My Fake Girlfriend

2. The Fall

2. The Fall

A month had passed since Anna became my "girlfriend", and I was just starting to get used to her coming into my room as she pleased. Of course, Mother disliked it, and I would always defend Anna by saying that I invited her over. It was also no surprise that she stayed over either. Tonight, just happened to be one of those nights.

Anna came over often, and sometimes she'd leave her clothes here to make our act more believable. It's either that, or she liked to tick off my mother. I was fine with either, because I didn't think I ever felt happy before she came into my life. For once, I thought I was actually living ever since what happened last year.

Anna was sitting on the bed and brushing her hair. She was dressed in one of my shirts, which I had to admit made her look even more appealing than that lingerie she wore the first time we met. Honestly, I only made her wear my shirts to sleep now, only because I was afraid I might touch her. Of course, she didn't know that. When she had asked me why I wanted her to wear my shirts to sleep, I lied and said, "My mother would leave you alone when she sees you're only being a good girlfriend and pleasing me." I felt like a jerk when I said it, but she only smiled. It was that smile that I didn't like. That was her fake smile.

"Will you sleep on the floor again?" she asked me as she put the brush back on the dresser. Because she was my "girlfriend", I took her needs into accomodations and got her a separate dresser in my room for her clothes.

I nodded. "I always sleep on the floor whenever you stay the night." She was hired to be my girlfriend in public, but it didn't mean she had to be my girlfriend behind closed doors. That was the only excuse I could use to keep from touching her. My self control was worse than I thought, or maybe it was because she was within my reach, but she was untouchable.

"Doesn't the floor hurt your back?" she asked with concern. She was on her stomach now, looking down at me as I spread the mattress and blanket on the floor next to the bed. Her lips turned into a pout as eyes narrowed with concern.

I smiled and pulled her cheeks to form a smile. "Don't worry about me," I reassured her. "I'm a man.
This is nothing."

She smiled. "Good night, Daren." Then she rolled onto her back, pulled the comforter up to her shoulders, and closed her eyes. It hasn't even been a minute, but she was already fast asleep. That was what I noticed about her in the past month. She was anemic and easily tired.

"Good night, Anna," I whispered. "Sweet dreams."

It wasn't long after I dozed off when it began to rain. It was actually a storm. The thunder was so loud it woke me up every two seconds, and I gave up trying to sleep entirely. As I lay on my back and stared up at the ceiling, I noticed that there was a small squeal every time the sky clapped. I realized then that the squeal came from Anna.

Whenever thunder hit, Anna would squeal. I got up, and then I saw her covering her ears with her hands and her eyes squeezed shut. I put my hand on her shoulder, and she opened her eyes slowly. Her eyes showed relief as I made room for myself on the bed. Already expected, another thunder hit, and Anna dove for my arms. She buried her face in my chest as her body trembled in fear. I rubbed her back slowly and held her until she fell asleep. Being the bad guy I was, I used this excuse to hold her for the rest of the night.

"Anna, did you know a storm was coming?" I whispered, not really expecting an answer from her. Then I felt her warm breath hit my chest as she sighed and nodded, her hair tickling my neck. "Are you afraid?"

There was a pause. "Not anymore," she whispered. I held her tighter in my arms, thinking that I could keep her safe. I was aware of women's thoughts, of how much safer they felt in our arms. But only tonight did I ever thought there was purpose, that it made sense for them to feel protection from a pair of arms.