I Do Until I Don't

Chapter 23

 Fannar is too startled to speak. I have to wave in front of his face three times to "wake him up." He blinks many times, still dazed.

"No way this is happening," Skylar lets out in a deep breath.

I turn around and see Sabrina filming everything. I'm seriously considering having a Do You Know What Privacy Is? conversation with her, but we've already had it six times and she has yet to understand it.

Fannar finally moves his hand, he actually reaches out like he wants to shake her hand. Skylar looks at his hand and then at his face and then back at his hand.

"So, that's it? We're going to pretend we're friends and nothing ever happened?"

"I'm doing you a favour," Fannar says in a calm yet irritated voice.

I have no idea what they are talking about, but Skylar clearly does because she sighs and shakes her head. And then, she turns to face me.

"You're dating him now?"

A part of me wants to deny it and say that it's all a prank and please don't kill me. Besides, she's so gorgeous no one will ever buy it if Fannar went from the goddess of beauty and sexiness to me. The other part of me is mesmerized by Fannar's pleading eyes and knows backing him up is the loyal thing to do.

"We've only just started," I say. Compromise.

Skylar purses her lips and nods.

"Then I guess you won't mind if you go on a double date with my boyfriend and me."

Yes, I do mind. Because Skylar must know everything there is to know about Fannar whereas I know his milkshake preferences, everything about Iceland, his love of math and his family. I know nothing about his life, about what he wants to do when he grows up, about his aspirations. We don't talk about that. We never felt the need to talk about that. And Skylar will surely ask questions and I won't know the answer and what kind of girlfriend doesn't know the answer to boyfriend-related questions?

"We don't mind at all," Fannar answers for me, intertwining his fingers with mine.

Well, then.

"Good. I'll text you the details."

If he's using me to get back at her or making her jealous, then I'm out. I look at Fannar with a deep stare to send my message. Fannar squeezes my hand, and I guess it's his way of telling me he's not using me. Then why did he accept?

It's only now that I realize that everyone around us is silent... and that Sabrina's camera is glued to Fannar and my hand.

"I think we're going to go," Saleema says, pointing in the direction they came from.

"Yeah..." completes Arianna.

The gang starts walking away from us when Henry turns around and shouts. "Keep me updated. This ish is more interesting then the entirety of my life combined." He considers what he just said. "Minus that one time I saw Kim Kardashian eat at this restaurant."

"It wasn't Kim!" Arianna and Saleema say together.

"Whatever," Henry concedes. "Just keep me posted."

I roll my eyes but smile. It isn't even that interesting when you think about it. So Fannar and I, a fake couple, will go on a double date with Skylar and her boyfriend, a real couple, to impress them for whatever reason and try to act like a real couple and, if we fail, we lose our dignity and Alex will know I have an enormous crush on him. Pfff... It's not that bad.

"Change of plans," Sabrina says when the group is far gone. "We finished shooting for the day. I just got an illumination for this new TV show I'm going to start writing."