Elena paced back and forth in her tiny apartment, her phone pressed against her ear. She was still reeling from Ryan's insane proposal. A fake marriage? To her old friend? Was she seriously entertaining this idea?
"I must've hit my head," she muttered.
On the other end, Ryan sighed dramatically. "Come on, Anna. It's not that crazy."
"Not crazy? Ryan, you just called me after six years and the first thing you say is, 'Hey, wanna get married?' That's literally the definition of crazy."
"You make it sound bad."
"Because it is bad."
"Think of it as an exclusive contract," Ryan said smoothly. "Like… a VIP membership to a stress-free life?"
Anna snorted. "Oh, so marriage is now a subscription plan? What's next, a refund policy?"
"Of course," Ryan said cheerfully. "How about... if you're unsatisfied with your husband, you can return him within one year for a full refund?"
She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her. "And what exactly are the terms and conditions of this so-called 'contract'?"
Ryan hummed in thought. "Well, for starters, we have to look like a real couple. That means hand-holding, romantic dates, and the occasional adoring gaze in public."
Anna groaned. "Ugh, you want me to act?"
"I've seen you fake liking people before. You'll be fine."
"Excuse me, I do not fake liking people—"
"You literally once told my mother that her cooking was amazing when I saw you spit it into a napkin."
Anna gasped. "I was trying to be nice! Your mother had been forcing herself cooking for us so I can't make your mother sad by saying her cooking was terrible, right? I should appreciate her by not showing bad reaction."
Ryan laughed, and for a moment, it felt like they had gone back in time—back to their college days when they bickered like an old married couple without the actual marriage part.
"Thank you, Anna. For considered my mother's feeling."
"Alright, fine," she said, crossing her arms. "Now... Let's say, hypothetically, I agree to this madness. What do I get out of it?"
"Well, for starters," Ryan said, "you won't have to deal with your mom setting you up with weird blind dates anymore."
Elena paused. "How do you know?? Did you install some spy cam in my apartment or somewhere?"
He had a point. Last month, her mom had introduced her to a man who spent an entire dinner explaining how he believed the Earth was actually shaped like a potato.
"Pffft... of course, not. I just have guts that you faced same problem like people around our age. Haha. And my guess seems right."
Anna pouting her lips.
"As another benefit," Ryan continued, "you can get to live in a nice house with me. Rent-free."
Her ears perked up. "Wait. Free rent?"
"Yep. I have a spare room. You can have it."
"Do you think i can't afford an apartment since i'm still single? I have my own apartment, bruh."
"But we will get married. Do you want to live separately after married?"
"Yes."
"Noooo. If we do it, my parents will know that our marriage is fake and it will be dangerous for me."
"We will live together in my apartment." He added
Anba narrowed her eyes. "But you promise you won't do anything… weird?"
Ryan chuckled. "Anna, please. The only thing weird about this is the fact that we're even discussing it."
That was true.
A long silence stretched between them.
Was she really considering this?
She was.
And maybe that was the craziest part of all.
"Fine," she said, rubbing her temples. "I'll do it."
There was a beat of silence before Ryan let out a victorious, "YES!"
Anna immediately regretted her decision.
"But there will be some rules. Rule no 1, respect each other privacy..."
"What privacy? Do you mean you want to date another man while marry me? No! You can't! I can't allow another man except me stay in your life after our marriage. It can ruin our act."
"How about you?"
"I don't have spare time to have an affair with another woman. I can promise loyal to you. What else?"
"Rule no 2, No kissing, no hugging, no sex."
"It's okay for me. But i don't think you can resist my charm
.
.
.
Two weeks later, Anna found herself in the middle of a bridal shop, suffocating in layers of tulle and lace.
"Why am I here?" she groaned, glaring at Ryan. "Can't we just get married at a courthouse?"
"Where's the fun in that?" Ryan smirked. "Come on, Anna. This is our fake wedding. It has to look real."
Anna sighed, crossing her arms. "This is way too much effort for a temporary marriage."
"Think of it as a free fashion show," Ryan said. "You get to play dress-up."
Before she could respond, a bridal consultant shoved a massive wedding gown into her arms. "Try this one, dear. It'll make you look like a princess!"
"I don't want to look like a princess," Anna grumbled. "I want to look like someone who made a terrible life decision but is at peace with it."
Ryan snickered. "I think that look is called 'married.'"
Anna shot him a glare before reluctantly heading into the fitting room.
Five minutes later, she emerged in a gown so poofy she looked like she was smuggling an entire flock of swans under her skirt.
Ryan's jaw dropped.
Anna narrowed her eyes. "Say one word and I will throw this tiara at your face."
Ryan grinned. "You look…" He paused for dramatic effect. "…like a very expensive marshmallow."
Anna picked up a decorative pillow from the couch and threw it at him.
The wedding consultant gasped in horror. "Careful with the gown, dear!"
Ryan laughed, dodging the pillow. "Okay, okay! I'll behave."
Eventually, after a long battle of willpower, Elena settled for a simple yet elegant dress. Ryan, meanwhile, stood there looking smug, as if he had won some sort of imaginary game.
As they left the store, Ryan casually slung an arm around her shoulder. "You know, this isn't so bad."
Anna gave him a sideways glance. "Oh? You're enjoying torturing me?"
Ryan chuckled. "No, I mean… I forgot how fun it was to mess with you."
Anna sighed. "Yeah, yeah. Enjoy it while you can, Carter. This 'marriage' has an expiration date."
Ryan smirked. "We'll see about that."
She rolled her eyes, but she couldn't ignore the way her heart skipped a beat at his words.
What had she gotten herself into?