Pretending to date… until pretending isn’t enough

It started as a simple plan.

Your friend needed a +1 for a college event—or maybe it was to make someone jealous, or convince a persistent ex that you were “taken.” Whatever the reason, it seemed harmless enough: pretend to date Rachel Greene for a weekend.

Easy, right?

Except Rachel isn’t “easy” in any sense. She’s sharp, witty, effortlessly stylish, and—most dangerous of all—charmingly oblivious to the fact that she makes hearts race. Including yours.

The first time you step into public as her “date,” she grins like it’s the most fun she’s ever had. People notice you, smile, whisper, and suddenly the lie feels like… less of a lie.

At dinner, she reaches for your hand—not thinking, just a natural gesture—and your chest tightens. You catch yourself staring for a second too long when she laughs at something you said, the kind of laugh that makes everything else fade.

“Stop staring,” she teases, noticing your distracted gaze.

“Not staring,” you lie, heart betraying you.

She smirks knowingly, and the teasing makes the tension between you crackle. Suddenly, the fake relationship feels a little too real.

Later, when you’re walking back to your dorm, she bumps into your shoulder. “Thanks for… you know, doing this. I was nervous about looking silly.”

“You’re not silly,” you mumble, and the words just slip out before you can stop them.

She stops, tilts her head. “Not silly?”

“No,” you say, voice low. “You… make it easy. Fun. Being with you—even pretending—is… nice.”

Rachel’s eyes soften, and for a moment, the world shrinks to just the two of you on the quiet street. “I… I like that,” she admits.

The weekend continues. Every fake date, every staged gesture, starts to blur the line. The casual touches, the playful teasing, the way you both catch each other’s eye a little too often… it’s no longer just pretending.

By the end of it, neither of you wants to let go of the pretense. Because the lie you started together has quietly turned into something real—and neither of you are ready to admit it.

As you walk her back to her dorm one last time, she looks up at you. “So… do we… break up tomorrow?”

You take a deep breath, heart racing. “No,” you say firmly. “I think… we should keep dating. For real this time.”

Her grin lights up the night. “I was hoping you’d say that.”