It was just another dinner event, another high-society gathering filled with champagne, extravagant dresses, and smiles that never quite reached the eyes. Sophie had learned to perfect her own smile over the past few weeks. She smiled when she was supposed to, laughed when it was expected, and acted like she was completely at ease in Ethan's company.
But this was a different night. There was tension in the air tonight that Sophie had never experienced with Ethan before. Walking hand in hand into the event, Sophie couldn't help but feel the way that Ethan's hand seemed to linger on her back as he lightly touched her; it was more intentional this time, as if reaching out to her in ways that weren't necessarily meant to be for show, subtle, but there nonetheless, and Sophie felt it.
Are you alright?" Ethan asked, his voice low, the hint of concern in his tone.
Sophie glanced at him, momentarily caught off guard. "I'm fine," she said, but there was a momentary hesitation in her voice.
He gave her a half-smile, and for a second, Sophie thought she saw something more in his eyes—something genuine, not the calculated charm he wore for the cameras. But then he quickly turned away, engaging with the other guests as if nothing had happened.
The night went on as planned. They posed for photos, exchanged pleasantries with high-profile guests, and played the part of the perfect couple. But below all the things that were happening, there was something changing between them. Sophie couldn't help it if her feelings were deepening. She found herself looking at the little details of Ethan-the way he creased his eyes to laugh, the way he quickly jumped to her defense if someone made a random comment, the way he was paying more attention to her than ever before.
It was there, in this brief respite from the celebration, down a quiet hall far removed from the bulk of the party, that Sophie felt it most distinctly. Ethan stood beside her, his face close enough that she could feel the warmth of his breath on her skin.
"I didn't want to tell you this before," he said, his voice quieter now. "But I think it's time we admit that this thing between us—our 'relationship'—isn't entirely fake anymore."
Sophie's heart skipped a beat. She knew what he was suggesting, but the words seemed not to land at all. Instead, she stood there, frozen, waiting for him to continue.
"I'm not saying I'm in love with you, Sophie," Ethan continued, his words slow and deliberate, as though testing the waters. "But I think I'm starting to feel something real here. And I don't want to hide it anymore."
The racing of Sophie's mind. She had mentally prepared for this moment, but the actuality of it felt like something else entirely. She had told herself that she could compartmentalize the whole situation-that she could remain detached from Ethan's charm. Yet, here she was now, standing with his eyes fixed on hers, when she realized how thin that line became between pretending and feeling.
"I don't know what you want from me," Sophie said, her voice shaking slightly despite her best efforts to sound composed.
Ethan's expression softened. "I'm not asking for anything. I just want to be honest with you. You're not just my girlfriend for the cameras anymore. There's more to it than that."
She tried to breathe in all the depth she could take to grasp what was happening. She dreaded this moment-this is where the lines blur in a fake relationship from the actual one.
What would she say? What would she do?
She became so entangled in their own web that there's no turning back.