Later that night, after an exhausting day at work, Amara found herself sitting on the couch in Noah's apartment. He had invited her over to watch a movie, and though she was distracted, she had agreed. The tension in the air between them had been growing steadily, unspoken but undeniable. Every time their hands brushed or their gazes lingered too long, Amara felt her heart race in a way that terrified her.
Halfway through the movie, Noah paused it, turning to look at her. "You've been quiet all evening. Everything okay?"
Amara's pulse quickened. She didn't know how to answer that. Everything was both okay and completely not okay at the same time. She glanced at him, his blue eyes soft but searching.
"Noah," she began, her voice a little shaky, "I've been thinking… about us."
Noah's brow furrowed slightly, and he sat up a little straighter. "What about us?"
Amara took a deep breath. "I just… I don't know if we can keep pretending. This fake engagement—it's starting to feel too real. And I don't know if I can handle it."
The words hung between them, and for a moment, she regretted saying anything. But Noah didn't look surprised. Instead, he reached for her hand, his thumb brushing over her knuckles.
"I've been feeling the same way," he admitted quietly. "This started as a deal, but Amara… I can't pretend anymore either. Somewhere along the way, this stopped being about my family, and it started being about us."
Amara's chest tightened. She had wanted to hear those words for so long, but now that they were out in the open, it made everything feel more complicated. She didn't want to admit how much she cared about Noah because if it didn't work out, it would break her heart all over again.
"But what happens if this doesn't work?" Amara asked, her voice barely above a whisper. "I don't want to lose you, but I'm scared."
Noah's hand tightened around hers, his gaze never leaving her. "We'll figure it out," he promised. "But I don't want to let fear stop us from something that could be real. I don't want to lose you either."
The vulnerability in his words made her feel both exposed and comforted at the same time. She had been so focused on protecting herself from getting hurt again, but now, she realized that maybe, just maybe, Noah was worth the risk.
In that moment, the walls around her heart began to crack. Maybe this wasn't just a fake engagement anymore. Maybe this was the beginning of something real.