Page 13 of Faking Ties

“Okay?”

“I saw how panicked you were after your makeover,” she says.

How the hell could she tell? She doesn’t know me well enough to know my tells, or have I lost my ability to hide my emotions? I open my mouth to deny it, but she continues, “It’s okay. I get it. What you’re signing up for is intense and you don’t even know the half of it. I’ve been wracking my brain, trying to find a way to help you and I’ve got it. Hunter is the solution.”

“Explain it to me like I’m five, because I’m not getting it.”

“The paparazzi and my fans are obsessed with the idea of Hunter and me, or rather you, together. It’s on a level I’ve never seen before, and that media attention won’t go away, no matter how long we monitor it and hope it dies down like Rachel is planning to do. He’d be the perfect buffer between our switch and the media and Jax. We can blame your new relationship for any mishaps that may happen.”

“Wait,” I say. “Back up. What does Jax have to do with this?”

She winces. “So…you’ll have to take part in some promotional events for his new movie.”

“And why the hell would I do that?”

“I might’ve made the entire soundtrack for his upcoming rom-com.” She shrugs as if making an entire soundtrack is a normal thing to do when you’re in love.Maybe it is for someone like Stella. “The movie is gaining a ton of buzz since he starred in and directed it. When he offered for me to join in, I jumped at the chance to help. Now, I wish I never touched that project since we’re contractually obligated to attend the promotional events.”

“But I can’t attend those events on your behalf. He knows you better than most people.” They have a history, and if we have a conversation, he’ll instantly know I’m not really Stella.

“That’s why you need Hunter,” Stella says. “Jax will be more focused on the fact that you’re moving on with someone new than noticing that you’re not me. We can use the media frenzy around you and Hunter to our advantage and control the narrative.”

“But I don’t want to date anyone,” I say. “I’m already trying to fool the world; adding in a relationship will just complicate it all.” There’s also the small issue that I hate football players with a passion.

“Then don’t really date him. Just do it for show.”

“Is that even a thing?” I ask.

“Definitely. I’ve done it before, and it was actually a relief to not have any expectations on either of us.”

“It was?”

“Yeah,” she says. “Being famous and in the public eye? It’s another world. Almost anything is possible.”

I sigh. “I’m going to have to do this, aren’t I?”

Stella smiles and nods.

“I’ll only do it if I get to act like myself around him. There’s no way I can pretend to be you while pretending to date him and pretending to fool Jax. That’s too much pretending for me to keep up with.”

“No problem, it is a lot,” she says. “You just have to perform like me while on tour and act like me for the movie premiere stuff.”

I let out a sigh of relief, everything sounding more manageable than before. “One problem though: Hunter might not even want to date me. One dinner doesn’t mean he wants me.”

“Pfft, you’re a catch. He’d be blind to turn you down.”

“You’re only saying that because I look like you.”

“Come on.” She laughs. “Let’s get you ready.”

I glance down at my outfit. “I thought I was ready.”

“You’re not going to be caught wearing the same outfit twice. Do you know where he’s taking you?”

I pull out my phone and there’s a new message from Hunter who I immediately add to my phone as Jeggings.

Jeggings: I hope Italian is okay for tonight?

Me: Italian is great.

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