F is For Fake Dating

Chapter 1 | The Deal

The red lipstick was the colour of blood, I noticed as I dabbed some on.

My dress fell below my knees and complimented my hips just perfectly that it wasn't too scandalous. I smoothed my hair back so only two identical locks fell, brushing the soft fabric of the dress I'd borrowed from my sister.

My God, Seph would love it.

The girl he'd fallen in love with was shy, sweet and dressed for comfort. The girl in the mirror, however, was drop-dead gorgeous and looked like she could kill with one look from her electrifying, multicoloured eyes.

I smiled.

Perfect.

Θ

I'd been waiting for twenty minutes for Seph at the fancy restaurant he's insisted on when the waitress passed for the third time, giving me a dirty look like I'd been breathing too heavily or something.

An older couple were looking at me with occasional pitying glances like they knew I'd been stood up.

But I hadn't been, I wanted to scream. Seph was just late, like always, he'd be there; I knew it. My phone buzzed, and my heart leapt as I scanned the screen, looking for a text from Seph.

But it wasn't him.

An unknown number had sent me a picture of Seph and a girl I knew all too well, Lyla, in a compromising situation in a dark bedroom.

Tears welled up in my eyes, but they quickly changed into rage. The same blonde waitress passed by again, only this time she stood in front of my table, staring at me pointedly.

"Excuse me, I'm going to have to ask you to—"

"—Donnie!" A familiar voice called, and I turned around with a half hopeful expression on my face, only for it to fade immediately.

Breathing hard, Grayson Hayes, dressed in a suit that matched the stormy colour of his eyes, stood in front of me and the bitchy waitress.

He fixed his tie and flashed me a perfect white-toothed commercial smile, taking a seat across from me. "Sorry I'm late, traffic was killer and Lily was a bit fussy."

All I could do was say the first thing that came to mind. "Lily?"

He chuckled, but to my ears, it sounded false. "Don't tell me you've forgotten our daughter, love."

The waitress, who'd been openly eyeing him interestedly, gasped and moved away quickly like the flash.

I blinked in response to Grayson's statement. What the hell was he doing?

"I'm saving your beautiful ass," he whispered, reading the question on my face.

I sighed, picking up my wine glass and finishing it in one gulp. "I don't need saving; what I need is more alcohol."

He sighed, leaning closer and lowering his voice. "Listen to me. Seph is an idiot, okay? I—"

"He's your best friend," I told him, leaning back against my chair. "Shouldn't you be defending his pathetic actions?"

He laughed sarcastically. "He did something wrong, even I'm not going to defend him."

"What do you want, Grayson?" I said through gritted teeth.

He took a sip of wine, keeping his eyes locked on mine. "To help you."

I rolled my eyes as he wiped a blood-red drop of drink off his lip. "You despise me."