Page 21 of Faking it with My Boss' Son

“Thanks. I wouldn't have wanted to be there with anyone other than you by my side.” I said with sincerity. “I know you are my fake girlfriend, but I am starting to enjoy all the time we have been spending together.”

We walked into the apartment.

“Me too. Goodnight, Ryan.” She said and went into her room.

Chapter eight

Michelle

I sat on the porch watching a bird drink out of a bird feeder and listening to the sounds of the birds chirp. All the events that took place last night at Ryan’s dad’s birthday party played in my head. Seeing Ryan with his family and friends made me miss home. Not only that, but I think I am starting to like Ryan. I enjoy our morning talks before work and our evenings together before bed. The only problem is Ryan only sees me as a really good friend. I know that Ryan is just faking liking me as a girlfriend, or he would have never come up with this ploy. I feel guilty for lying to his father, but I am also lying to him and to myself. Besides, Ryan is spending a lot of time with Amy. She is absolutely gorgeous. With her light-blue eyes, long blond hair, and perfectly toned body, she looked more like a model than an athlete. Any man would fall for her, and Ryan was no exception.

Ryan came around the corner, finishing up his morning run. The beads of sweat glistened on his forehead and shimmered in the mellow sun, making me wonder how long these beautiful mornings would last. One day, they would come to an end. Everything was painfully vague, and it choked me to think about it.

‘‘Are you better now? You were not quite yourself last night.’’ He said as he sat next to me on the patio.

‘‘Yes, I’m feeling a little better. I called Mom earlier, but she didn’t answer, so I’ll try her again later.’’ I said, looking down at my phone.

Ryan gulped down water from his water bottle. For a moment, except for the chirping of the birds, there were no sounds.

‘‘So, how are things with you and Amy? Any updates?’’ I asked curiously.

“No, we are just taking it day by day.” He said

Before I could respond, my phone rang. It was Mom calling me back. I excused myself and went inside. ‘‘Hi, Mom!’’ I tried to sound cheerful. The last thing I wanted was to make her feel that there was something wrong.

‘‘Hi, Michelle, how have you been?” My mom asked kindly.

‘‘I’m good, Mom. How is Dad doing?’’

‘‘About the same,’’ Mom sighed.

I always asked my mom how he was doing because if I asked my Dad, he would say everything was good. And I know that is not the case.

I replied, ‘‘Mom, you know it can’t be cured.’’

‘‘I do, Michelle. We can only try and make things better for him.’’ She said sadly.

I shook my head as if she could see me through the phone.

‘‘I’ve specifically called you to talk to you about something,’’ Mom spoke each word slowly as if speaking them aloud was too much for her. ‘‘You know, Abel is struggling to find his way in life; find a good job and settle down.’’

I wondered how this related to me. “Yes, Mom. What are you trying to say?” I asked with confusion.

“I would just like for you to think about starting to date more. Maybe even dating Lucas. You guys have been good friends since high school, and you get along well. I only say this because I would like for your father to see one of his kids get married one day soon before it's too late.” She said, her voice cracking.

“Mom, I have never thought of Lucas as more than just a friend. In fact, he called me the other day to ask me how I felt about possibly dating him. I told him I would have to think about it because he caught me off guard.” I said, confused if they had spoken to each other about this plan.

Mom started crying.

‘‘Mom… Mom, please don’t cry. It breaks my heart. Listen, Mom, I will think about starting to date more, but it is not going to be Lucas. I’m asking for some time off from work, and I will fly back home soon. We’ll talk about this when I get back. Everything will be okay. Take a breath.’’ I said, thoughts racing through my head.

‘‘Thank you, dear. I’m sorry, there's just so much going on. I’ve missed you a lot. I can’t wait to see you. Take care, honey.’’

‘‘You too, Mom.’’ I hung up the phone and walked to the window.

The moment I hung up, I felt choked inside. The feeling was terrifying. I always liked Lucas, but I never felt for him what I was feeling… feeling for Ryan…or maybe had always felt. It was only then that this realization dawned on me. This feeling of dating my friend was terrible, but what was equally as terrible was knowing that the man I wanted to date was searching elsewhere for his soulmate, and I was nothing more to him than a good friend.

I threw open the blinds and saw Ryan strolling in the garden, smiling and talking to someone on the phone. I bet it was Amy. I had no idea what was wrong, but there was something that didn’t feel right inside of me when I thought of him talking to another girl. I closed the blinds and sat on the edge of the bed.

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