Hired As His Fake Girlfriend

Chapter 10: Morning Confusion

I didn’t know what I was thinking. As soon as Evan’s face was inches from mine, instinct took over. Without a second thought, I splashed water straight into his smug, perfectly composed expression.

He stumbled back, dripping wet, his hair matted to his forehead. For a split second, he looked genuinely shocked. But that quickly melted into anger. His jaw tightened, and his eyes darkened in a way that made me almost regret it. Almost.

“What the hell, Lila?” he growled, wiping water off his face, his voice low and dangerous.

I didn’t flinch, not wanting him to know that I was offended by his response. I shot out, clinging to what little dignity remained, “You were asking for it.”

I kind of felt he was going to blow up. With deep breaths, his chest rose and sank, his eyes fixed on mine. But then, without saying anything, he turned and stormed out of the restroom, leaving behind muddy footprints.

With my heart pounding, I shakily exhaled as the door shut behind him. What had gone wrong with me?

First, I was ready to explode in his face, and the next, I was caught in some… weird tension that I didn’t want to name.

With Evan gone, I finally managed to finish my bath in peace. The warmth of the water dulled the lingering frustration, why did he come here?

After soaking long enough for my fingers to prune, I wrapped myself in one of the plush towels and padded back into the room. I needed to change into something comfortable and then bury myself under the covers, praying this day would reset like a nightmare.

But when I walked into the bedroom, I froze.

Evan was sprawled out on the bed. My bed.

What. The. Hell.

He was fast asleep,shirtless on my bed, and completely unbothered. His chest rose and fell rhythmically, and for a moment, I couldn’t help but stare. His face looked softer when he slept, almost innocent, like he wasn’t the walking headache he usually was.

But then reality snapped me back. He was in my bed.

“Evan!” I called, standing near the edge of the bed, my arms crossed.

Nothing.

“Evan, get up,” I repeated, louder this time, nudging his leg with my foot.

Still nothing.

He was really out cold.

I huffed in frustration, considering more drastic measures, but honestly? I was too tired for another confrontation. After everything that had happened, I just wanted to sleep.

Sighing, I took a blanket from the closet and threw it over the armchair next to the window. If Evan chose to behave childish, that would be acceptable. He was allowed to have the bed. I would manage.

The chair was just as expected in terms of comfort, and I moved around in an attempt to alleviate the pain in my back. Finally, fatigue overwhelmed me, and I fell into a troubled slumber.

I woke to the sound of Evan’s voice, sharp and annoyed. “What the hell are you doing?”

Blinking groggily, I squinted up at him. He was standing over me, looking both confused and furious. His hair was a mess, and his shorts were still damp from last night’s bath incident.

“What do you mean?” I mumbled, rubbing my eyes.

“I woke up in your bed, and you’re over here in the damn chair. What’s going on?” His voice was edged with panic, like he was trying to piece together a wild night that hadn’t happened.

I groaned, sitting up. “Relax, nothing happened. You passed out on my bed, and I didn’t feel like dealing with you, so I slept here.” I waved a hand at the chair as if it explained everything.

His shoulders dropped slightly in relief, but the irritation was still there. “You could’ve woken me up.”

“Trust me, I tried,” I shot back, standing up and stretching my stiff limbs. “You were out cold.”

He rubbed his temples, sighing as if I was the one who’d ruined his morning. “Next time, don’t just let me crash like that. It’s… it’s weird.”

“I’m not the one who chose to barge into the bathroom while someone was bathing and then take over my bed,” I responded with a raised eyebrow. “If someone is acting strange, it’s you.”

Evan’s eyes grew wider, the surprised expression on his face almost appearing funny. “Did I… did I burst into your bathroom?” His voice sounded disbelieving, as if I had accused him of a crime he had no recollection of committing. “Sorry, that’s incorrect.”

He blinked repeatedly, obviously finding it difficult to connect the pieces. “Wait, are you being serious? I can’t even recall that…” He let his sentence hang in the air before absentmindedly massaging his forehead, as if only just realising the extent of his intoxication.

“I can’t believe this,” he said quietly to himself, truly surprised by the unexpected information.

Evan ran his hand through his hair, showing clear signs of being flustered. “I can’t even recall entering your room. Damn,” he muttered, shaking his head as he tried to comprehend it.

Despite everything, a smirk played at the edges of my lips as I crossed my arms. “Yes, you’re right, you did. And you fell asleep on my bed as if it didn’t matter.”

He gazed at me for an extended period, with a continued sense of doubt. “I promise, this isn’t something I typically do,” he mumbled, in a slightly defensive tone. “I must have consumed an excessive amount of alcohol last evening.”

“I mean, at least the bathroom didn’t get flooded,” I commented, attempting to bring some levity, although Evan was clearly still shocked.

“I didn't know I drank so much.” He confessed, feeling embarrassed, looking down at his hands as if they held the solution to this situation.

I shrugged, more amused than anything now. “Well, maybe you should be more careful with how much you drink.”

His eyes darted back to mine, still looking baffled. “Yeah, no kidding.” He let out a deep breath, looking almost human for once, caught off guard by his own behaviour.

We both fell into a brief silence, the awkwardness settling in as he tried to make sense of it all.

“Well,” I said, breaking the tension, “at least you didn’t do anything stupid. Except, you know, passing out like a rock on my bed.”

He glared at me, but the fight seemed to drain out of him quickly. “Whatever. I need to get going.”

I watched him as he made his way to the door, but before he could leave, a question slipped out. “Evan?”

He paused, his hand on the doorknob, not turning to look at me. “What?”

I hesitated. “Can I go to class today? I’m already behind, and I don’t need more stress.”

He finally turned, giving me a long look like he was debating whether to give in or not. After a tense few seconds, he sighed. “Fine. Mr. Thompson, will drop you off.”

“Thank you,” I muttered, not actually feeling grateful, but still glad.

As he departed, he remained quiet and the door closed with a click behind him. Alone once more, I experienced a flicker of normality for the first time since the nightmare began.

Quickly, I went through my morning tasks, grateful for the short pause. However, when I looked inside my closet to get dressed, I noticed how mismatched my shabby, inexpensive clothes seemed in this setting. Everything in this place was costly, expertly fitted, and stylish—except for myself.

After I came out of the room wearing my usual jeans and a faded hoodie, Evan stood by the front door giving me a disapproving look.

“Those clothes…” he paused, scanning me from head to toe as if I were in need of charity. “You can’t keep dressing like that.”

“Excuse me?” I said, crossing my arms defensively.

“If you’re going to be seen with me, you need to look the part. We’ll go shopping when you get back.”

I stared at him, my jaw clenched. “I’m not a charity case, Evan.”

“No,” he said, deadpan. “But you’re my fake girlfriend, remember? You’re going to ruin my reputation if you keep dressing like that.”

I wanted to argue, but the truth was, I didn’t have the energy. I nodded stiffly, knowing I didn’t have much of a choice. He wanted to keep up appearances, and apparently, that meant dressing like I wasn’t broke.

“Fine,” I muttered, pushing past him and heading toward the waiting car. “I’ll go.”

—-

Walking into the coffee shop, I was immediately greeted by the familiar aroma of roasted beans and sugar. The noise of blenders and conversation created a strangely comforting atmosphere amidst the recent chaos.

Maya was standing at the counter with her curly hair pulled back in a messy bun, and when she saw me, her face brightened like a firework.

“Oh my goodness, Lila!” she exclaimed, nearly leaping over the counter with excitement. “That bastard finally let you out! Give me all the details!”

She pulled my arm and led me to a booth at the back of the shop before I could speak. I found myself chuckling at her excitement, but my amusement disappeared as I recollected all that had transpired.

“Look, before I spill, did Sarah say anything about… you know, what happened?”

Maya’s smile faltered slightly, but she quickly recovered. “Sarah’s been unbearable, honestly. After the whole incident with Evan, she just started acting like a b***h. But forget her, she doesn’t deserve your energy.”

My stomach dropped at the reminder. “I can’t believe it all went down like that.”

Maya casually waved her hand to show her lack of interest or concern. “Who gives a damn? You now have more important things happening, obviously. So, how is life going at Castle Sterling? What’s going on between you and that jerk?”

I paused, my words tangled in my throat. There was no possible way for me to describe the extent of my disaster without appearing insane.

Before I could reply, the coffee shop door opened and I looked up automatically— only to see a bunch of students laughing and talking, unaware of the turmoil in my life.

I breathed a sigh of relief, but Maya was not ready to drop the issue. “Let’s go,” she urged. You appear as if you are on the verge of bursting. How are you doing?

“I…” I began, not certain how to start. Before I could solve it, my phone buzzed once more in my pocket.

Mom: We need to talk. ASAP.

My stomach dropped. Maya noticed my change in expression and crossed her arms, her gaze sharp. “What now?”

I didn’t answer. Instead, I stood up abruptly, heart racing as I shoved my phone back into my pocket. “My mom. It’s an emergency, I have to go.”

“Lila, wait—” Maya called after me, but I was already heading for the door, my mind reeling with possibilities.

Mom never texted me like that. Not unless it was something big. And considering everything that had already gone wrong, I wasn’t sure I was ready to find out what was waiting for me now.