Page 53 of Fake Fiancé for the Billionaire Rockstar

Mallory leans forward, tapping her fresh manicure on the table, and arches a brow. “Alright, girl, tell us what’s up.”

I don’t even get nervous about spilling the truth to them. There’s only a few people around us and none of them look as though they are worried about our conversation — probably just late night party goers who wanted something to fill their stomachs.

“I think I’m falling for him,” I whisper.

The words feel strange as they leave my mouth, but also liberating. Because the truth is... I think I’ve been falling for Donny long before I realized it.

Mallory smirks, then looks at Julia with a hand out in front of her and she chuckles. “You owe me twenty bucks, babe.”

Julia rolls her eyes, but shoves a bill from her purse into Mallory’s hand without complaint. I eye the two of them and frown. “You were betting on my love life?”

My newly formed girl friend group all stare at me and Mallory shrugs. “I could see it from a mile away. These two thought I was projecting our lives onto you.”

“Guys,” I grumble, “this is serious.”

“You’re right,” Mia says, jumping into the conversation once she’s sure we’re safe in here. “Why do you look like you’re going to be sick?”

“Maybe because this was only supposed to be fake, and I was never supposed to fall in love with a client!”

The person sitting closest to us darts their gaze up, meeting mine with furrowed brows, and I duck my head as my cheeks heat. Mia’s hand comes onto my shoulder and she gives it a gentle squeeze. “Trust me, I understand the struggle.”

If there’s anyone who does, it would be her and I’m glad to have her at my side right now. “What the hell do I do?”

She shrugs and gives me a small smile. “Embrace it. Tell him. If you want to run away from it, I’ll be on your side with that too.” Mia glances at the other two, looking at them with a softness I’ve missed in a friend. “We are all on your side, no matter which side that is.”

Knowing where they stand lets a small amount of pressure fall from my shoulders, and I sigh in relief. This only proves that my moment of panic and asking them to come out here was the right thing to do, even if admitting my feelings makes my skin itch.

“I should tell him… right?”

Mallory nods immediately, while Julia remains silent, thoughtful. But Mia speaks up, her voice steady. “You should. I see the way he looks at you. Trust me, he feels the same.”

“How could he?” I mutter. “I’m just a lousy manager who got swept into something I can’t control.”

As soon as the words are out of my mouth, I clamp it shut and frown. If I hadn’t agreed to this charade, I never would’ve been able to know what it feels like when someone cares.

My eyes travel down to my wrist, the one that still houses the charm bracelet he got for me, and I reach out with my other hand to fiddle with each charm dangling from it.Each one means something, but only me and Donny know that.

“Hey,” Julia says softly, reaching a hand across the table. I pull my hand away from the bracelet and place it in hers, meeting her steady gaze. “You know what you need to do. Just listen to your heart. That’s what we all did, and look where it got us.”

Mallory shrugs, flashing me a small grin. “And if your heart tells you to run, then run. But maybe... running toward him is the better option?”

Mia nods, her eyes filled with warmth. “You’ve been overthinking this, Carmen. You don’t run from love, you fight for it. You know how you feel. Go tell him.”

I bite my lip, feeling a rush of nerves and anticipation. “What if he doesn’t feel the same?” I finally say, my voice barely above a whisper.

Julia squeezes my hand gently. “You’ll never know unless you take that chance. But trust me—Donny feels it too. You just need to show him you’re all in.”

Mallory leans in, a smirk playing on her lips. “And if he doesn’t realize how lucky he is, we’ll come knock some sense into him.”

A laugh escapes me, and I feel a weight lift off my chest. “You guys are crazy, but thank you.”

Mia stands up, pushing her chair back. “You got this, girl. And if you need backup, you know where we’ll be.”

I smile, knowing exactly what I need to do. I nudge Mia out of the booth before I lose my nerve. “Okay, no more talking. I’m going. Wish me luck.”

“Luck?” Julia raises an eyebrow. “You don’t need luck. You’ve got this.”

I grab my bag, heart pounding, and take one last look at them before heading for the door. Julia, Mallory, and Mia are all smiling at me, full of support and love.

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