Agreements With Mr Rich Boy | ✓

42 | It's An Act

I SHOULD HAVE KNOWN anyone Archer had dated would be drop-dead gorgeous, but that didn't make it any easier to settle my somersaulting stomach or ease my pecking insecurities. And the worst thing? It wasn't even like I had a reason to not like her.

Annalise Bromley wasn't just beautiful, no, she just had to be intelligent and funny and, from what I could gather from a ten minute conversation, genuinely kind.

"We'll have to catch up again," she said to Autumn as she linked arms with her now less-stern faced friend, who I now knew was called Madison. "It was lovely to meet you Jolie. I wish you and Archer the best." That effortless smile graced her face, no hint of resentment or hatred beneath those eyes.

She bid us a final farewell before going to the till.

"Come on," Autumn said, nudging me once they'd disappeared. "I don't need anything from here anyway. Let's just go for something to eat."

I appreciated her noticing my unease and offering an escape route, even if she had been eyeing a certain piece on the rack and would likely have wanted it.

"You go get what you wanted," I told her. "I'll meet you in the café on the corner." She gave me a look as if to say you sure? "Yes, just go. You won't stop thinking about it if you don't get it." Again, she seemed uncertain but with a small encouraging shove, she was on her way.

In all honesty, I just needed a little time to think. I knew Autumn would be more than willing to offer me advice or even just a shoulder to cry on, but at the end of the day, she was still Archer's sister.

I settled in a seat by the window in the café I'd told her we'd meet in and ordered myself a drink.

I knew I had no right to feel this way. None, whatsoever. We'd agreed on this whole fake relationship being nothing more than just that. Fake. I knew that from the beginning and I'd promised myself to stick to it... yet, I couldn't help thinking:

how could he ever want me when girls like Annalise Bromley existed?

I shook my head to clear it. It didn't matter that if I wasn't useful or valuable to him, he wouldn't have given me a second glance. It didn't matter. I really tried to believe it.

Autumn came in then, arms filled with bags, and slumped down in the seat opposite mine. She eyed my coffee greedily. I was in no mood to drink it, so scooted it along the table towards her.

"Over-exerted yourself shopping?" I asked, cracking a small smile I didn't know I'd been capable of as she chugged the drink.

"Ha ha," she muttered once she'd wiped her top lip. "More like running from Noah."

"He's here?"

"Yeah— oh jesus, they've just come in," she said, squirming in her seat and lowered herself until she couldn't be seen around it. I looked over her head to the door to see that Noah and Archer had, indeed, just come in.

"They're coming over," I said, putting my hand to my face casually to hide my lips. Archer hadn't ever told me about a secret ability to lip read perfectly, but I wouldn't put the ability past him.

Autumn's eyes were wide in panic.

"Just act natural," she said.