Dear Sunshine,

Chapter 7

I let out a quiet huff, my chin resting on my hand that was supported by the windows armrest.

The tension between Cassandra and I was thick and uneasy, and my leg bounced up and down anxiously with tiny motions.

I was so bored and was watching the dotted lines on the highway zoom past me, my eyes hurting if I tried to look too fast.

"So, Zoe Madison, how did you get yourself in this situation?" Cassandra turned to me, taking off her sunglasses.

I shrug, not really in the mood to respond.

I'm sure anyone else's life who just got turned upside down overnight would feel the same

Unless they were very wannabe attention seeking.

"Where are we going?" I ask instead, not responding to her question.

Cassandra gives me a stern glare, not amused that I dodged her question. But I didn't give a single flying fuck.

"You're stubborn, you know that?"

"And you're secretive. Guess we both got things going for us." I raise an eyebrow, as if I'm practically daring her to challenge me.

We don't look away from each other's eyes, both of us wanting to be more assertive than the other.

"We're stopping by Forest's place because it's high in security, and no one can see us come in." Cassandra tells me, and I just dip my head once in a nod, looking back out the window.

"You know, when Forest makes a move on a girl, it's never someone with looks and an attitude like yours." She tells me.

I scoff. "He didn't make any move on me besides dumping a sports drink down my shirt."

I hear Cassandra hum, like that was all the answers she needed.

We were both silent for the remainder of the drive, which was about another fifteen minutes.

I boredly stare out the window as we eventually pull into a heavily gated community, and take a backroad into a mansion.

As impressed as I was by the size of this mansion, I just couldn't be excited by the sight of it all, not with knowing how anxious I was with what was going to happen next.

The car stops, and I get out of the black van like everyone else does. I pull my hoodie closer to my body, not suddenly feeling very self conscious and underdressed in this house.

A house. I felt underdressed in.

Is that even humanly possible?

Cassandra walked right next to me as the driver and a security guard led us in the house, and I couldn't help but to grow more anxious.

"Forest!" I hear Cassandra call into the big house, and it echoes back.

This house seemed too big for just one man.

I stop when Cassandra stops in front of a counter, and she sets her bag down, taking off her sunglasses and rolling her eyes.

"I'm going to kill that boy." She mumbles.

I inwardly chuckle. She was getting more tolerable.

I hear footsteps, and Forest enters the room, his eyes widening and his feet halting when he sees me.

And I'm pretty sure I looked pissed.

"Zoe?" He asks, finally regaining enough composure to walk towards me and Cassandra again.

"Have you seen that youre all over the news?" Cassandra lightly slaps him across the head, and Forest just rolls his eyes.

"I'm always on the news, Cass."

He makes a solid point.

"All over the news. With her." She points to me, and Forests eyes widen.

"Hold on. What?"

"Oh my god, did you just wake up? You're all over the news with Zoe, and people believe you're dating!" Cassandra exclaims, clearly not wanting to repeat herself.

Forest reaches in his pocket, taking out his phone and going to different news sources.

Cassandra throws her hands in the air and sighs, walking out of the room to go do whatever Managers do I guess.

"I mean, it's not like anyone heard me say that we were dating. Right?" He glances up from his phone to look at me, and I just frown and shrug.

"You never know. Press is press Forest. I feel like they hear and see everything."

I try not to grimace. That means I would never be left alone again. Always known as Forest Pierce's girlfriend. A fling, and nothing more.

Forest sighs, and after a few moments of silence between us, he speaks again. "Well, we might as well go through with it, right?"

I furrow my eyebrows, taken aback out of confusion. "What do you mean 'go through with it'? We have nothing to go through with."

He lazily points at me. "But that's where you're wrong. We can go through with dating each other for a few weeks."

I scoff and roll my eyes. He's actually insane.

"Are you purposing we fake date each other? Someone is going to find out."

"That's why we won't be," he raises his hands to do air quotes. "Dating for long. Maybe two weeks at most."

I bite my lip. "Why are you asking this of me?"

He shrugs. "Honestly, I'm not sure. It might be good for my reputation though? Think about it, I'm already trending #1 on practically every platform. And it wouldn't be possible if it weren't for you."

My jaw drops. I couldn't believe what I had just heard. I clench my fists that limply hung by my side. I was 'secretly' seething in anger.

"You want to use me so you boost your reputation? Man, just when I thought your personality couldn't get any less dimmer." I mumble the last part under my breath, and Forest sighs.

"I'll pay off your college and student loan debt." He offers.

I narrow my eyes.

"Oh, so now you're bribing me? This isn't how you get a girl to date you, Forest." I cross my arms, getting more upset each time he opens his stupid mouth.

"We aren't dating. There's a difference between really dating and fake dating." He leans on the counter, setting down his now turned off phone.

I lean on the counter as well, mimicking his actions. "You're insane." I tell him seriously, glaring at him.

"Do we have a deal? Date each other for a few weeks, and we both benefit? My reputation is boosted, and you get your college paid off." The corner of his lips tug in a sly smirk.

"Fine." I lean off the counter, and hold out my hand for him to shake on it.

Instead, he ignores my outstretched hand and makes his way across the counter to me. He engulfs me in a hug that was too close for comfort.

Sounds crazy, I know. A hug being too close for comfort. But yet again, a girl making a deal with a celebrity just so she can pay off her enormous student loan debt sounds way crazier.

Cassandra walks back in the room, a tablet in her hand. She stalls for a moment when she sees Forest and I hugging.

I try to wiggle myself out of his hold, but he doesn't let me go. He leans down to whisper in my ear.

"This stays between us, and only us. Make it believable. Now chuckle like I just told you something cute."

I breath out a confused, try hard, light hearted laugh. A pitiful attempt, really.

I freeze when he plants a kiss on the top of my head.

Okay, we will discuss boundaries later then.

Forest lets me go, well, kinda. He still kept one of his arms around my waist and I tried not to squirm.

I'm ticklish, what else could I say?