As the days went by, Amara found it difficult to tell what was real from what was false. A straightforward business deal was gradually changing into an enigma. It appeared as if Noah did not just perform his role but also engaged intimately in her personal space.
The devil was in the details. For instance, he would text her calmly just to know how she was faring on with her day, and at times send her some hilarious memes to cheer her up when she had had a tough day at work. Technically speaking, he wasn't supposed to do any of that – they were only playing pretend outside of family gatherings – but there again, it seemed like he took his role too seriously because he felt something more for her than their agreement covered.
And it was becoming harder for Amara to ignore.
One rainy afternoon, Amara curled up on the couch in her apartment and absent mindedly scrolled through the phone. She had a long tiresome day at work and she was very tired. At first she paid little attention to the knock on her door but when it grew louder and repeated itself, she heard it.
She opened to him holding takeout bag and two coffees smiling broadly even though the weather was dull.
"I thought you might need this," he said with a grin as she took in the bag. "Some Thai food and your favorite latte."
Amara blinked in surprise. "How did you know that I—?"
"You once mentioned that Thai is great for rainy days," Noah said, entering uninvitedly before she could stop him. "And also remembered that you prefer almond milk lattes. I'm observant."
Her heart raced as she followed him unpacking the food like he belonged there into the kitchen area where familiar curry smell wafted around them both making her chuckle while following suit with ease.
"You really shouldn't have," she whispered hoarsely as they headed towards the dining area.
Noah raised an indifferent shrug. "I wanted to. The last time I saw you, you appeared tensed."
They sat down together, eating in comfortable silence. Rain tapped gently on the windows while its warmth eased away all fatigue from Amara's chilled body making her feel oddly content being thus seated with Noah across having simple meal which she thought could become customary for them.
In the middle of their meal, Noah glanced at her; his expression was grave now than ever before. He remarked that she had not been close recently in a low tone that was incredibly calm. "Everything is alright?"
Amara stopped dead in her tracks, holding the fork halfway up to her mouth. It was only now that she noticed her withdrawal, but at his words she realized that she had been trying to prevent the beginning of those now evident and growing emotions. Emotions she wasn't prepared to acknowledge.
"I've just been… busy," she replied, choking on her words. She avoided his gaze for fear of exposing the reality to him.
Noah observed her silently then dropped his fork. "Amara, you know you can confide in me, don't you? It's fine if you want to keep everything professional between us, but… I think I like you too much for that."
The statement hit home and made her skip a heartbeat; finally raising her head, she met his eyes. His expression revealed an unexpected vulnerability. In that moment, she disregarded everything they were meant to pretend about or the business deal they had agreed upon.
Extending across the table, Noah's fingers made a brief purposeful contact with hers. "You shouldn't have to face all of this alone."
His sincere tone squeezed her heart painfully. She had shut herself off from others after a painful breakup experience, but Noah seemed to be dismantling her defenses gradually without her knowing what to do about it.
"I… I'm not sure what to do," Amara whispered so softly it was almost inaudible. "I can't play games anymore."
Noah's eyes softened as he squeezed her hand comfortingly. "Maybe we don't need to pretend."
His words hung heavily in the air as Amara felt herself on unsteady ground. They were getting into dangerous waters where their fictitious engagement might no longer remain just fiction. Nevertheless, there was a part of her—although she had done everything possible not to admit it—that was curious about the potential turn of events should they allow themselves some freedom.
They stayed quiet for a while with their hands still joined and an unspoken thick tension filling the space between them. Amara considered many options while fearing to believe any of them true at heart. She had suffered before and was scared of being hurt again since opening up threatened her peace of mind alone than ever before. Amara could not help but notice how different things were between them with Noah there. It was as if he had changed into a man whom she couldn't escape having feelings for much longer and now than ever before she was beginning to see through their sham.
The vibration of Noah's phone on the table shattered the magical moment. He looked at the screen, and wrinkles appeared on his forehead.
"Sorry, I have to take this," he said politely, getting up and moving to answer the call in the next room.
She released a breath that she hadn't known she'd been holding as he left her line of sight. Amara focused on the table in front of her – although everything seemed to be happening too quickly for her heart. She didn't know how to deal with these emotions, but one thing was sure; it wasn't all about business anymore.
On return, Noah had an intense face which was far from his normal light mood.
"I'm sorry, I've got to go," he said while taking his jacket. "Something's come up with the family."
Amara nodded, still lost in thought from before. "Is everything okay?"
"Yeah, just some business stuff," he replied despite his face saying otherwise. "I'll call you later."
He pecked her on the cheek and rushed out leaving Amara alone with her thoughts.
She felt like nothing would remain the same after they had shared a meal together that evening and could see it changing not only between them but also in his affairs. There was another story underneath it all – something he kept to himself alone. Their fake engagement had started off plain enough, but now it was getting complicated day by day.
For the first time since they'd made the deal, Amara wasn't sure what would happen next. But she knew one thing for sure: she was in too deep to walk away now.