Page 47 of Great Pretender
Itwas supposed to be.
Except, it felt real to me.
17
Chad
Why do I feel like such an asshole?
It’s because I am.
I noticed the unbalanced look that crossed Piper’s face the second those words left my lips, and I felt like the asshole people often call me.
Damn it.
That kiss felt real to me. Itwasreal for me, and it looked like it was real for her too.She certainly kissed me back like she wanted me.That feeling of knowing she wanted me feels like some kind of drug lulling me to become addicted;Addicted to her.
Yet, with the taste of her still on my lips, I spoiled whatever Piper and I had going on.
She’s a good little actress. She smiled and carried on like she was fine, acting like she was still in character for our stage of play.
However, it was her eyes that gave her away.
As soon as I spoke, the light of passion I’d been savoring went out, and there was nothing left there but a shield locking me out from what she might be thinking.
I felt worse when we got home, and she excused herself, saying she could sense a migraine coming on.The ride back home had been a little awkward, even though we traded casual conversation.
That kiss might have been part of our act, but it wasn’t.I’m not stupid enough to think it was, and if I filed it away as such, I wouldn’t just be stupid; I’d be a coward too.
Sure enough, by morning, Piper and I were inThe Gossip.Right there on the front page.Then I spotted us inThe Chronicleagain in the celeb column.
I could see Dad itching to talk to me at several points today, but I avoided him.It might seem stupid, given that things are definitely going the way I want.I just didn’t want to feel like I was lying.Anything I said to him would be a lie and make me feel worse than I already do about Piper, so it was best to avoid discussing what the tabloids captured altogether.
The next few days that followed held a similar fate and saw Piper and me playing the game hard.
We went for dinner almost every night, and every date ended with a kiss that was captured by some photographer.Every kiss left me wanting her more than I already did, and it was becoming obvious with my dick pitching a damn tent every time her lips left mine.
By the following week, the press was certain we were officially dating.
Mission accomplished.
So, why don't I feel better?
In three short weeks, from the time I signed that contract, I’ve gone from being single and one of the most eligible bachelors in New York to dating the angel, as they call her.
I just feel odd. Like I'm neither here nor there in my mind, and it's getting harder to separate when Piper and I are acting from when we aren't.
The knock on my door pulls me from my thoughts.These days, with Georgiou doing the bulk of my work, very few people need me.
“Come in,” I call out, and Dad walks in.
I straighten up and greet him with a warm smile.
“Hey, Dad,” I say.
He pulls a chair from behind the desk and sits.
“Hey, I thought I’d come and speak to you before my next meeting.”
