Page 37 of My Fake Lover

»Enjoy,« she whispered, running her fingers through my hair and sitting down in the vacant seat before I went up to Ian.

»Hey,« I said softly to him, and he nodded at me. His nervousness was impossible to miss.

»Hey, bro,« he replied. I stood next to him and put my hands in my pockets.

I felt like, as best man and brother, I had to say something, but I was as good at interpersonal matters as a penguin was at flying. He fidgeted nervously. »Calm down. What could happen?« I asked.

Ian laughed softly. »There are hundreds of scenarios! But just you wait...«

I turned slightly towards him and furrowed my brow. »What do you mean?«

My little brother only nodded toward Ivy, who stared at us unwaveringly. I immediately felt something inside me soften and long to go to her. I cleared my throat. »We’re not there yet. I don’t act as hastily as you do; you know that.«

»When it comes to love, we’re all impulsive idiots,« he whispered, and finally, our conversation was replaced by the music playing in the background. Some cheesy violin piece, the name of which I didn’t know because it was far from my taste in music.

Lizzy entered the aisle with her mom. They had specifically chosen this arrangement because her dad would marry the two. Of course. If there was one thing Lizzy and Ian weren’t, it was conservative.

Ian inhaled sharply beside me, and as I looked at him, he fought back tears, his gaze fixed on his soon-to-be-wife, who wore a floor-length cream-colored silk dress. Even I had to admit that this moment didn’t leave me as cold as I had expected. Maybe it was true, and the two had found each other, fitting better together than our useless parents, and there really was such a thing as a happy ending? I wished it for my little brother.

My gaze wandered to Ivy, who also had tears in her eyes and looked from Ian to Lizzy. In the process, her eyes brushed mine and lingered on me. A feeling settled in my stomach that was foreign to me. It was simultaneously uncomfortable, warm, and comforting. My heart pounded against my chest, and my fingers grew damp. Ivy felt it too. She had to feel that something was developing between us, something neither of us knew about.

As Lizzy neared Ian, our connection broke, and I turned my attention to the couple. The crowd applauded as they embraced and kissed even before the ceremony began. I even had to grin a little, which I immediately tried to hide. But I knew one person had seen it all too clearly because she could read me like an open book.

***

»The wedding ceremony was truly beautiful,« Ivy said as I held her in my arms and led her across the dance floor. There was a glow in her eyes that I could hardly escape from.

»It was nice, yes, nicer than this entire event here,« I replied, knowing exactly how to tease Ivy with that.

»You’re incorrigible,« she retorted with a grinning shake of her head.

»Incorrigibly attractive? Or incorrigibly successful?«

»Max Holmes, your jokes are getting funnier and funnier. It’s incredible that you actually possess something like humor. Admittedly, your own special kind, but still.« I pushed her away from me, spun her in a circle, and pulled her back to me. »But I must say, the way you dance really makes me weak in the knees.«

A smile lingered on my lips, and it didn’t feel as wrong and fake as usual. It was genuine because it belonged only to Ivy.

My gaze fell in the direction of our table. Chloe was standing next to it, chatting with Deborah, Mona, and Christian. I didn’t like how they kept glancing at Ivy and me and whispering. Something was definitely amiss. We had only this evening left, and I didn’t want these people to ruin it for us with their gossip.

The music piece ended, and Ivy fanned herself. »I need a break and have to go somewhere quickly.«

»Should I come with you?« I asked suggestively. She placed her hand on my upper arm and squeezed gently.

»I’ll be right back,« she replied with a cheeky grin. »No more antics in the restroom,« she whispered.

»That’s extremely regrettable.« I gave her a kiss on the cheek and lingered for a moment on her warm skin. She shivered. »See you in a bit.«

Ivy left the dance floor, and I walked over to our table. I briefly considered whether I should go to the bar and avoid the others, but who was I to run away from a situation like this? Nonsense. Christian and Chloe were a perfect match, both being deceitful idiots. I should be happy if they found each other and left us alone.

»Max,« Deborah said, feigning delight, and the others turned to face me. It was probably just a warning to her gossiping table neighbors, as they instantly fell silent.

»Feel free to continue talking,« I said, opening my jacket and taking a seat. »After all, it’s about me, so it concerns me anyway, right?«

»How do you come to that conclusion?« Mona laughed falsely, while Christian looked at me with an almost angry gaze, and Chloe, with a thoughtful smile, pulled a lipstick from her purse.

»He’s right,« she said. Her voice was predatory, like that of an animal on the hunt. But in reality, she was more like a rabbit that had tangled with a wolf. I had nothing to fear, least of all from her. To emphasize her words, she first traced her lips with a carmine red before continuing. »We were talking about you.« She moved closer to Christian, who was standing next to her. He suddenly didn’t seem so confident and avoided my gaze. »And about Ivy. She truly is enchanting.« Something more would follow this statement, I could tell by the excited sparkle in her eyes. »We just wondered if it’s true that you two are a couple.«

»Of course they are, right, Max, sweetheart? Deb and I think this accusation is totally exaggerated,« Mona laughed nervously.

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