Falling For You

Chapter 8: Redflag

Later that night, I hesitated for a moment before dialing Mateo’s number. It felt strange, reaching out to someone I was supposed to be pretending to date. My thumb hovered over the call button, nerves creeping in. What if he thought this was weird? What if he saw through my act, and this whole plan came crumbling down?

I shook my head, trying to push the doubts aside. If we were going to make this work, we needed to know more about each other. I hit the dial.

Mateo picked up after the third ring. His voice was calm, almost curious, like he hadn’t expected me to call. "Hey," he said. There was a slight pause before he added, "Everything okay?"

I cleared my throat, feeling awkward. "Yeah, everything’s fine," I replied quickly. "I was just thinking… if we’re going to pull off this whole fake relationship thing, maybe we should know a little more about each other."

Mateo chuckled softly, the sound of it making me relax a little. "Yeah, I guess that makes sense. What do you want to know?"

I smiled, relieved that he wasn’t brushing me off. "Well, let’s start with the basics. What do you like? Hobbies? How was your old school?"

There was a brief pause, and I could almost picture him leaning back, considering his answer. "I like sketching," he said eventually, his voice softer now. "When I have time, anyway. I sketch stuff from memory—scenes of nature, buildings, people’s faces…"

"That’s really cool," I said, genuinely impressed. "I didn’t know you were into art."

Mateo hummed in response. "Yeah, it helps me think. I used to play football too. Back at my old school." His voice took on a wistful tone as he continued, "It helped me focus. You know, let off some steam."

"Why’d you stop?" I asked, curious.

There was a slight hesitation. "After everything… with the rumors and all, I didn’t really feel like joining anything here." He sounded resigned, like he'd made peace with it, but I could sense there was more to it.

For a moment, the conversation felt lighter, easier. I could feel the walls around Mateo starting to come down, just a little. Beneath the tough exterior, he was thoughtful and creative, someone who had passions and dreams that most people probably didn’t see. But one question still burned in my mind—the rumors about his dad. Should I ask now? No, it didn’t feel like the right time, so I tucked that curiosity away for later.

I decided to share a little about myself too. "I’ve always loved photography," I said, twirling a piece of my hair as I spoke. "I’m not great at it or anything, but I like capturing moments. Sometimes it’s the small details that mean the most, you know?"

"Yeah, I get that," Mateo said softly. "Pictures can tell a story."

We talked for a little while longer, exchanging more details about our lives—favorite movies, places we’d like to visit, random things that made us laugh. By the time we hung up, I felt a little more comfortable with the whole fake relationship idea. But even more than that, I felt like I understood Mateo better. He wasn’t just the guy with the bad reputation; he was someone I could actually get along with.

The next day, I found myself walking through the crowded hallways, my thoughts still on last night’s conversation with Mateo. I was supposed to meet Jenna at the cafeteria for lunch. She had been hounding me for details about the "relationship," and I knew I couldn’t keep her waiting much longer.

As I rounded the corner, lost in my thoughts, a hand suddenly grabbed my arm, yanking me into the empty computer room. My heart jumped in my chest as I spun around to see Aaron standing there, looking anxious.

"Aaron? What the hell?" I snapped, yanking my arm free from his grip. My pulse raced with a mix of shock and anger.

Aaron glanced around nervously, making sure no one was watching. His face was tense, eyes filled with something I couldn’t quite read. "Bianca, I needed to talk to you," he said, his voice low. "I wanted to warn you."

I scoffed, crossing my arms. "Warn me? About what, Aaron? This better be good."

His gaze flickered between anger and something softer—was it worry? He sighed deeply, running a hand through his hair. "It’s about Mateo. You don’t know what you’re getting yourself into with him. He’s dangerous, Bianca."

My jaw clenched. "Dangerous?" I repeated, disbelief heavy in my voice. "You think I’m just going to believe that? After everything you’ve done?"

Aaron’s expression darkened. "I’m serious," he said, stepping closer. "His dad’s a criminal. Mateo’s not the kind of guy you want to be around. I don’t want you to get hurt."

I rolled my eyes, feeling the heat of frustration bubbling up inside me. "I don’t need you to look out for me," I snapped. "You don’t get to act like you care now. And for the record, this isn’t about you."

He opened his mouth to respond, but I didn’t give him the chance. I stormed past him, my mind racing with anger and confusion. Who did Aaron think he was, telling me who I could and couldn’t be with?

By the time I reached the cafeteria, my emotions were all over the place. I spotted Jenna sitting at our usual table, a curious look on her face as I approached.

"Hey," Jenna greeted me, raising an eyebrow. "You okay? You look like you’ve been through it."

I plopped down beside her, sighing heavily. "It’s Aaron," I said, running a hand through my hair. "He’s being... weird."

Jenna’s eyes narrowed. "What did he do now?"

I quickly filled her in on the confrontation, my words tumbling out faster than I realized. By the time I was done, Jenna was shaking her head, a look of disgust on her face.

"Wow," she muttered. "What is his deal? He thinks he can control you just because he dated you once? That's so gross."

"Exactly," I agreed, still fuming. "But whatever. I'm done worrying about him."

Jenna leaned forward, her voice dropping to a conspiratorial whisper. "And Mateo? How’s that going?"

I smiled, feeling a bit more at ease. "It’s... actually going okay. We talked last night, just to get to know each other better. He's not what I expected."

Jenna gave me a knowing look. "Not what you expected, huh? Are you sure you’re still faking this?"

I rolled my eyes, but the playful smile tugging at my lips betrayed me. "Yes, Jenna. It’s still fake. For now."

She grinned, clearly enjoying the unfolding drama, but her expression softened as she reached out and squeezed my hand. "Just be careful, okay? Whether it’s Aaron or this whole thing with Mateo, I don’t want to see you get hurt."

"Thanks," I murmured, squeezing her hand back. "I’ll be careful."

As we sat there, chatting and laughing like we always did, I couldn’t help but wonder how much longer I could keep this charade going. Would things between Mateo and me stay fake? Or was I fooling myself by thinking it wouldn’t get more complicated?

Only time would tell.