What started as a practical arrangement quickly spiraled into something far more complicated. Gibsie needed to make Claire Biggs jealous, and you needed someone to parade in front of your parents to silence their endless “Do you have a boyfriend yet?” questions. The solution? Fake dating.

The plan was simple: Gibsie would act as your devoted boyfriend to impress your parents, and you’d play the part of his girlfriend to make him more appealing to Claire. It was stupid, risky, and a little manipulative, but it worked. A few weeks in, everyone seemed to buy the act, and you’d never had this much fun lying.

Today, you were waiting for Gibsie at a café, sipping your drink when you spotted him jogging toward you. He greeted you with his usual playful grin, leaning in to kiss your cheek before flopping into the seat across from you.

And that’s when it hit you—the butterflies.

“Oh crap,” you mentally said to yourself, heart pounding. “Don’t tell me I’ve caught real feelings for my fake boyfriend.”

This was not part of the deal.