Love and Valentine

2.

Chapter 2:

“You think I’m going to say yes to this?” I ask, still trying to make sense of what’s happening.

He turns to look at me, his expression serious for a moment, then he laughs too, the sound easy and genuine, like he hasn’t a care in the world. “I didn’t think you’d be the type to turn down an escape, but I guess I was wrong.”

“Escape?” I repeat, raising an eyebrow. “You think pretending to be my fiancé is some kind of escape?”

He shrugs casually, his leather jacket creaking as he does. “Why not? You’re having a rough day. I’m just offering you a way to take a break from all of it. The whole fiancé thing is just a little… roleplay. No strings attached.”

“Roleplay?” I blink at him, trying to wrap my head around the absurdity of this. “You want me to pretend you’re my fiancé just to—what? Forget everything for a little while?”

He nods slowly, his dark eyes never leaving mine. “Exactly. You’re not the only one who’s been dealt a tough hand. I’m just offering you something… unexpected. Something different.”

I shake my head, still trying to process it all. “You think I should just forget about Dave? And Brenda? Pretend everything’s fine?”

“No, not at all,” he says, his voice soft but firm. “I’m not asking you to forget. But maybe, just for a little while, you could put that all aside. Give yourself a moment to breathe. To think. You’ve got a lot on your plate right now, Sabrina. You don’t have to deal with it all at once.”

His words hit me harder than I expect. I didn’t know I needed to hear that, but I do. Everything feels like it’s crashing down at once. Dave’s betrayal, my shattered trust, the pressure of figuring out what to do next—it’s all overwhelming.

“I don’t know,” I murmur, rubbing my temples as I try to fight back the tears. “I don’t know what to do anymore.”

“You don’t have to decide right now,” he says, his tone gentle, but there’s a certain strength in it. “Just think about it. I’m offering you a temporary distraction. Nothing more.”

I look at him, studying his face. He doesn’t look like the kind of guy who offers distractions to strangers, let alone goes around pretending to be someone’s fiancé. There’s something about him—his confidence, the calm in his demeanor—that makes me want to trust him. But I’m not sure I can. Not after what happened with Dave.

“Why are you even doing this?” I ask, narrowing my eyes. “You don’t even know me.”

He shrugs, not even flinching. “I don’t need to know you to help you out. Everyone needs a break sometimes. I’ve had my share of… well, things that need a break.”

I nod slowly, still not fully understanding, but sensing that this stranger might know more about pain than he’s letting on. “And what do you get out of this? Just a good deed for the day?”

“Maybe,” he says with a slight grin. “Or maybe I just get to add a little more unpredictability to my day.”

I roll my eyes, but I can’t help but smile. “You’re really something, you know that?”

He laughs again, the sound so natural that it makes me feel lighter, if only for a second. “That’s what they tell me.”

I sit there in silence for a moment, contemplating. The idea of pretending, of having someone else be the distraction I need, seems so foreign. But it also seems… tempting. I could go back to my apartment, bury myself under a pile of blankets, and wallow in my misery. Or I could take a chance. Do something I never expected. A tiny voice inside me tells me to go for it, to do something different. Maybe, just maybe, it will help.

“Okay,” I say, the word surprising even myself. “I’ll do it. I’ll pretend you’re my fiancé for a little while.”

His grin widens, and for a moment, I can see the twinkle of mischief in his eyes. “That’s the spirit.”

“So,” I say, folding my arms across my chest as I lean back on the bench. “What’s next? Are we going to pick out wedding invitations or something?”

He chuckles. “I’m not that kind of fiancé. But you can start by telling me your name.”

“Oh, right,” I say, rolling my eyes. “Sabrina. Sabrina Moore.”

“Nice to meet you, Sabrina,” he says, offering his hand, and I hesitate for just a moment before shaking it. His grip is firm but not overpowering, and I can’t help but notice how comfortable it feels. “I’m Rock.”

“Rock?” I repeat, raising an eyebrow. “Really?”

He shrugs. “It’s my name.”

I laugh softly. “Okay, Rock. What now?”

“Well,” he says, standing up and stretching his arms above his head, “we start by going for a walk. We’ve got a lot to pretend.”

We walk down the sidewalk together, the noise of the city fading into the background. It’s strange, being with him. I don’t know what I’m doing, or why I agreed to this. But for some reason, the weight of the world feels a little lighter when I’m with him.

“So,” I say after a few minutes of comfortable silence. “What do you usually do when you’re not pretending to be someone’s fiancé?”

He glances at me with a slight smile. “I don’t have a usual. But I’m guessing you’re not the kind of person who just goes along with things without asking questions, huh?”

I snort. “No. I’m a journalist. I ask a lot of questions.”

“A journalist,” he repeats, sounding mildly impressed. “Well, I guess that explains the interrogation.”

I chuckle. “I wasn’t interrogating you, just… curious. You seem so, I don’t know… calm. You don’t seem like the type to randomly offer strangers fake proposals.”

He grins at me, his eyes glinting with something I can’t quite place. “You’d be surprised what I’m capable of.”

I decide not to press further. There’s something about him—something in the way he carries himself—that makes me want to trust him, even if I can’t quite figure him out yet. He’s not the kind of man I’d normally associate with, but there’s something oddly refreshing about it.

“So, are we going to tell people we meet that we’re engaged?” I ask, trying to lighten the mood.

Rock nods. “That’s the plan. You have any idea what kind of fiancé you’d be?”

I look at him in confusion. “What?”

“You know,” he says with a grin. “Are you the romantic kind of fiancée, the one who’s always planning the next surprise, or are you more the ‘let’s keep this simple’ kind of person?”

I blink, unsure how to answer. “I… I don’t know. I guess I’ve never really thought about it.”

He raises an eyebrow. “Never thought about it? Come on, everyone has an idea of what their relationship is supposed to look like. You don’t even have a picture in your head of your wedding day?”

I hesitate. “I thought I did. Until today.”

“Ah,” he says knowingly. “Well, that’s the thing about life. It doesn’t always go according to plan.”

I feel the sting of his words deep inside, but I don’t let it show. Instead, I force a smile. “I guess we’ll see what happens next.”

As we continue walking, I can’t help but feel a strange mix of emotions. There’s a part of me that feels ridiculous for going along with this, but another part of me is grateful for the distraction. I need something, anything, to take my mind off what just happened with Dave.

“Are you sure this is okay?” I ask Rock, glancing at him again.