Faking Fate [Book 1]

Chapter Fifteen: Naked Truths

If there were ever a guidebook on how to survive awkward run-ins with your ex, I clearly missed that chapter.

It's funny how the universe liked to test your patience just when you thought things couldn't get more complicated. One minute, I'm sitting across from Alexander, trying not to think about the different ways to murder his parents, and the next, I'm staring into the smug face of the last person I ever wanted to see again: my ex-boyfriend, Blake.

I should've known life was going too smoothly.

"Emily? God, it's really you!" Blake's voice rang out, and I stiffened, my heart dropping to the pit of my stomach. Of all the restaurants in this city, he just had to walk into this one. Of course, he did.

I plastered on the most unenthusiastic smile I could muster. "Blake. Hi."

There were a thousand places I would have rather been than here, right now, facing the man who had broken my heart into tiny, irreparable pieces. But there he was, standing at our table with that annoyingly familiar grin, as if nothing had ever happened.

As if he hadn't cheated on me with one of my coworkers and blown up my life.

Beside me, Alexander shifted slightly, his eyes narrowing as he took in the newcomer. It didn't take him long to put the pieces together. He gave Blake one of those polite, but intimidating looks he had mastered over the years—a look that said, "Don't even think about causing trouble." And yet, Blake didn't seem to notice. Or maybe he didn't care

"How have you been? It's been a while," he said smoothly, stepping closer as if we were about to have a pleasant chat. "I was hoping we'd run into each other again at some point. You were avoiding my calls."

Avoiding them? I'd practically thrown my phone out the window every time his number popped up. But instead of saying that, I clenched my jaw and forced myself to keep the fake smile on my face.

"Yeah, I've been... busy."

Beside me, Alexander's posture subtly changed. His relaxed demeanor sharpened, his gaze locking onto Blake like a hawk watching its prey. He didn't say anything, but I could feel the tension radiating from him. It was both comforting and unnerving. Was he sizing Blake up, or was he just annoyed that our dinner was being interrupted?

Blake, blissfully unaware (or just plain arrogant), kept talking. "I saw your name in the news recently. Seems like you've been making some headlines." His eyes shifted to Alexander, sizing him up before his gaze flicked back to me. "So, this is the guy you're supposedly engaged to? No offense, but there's no way those tabloids are true, right?"

My heart stuttered, panic rising in my chest. I didn't know what to say. How was I supposed to handle this without blowing our cover?

Alexander, however, was as cool as ever. "Yes," he said, his tone smooth but edged with warning. "I'm the guy."

People were beginning to shift in their seats, their curious eyes flickering between Alexander and Blake. The once lively chatter of the restaurant had dimmed, and the soft clinking of cutlery seemed louder in the tense silence. I could feel the collective gaze of the patrons pressing down on us, turning what was supposed to be a private dinner into an unintended spectacle.

Blake raised his hands in mock surrender, his smile a little too sharp. "Well, congratulations, I guess. You know, we dated for a bit. She was obsessed with me. A little cute at first, but she was a bit of a handful, but I'm sure you can handle it." He chuckled, as if it were all just a harmless joke.

The room seemed to close in around me, the walls pressing tighter with each passing second. His words hit like cold, hard stones, each one sending a shiver of anger and pain through me. The casual way he spoke, as if our past was just a fleeting amusement, made my heart twist. It was as if he was trying to belittle everything that had come before, trying to erase it with a flippant laugh.