Page 46 of Fake Fiancé for the Billionaire Rockstar

After watching Declan propose to Ronnie, I felt a moment of regret. Our fake engagement suddenly seemed hollow in comparison. I found myself imagining getting down on one knee for Carmen, for real this time.

The image of her is so vivid. When did this relationship start feeling so genuine?

And more importantly, how do I turn this into something real without scaring Carmen away?

***

Since we got back from the Christmas trip, Carmen's been avoiding me like the plague. She hasn't said a word about the bracelet, and I can't help but wonder if I've crossed a line. Did the gift make things too real for her? Is she pulling away because she's afraid of what it might mean? The silence is killing me, but I'm not sure how to bridge this sudden gap between us.

When we got home, I thought for sure she would mention something about it then — still nothing. Now we’re getting dressed for the charity concert and she’s barely looked twice atme, which is something I’d normally let slide any other time. Right now? Not so much.

I’m closer to her now than I was before.

It doesn’t help that my mother has been calling me, now that they are on their way back from their own trip, and wondering when we will be able to visit them. Each time, I have to tell them that Carmen is too busy with work, which is true, and it only frustrates my mother.

She’s worried that Carmen is too focused on her career, rather than trying to create a family with me like any good fiancée would want to do. I almost opened my mouth to tell her that there’s no point in worrying about a family because I’m not actually engaged, but I managed to keep it from slipping out.

Carmen struts down the long hallway toward our dressing rooms. The backstage area thrums with energy. A stagehand rushes past, leaving a trail of glitter in his wake - remnants of a costume malfunction. The muffled bass from the opening act vibrates through the floor, syncing with my heartbeat. But all of this fades when I spot Carmen. She's weaving through the chaos with practiced ease, her posture rigid, the tapping of her pen against her clipboard a staccato counterpoint to the backstage symphony. Even from here, I can see the furrow in her brow, the slight downturn of her lips. Something's bothering her, and I'm pretty sure that something is me.

She’s too busy fussing over details, and almost runs into me. I place my hand on her arms before it comes to that, which startles her and she looks up into my eyes.

“Hey, Sunshine,” I say, my voice low. I resist the urge to pull her close. “Missed you.”

She stiffens, her eyes darting around like she’s looking for an escape. “Been busy. You know how it is.”

“Too busy for your fiancé?” I tease, but there’s an edge to my voice I can’t hide. I step closer, invading her space. “Or are you avoiding me?”

Her eyes snap to mine, a mix of emotions swirling in their depths. “Donny, I... we can’t do this here.”

When I glance at her arm, I notice the bracelet hanging from her wrist, and it fills my chest with pride.At least she’s wearing it. That’s a good sign.

“My mother thinks you’re working too much, you know?”

That has her spine stiffening, and she frowns at me. “Excuse me?”

“She wants us to visit, but your schedule doesn’t allow time for that.”

I hate that I’m starting to sound like my own mother. I’ve always admired how determined Carmen is with her work, but right now all its doing is getting in the way of the time we could be spending together.

Carmen takes a deep breath, then tips her lips into a smile that doesn’t reach her eyes. “Don’t you have a show to put on?”

She storms away from me, mumbling a few words under her breath that I wish I could hear, and I wait until she disappears around a corner before going back into my dressing room.

Maybe getting on her bad side wasn’t the brightest idea, but there’s no way I can hide the fact that I miss her easy presence.

I only wonder if she feels the same way, and that’s the reason why she’s been avoiding me like I’ve got the plague.

As I’m about to head on stage, I catch sight of Carmen again. She’s staring at the bracelet on her wrist, a soft smile on her lips. Then she looks up, her eyes meeting mine. At that moment, I make a decision.

After the show, we’re going to talk. And this time, I’m not letting her run away.

Because I’m done pretending. I want this to be real, and I’m going to do whatever it takes to make that happen.

17

Carmen

I should be elated.The concert was a huge hit andtons of excited fans got to meet the band. Yet, when I watched the last of them file out, Donny's words from earlier replayed in my mind, dimming the glow of our success.

---