IT STARTED WITH A LIE (Fated to Love You #1)

Chapter Six

CHAPTER SIX 

"How could Avery fire you for something that's not your fault at all?" Lizzy demanded angrily and continued to yell expletives with promise of bodily harm as Selya peel out of her business attire and shrug on a blue tank top and her favourite Barney and friends pyjama pants that was her own feel good charm.

"Avery thinks I sold the photo on purpose to the highest bidder and feels betrayed."

"That's absurd!"

"Yeah, tell me about it."

Selya crawled onto the bed and lay flat on her back with her hands cushioned behind her head, a position she'd always taken up whenever she was feeling particularly stressed.

"Do you think Ashley may have had something to do with it?" Lizzy asked referring to the photos on the tabloid.

Selya sat ram rod straight cocking her head to the side at Lizzy's suspicion but no matter how she thought about it she couldn't picture Ashley stooping so low and going as far as sabotaging her career for no reason at all no matter how spiteful she'd been. But one would never know with Ashley.

"I don't think so but I wouldn't put it past her."

She should've known that that one white lie would get her in trouble, curse that big mouth of hers now she's lost her job and had barely scraped enough to go by, her mom and two younger siblings depend on her. The lie had served its purpose then but how was she to know that it would land her into a much bigger trouble?

For someone who lived on the juicy stories she could glean from the city's elite which ranges from top models, and actors to business tycoons and the likes Selya should've known that one misstep on her part would crucify her and she had to be involved in a scandal with one of the city's hottest bachelors and powerful business tycoon who would most likely squash her like an ant under his polished Italian shoe. Selya didn't remembered everything from last night and cringed at the thought of her emotional breakdown which Wade Ashburn of all people had witnessed.

A soft knock sounded at the door.

"I'll get it." Lizzy offered.

"Miss Williams?"

Lizzy's jaw hung loose and her eyes went wide suddenly in shock and astonishment.

"Lizzy who's it?" Selya asked from the bedroom making Lizzy snap out of her shock.

"Uh...I think you should come see for yourself." Lizzy stammered out.

"Miss Williams?" He asked again when Selya appeared at the door. She had known to expect someone from Ashburn Industries, say a lawyer for instance but she couldn't help her surprise at seeing the man himself standing in her apartment, well not in her apartment per se but he was here in front of her.

Of course it wasn't going to be a tete a tete.

Selya was tempted to deny it. Denial was just at the tip of her tongue when she suddenly realised how foolish that would be seeing as he had already made her acquaintance last night, she even made the man drive her around for God's sakes!

She couldn't shake the fact that his towering built filled up the doorway and imposed on her own small frame but she wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of seeing her cower so she squared her shoulders and stared back at him. "What can I do for you Mr. Ashburn?"

Wade made a careful perusal of her from bottom to top, taking in her bare feet and blue painted nails, her worn out Barney and friends pyjama pants, her snug tank top that moulded her perfect breasts and when he got to her face, he was quite taken aback by the expressive dark coffee coloured eyes that stared back at him which complimented her glowing honey-toned skin.

He concluded that there's no doubt she'd be perfect for the role after all she started it.

"Aren't you going to invite me in?" He said eventually.

She looked sceptical for a moment before stepping aside to let him in. In one sweeping glance, Wade inspected the apartment with his hands buried deep in his pants pocket.

Selya bit her lips as she'd always done when she was nervous and wondered what he thought about her ratty two room apartment, thankfully everything was in order as she was the ever meticulous type even though the walls were coming off and it's not such a great apartment it was all she could afford to avoid spending too much and she was proud to have a place to call her own.

After having left Minnesota a year ago to the bustling city of New York to make something of herself but now she's worse off than before. Selya ran her fingers through her tangled hair frantically smoothing it out to look decent.

"I believe you know why I'm here don't you?" Wade asked turning back suddenly and catching her off guard her face heated. She twiddled the tip of her hair with her pointer and shrugged.

"I believe we can both agree that we're adults and refrain from childish theatrics."

"Uh...i'll be at Meg's." Lizzy announced suddenly and all but hightailed out of the room.

"So what, are you here to spell out to me how your lawyers would eat me alive?" her sarcastic tone seemed to have bounced right off him.

Wade chuckled softly. "You have a wild sense of humour Miss Williams but that's not why am here."

"Then why?"

"I have a proposal for you."

Selya eyed him sceptically, "What kind of proposal?"

"It's simple, I want you to continue the lie you started."

"Wait, what?" Selya blinked up at him.

"You have benefited from the lie so it's only fair that I get something too."

"Are you kidding?"

"Never been serious in my life before." He stared down at her.

"You are serious," Selya muttered incredulously. "I'm sorry but I can't do that."

"I don't believe you have an option here Miss Williams, it's either this or we meet in court and this is the part where I tell you as you aptly put it that my lawyers will eat you alive."

"But I didn't do anything!"

"I don't think the judge would be interested in your so-called innocence."

"I just lost my job because of this of course i'm innocent!" Selya threw her hands up in frustration.

"I'll be here by this time tomorrow and i'll expect your reply good day Miss William."

Selya slapped her palm across her forehead and groaned. She hated being blind sided but she had something to gain and nothing to loose if she continue with the lie but God help her if this entire affair blows up in her face.

"I for one think it's a good idea, you can finally get a breather from that idiot Gale that way you'd stop feeling sorry for yourself." Lizzy told her.

"I wasn't feeling sorry for myself." Selya denied but the look Lizzy gave her made her admit it all, "okay fine you're right!" She sighed, her shoulders slumped. "But a pretend relationship and a fake fiancé won't solve anything."

"It will if the guy in question is a hunk." Lizzy joked, "just loosen up and have fun. A fake fiancé can't hurt you."

Selya had to agree with Lizzy on that, nobody said she couldn't have fun and she didn't want to hurt herself even more by thinking about that liar and cheat Gale he doesn't deserve even a single drop of her tears. She would make herself forget him and it has to be soon.

With that strong resolve, Selya had decided on her answer when Wade showed up the next day like he said.