast was over, I cornered Miles in the hallway after confirming he was alone.

‘All right,’ I faced him. ‘Start talking.’

‘What about, babe?’ He smirked.

‘Don’t call me…’ I stopped and forced a smile. ‘How the hell do you know all these things about me?’

‘What do you mean?’ He arched a brow.

‘The Derek file? It’s not that detailed,’ I lowered my voice. ‘And I know the walls aren’t that thin, so what are you not telling me?’

He looked at me for a long moment, and within that period, I was already fuming that I felt I would burst with frustration.

‘I pay attention to you, Thea,’ he answered in a clear steady voice. ‘I’ve always paid attention to you.’

That was not the reply I was expecting.

‘Thea darlin’ you there?’ Mom’s voice echoed from behind us. ‘Oh, there you are.’

I turned to look at her and she seemed flushed.

‘I have devastating news,’ she glanced at Miles, unsure how to go on,

We both stood, waiting for the news.

Mom continued. ‘Cameron is coming for Christmas Eve.’

I froze. Cameron? Cameron McCall?

‘He’s engaged now though,’ mom continued. ‘And you know our both families have been close for decades, so he’s coming for dinner tomorrow.’

My tongue felt dry as I stood still. My ex boyfriend was coming for dinner tomorrow, here, in the same vicinity.

At that moment I realized that there was one detail I had not told Miles:

Cameron was the original inspiration for Derek.

I had built my fake boyfriend from the ashes of my real heartbreak.

And the worst part?

Cameron will know it the second he sees the lie.