The Art of Falling for You

Party Crash

The weekend came around, and I found myself looking forward to a bit of fun. Lila had invited me to a house party that one of the seniors, Tom, was hosting. It wasn't usually my scene, but after a week of faking a relationship with Jake, I needed a break.

Saturday evening, I stood in front of my closet, debating what to wear. Lila had insisted that I dress up a bit, so I finally settled on a dark blue dress that hugged my curves just right without being too flashy. I paired it with some comfortable flats, knowing I'd regret heels if I ended up dancing.

As I applied a bit of makeup and styled my hair into loose waves, I couldn't help but think about Jake. Our fake dating arrangement was going surprisingly well, but it was exhausting trying to keep up the act. I was looking forward to a night where I didn't have to think about him—just me and my friends, having a good time.

Lila arrived to pick me up, and we headed to the party together. The house was already buzzing with music and laughter when we arrived. Lights were strung up around the backyard, and the pool was illuminated, giving everything a warm, festive glow.

"Ready to have some fun?" Lila asked, linking her arm through mine.

"Absolutely," I said, feeling a genuine smile spread across my face.

We made our way inside, grabbing drinks and mingling with the crowd. I saw a few familiar faces from school, but for the most part, it was a mix of students I didn't know well. Lila and I found a spot near the pool, chatting and people-watching.

About an hour into the party, I heard a familiar laugh. I turned, and there he was—Jake, standing with Mark and Alex, holding a red Solo cup and looking like he owned the place. I felt a pang of annoyance. This was supposed to be my night off from the whole Jake saga.

Trying to ignore him, I focused on Lila and the people around us. But it was hard not to notice when Jake was practically in my line of sight, laughing and joking with his friends. I took a deep breath and reminded myself that this was a big house. I could avoid him easily enough.

But my plans to steer clear of Jake went out the window when I saw him talking to Melissa. She was leaning in close, her hand on his arm, and he was laughing at something she said. A flash of anger shot through me. What was he doing?

I excused myself from Lila and made my way over, my heart pounding. As I got closer, I could hear their conversation.

"You know, you're a lot more fun than I thought," Melissa was saying, her voice syrupy sweet.

Jake chuckled. "Glad to hear it."

I stopped a few feet away, crossing my arms. "What's going on here?"

Jake looked up, his expression shifting from surprise to something unreadable. "Emma, hey. Just talking."

Melissa gave me a once-over, her smile sharpening. "We were just catching up. Didn't know you'd be here."

"Yeah, well, here I am," I said, trying to keep my voice even. "Jake, can I talk to you for a minute?"

He hesitated, then nodded. "Sure. Excuse us, Melissa."

We walked away from the crowd, finding a quieter corner of the backyard. I rounded on him as soon as we were out of earshot.

"What the hell was that?" I demanded.

Jake looked genuinely confused. "What do you mean?"

"You and Melissa," I said, struggling to keep my voice down. "You were flirting with her. We're supposed to be dating, remember?"

He rolled his eyes. "Emma, it's not like that. We were just talking."

"Talking? You looked pretty cozy to me."

Jake sighed, his frustration evident. "Look, I'm trying to keep up appearances just like you are. I didn't think it would be a big deal."

"Well, it is," I snapped. "We're supposed to be convincing people, not giving them reasons to doubt us."

Jake's jaw clenched. "I'm sorry if I messed up, but you're overreacting."

"Overreacting?!" I practically shouted. "You're the one who asked me to do this! You need to take it seriously."

"I am taking it seriously," he said, his voice rising. "But I can't control every single thing, Emma. Maybe you should relax a bit."

I stared at him, anger boiling over. "You don't get it, do you? This isn't a game for me, Jake. You asked me for help, and I agreed. But you need to hold up your end of the deal."

Jake opened his mouth to respond, but then he closed it, his expression hardening. "Fine. I'll stay away from Melissa. Happy now?"

"Ecstatic," I said, turning on my heel and walking away before he could see the tears stinging my eyes.

I found Lila again, who took one look at my face and knew something was wrong. "What happened?"

"Nothing," I said, forcing a smile. "Just realized I'm not in the mood for this after all. Can we go?"

"Of course," she said, slipping her arm around me. "Let's get out of here."

As we left the party, I couldn't shake the feeling of disappointment. I had hoped that maybe, just maybe, Jake was really trying to change. But tonight had shown me that he was still the same infuriating guy I'd always known.

As I climbed into Lila's car, I made a silent vow. If Jake wanted to play games, fine. But I wasn't going to let him get the best of me. This fake relationship was just that—fake. And I was going to make sure it stayed that way.