Page 18 of Faking It with my Bestie's Billionaire Brother

"Well, get used to it, because as of now, Ava lives here," Spencer informed the man. I opened my mouth to protest, but he wouldn't let me get a word in edgewise. "Ava Moretti, this is Ralph Edwards. Ralph, this is Ava, my fiancée." He emphasized the last two words, and I couldn't help the strange tingle I felt at the way his voice caressed those words.

Unable to abandon all the manners my mother had hammered into my skull, I hurried forward to Mr. Edwards and reached out my hand. "It's nice to meet you, sir."

He grinned broadly at me. "Please, just call me Ralph, everybody else in the family does."

I nodded. "Okay, Ralph, then call me Ava."

He took my hand in his in a fatherly manner and met my eyes. "I do apologize for interrupting, and then being rude on top of it, but I do have some time-sensitive business I need to discuss with Spencer privately."

I glanced at Spencer and back at Mr. Edwards. "Of course, I'll just go check out Spencer’s artwork while you boys talk shop."

The wall of pictures was on the opposite side of the room of the spacious living space, but I had every intention of eavesdropping. One thing teaching teenage students had helped me with was sharpening my hearing. When those kids got quiet was when I really needed to pay attention, so I now had the convenient ability to pick up most private conversations from across the room.

I made a show of studying the pictures as Ralph turned to Spencer and said in a hushed voice, "I got here as fast as I could, my boy. Things have taken a turn, haven't they?"

Spencer's response was murmured. Apparently, he had a talent for quietly talking because his responses were indecipherable from my vantage point. Ralph, not so much, so I was having to figure out the conversation from Ralph's end.

"Oh, dear, this news is most disturbing. Which one do you think is responsible for it?"

More murmuring from Spencer, then Ralph's response of, "I'll set a team of investigators on it. I trust you put extra security on Penelope and this young lady over here?" There was a pause, then a surprised, "Oh, I see, well, then, that should work with your plan splendidly. Listen to me, Spencer, I know that the notes and pictures are all very upsetting, but we still need to remember exactly what's at stake. You and the young lady need to stick with the plan. Otherwise, this ruse is all for naught."

I moved further down the wall of photographs and lost the ability to decipher what Ralph was saying. It didn't seem to matter anymore, anyway, since it was all about the same thing: we were well and truly screwed, so whether I liked it or not, I would need to play ball with Spencer’s demands.

I would, however, need to find out exactly what Ralph meant about "sticking to the plan."

Spencer and I were supposed to have gone over the guidelines and expectations that morning, but everything had been thrown into the air with the stupid notes and pictures.

Now, there was all this talk of investigators and extra security, and it was just all too much. I felt like I was in a parallel universe. A couple of days ago, I was just a simple school teacher, struggling with a troubling attraction to her best friend's older brother, but it was tempered by the fact that I thought he was an asshole. Now, here we were, two days later, and I still kind of thought he was an asshole, but now, he was even hotter, and I was supposed to be living with him and pretending to be his fiancée?

How long was this ploy supposed to go on for? And how the hell was I going to explain it to my family? The next thought I had was the one that really struck me.

Penny.

We would need to talk to Penny sooner rather than later. It was one thing if I was just pretending to be a fiancée from afar, but now, I was going to be living with her big brother, and that was definitely going to make things weird.

Then, Spencer suddenly cursed, turning toward me and telling me in a voice that I suspected worked well for him in boardroom meetings, and was currently causing me to have a reaction I would need to examine later, “That’s it, things have gone far enough. Ava, I hope you’ve given up on the notion of arguing with me, because one way or another, you’re moving in here until further notice. I’m going to make sure that you’re safe, come hell or high water.”

I found myself strangely silent. Spencer was normally so in control of himself, save for the few glimpses I managed to tease out of him. But worry was plainly etched into his features now. Whatever I'd missed in his conversation with Ralph must have been dire because the expression Spencer was giving me told me I had no chance of changing his mind.

"Fine," I said and sighed quietly.

Surprise registered in Spencer’s eyes briefly, then gave way to determination. Still looking at me, he began speaking to Ralph. "Ralph, call the head of our security team and direct them to Miss Moretti's apartment to collect her things. I'll text them the address."

My acquiescence evaporated into outrage. "Now, wait a minute. I don't need complete strangers ransacking my apartment. I am perfectly capable of packing my own belongings."

"Nobody is arguing that, Ava, but it's not safe for you there, and we're not taking any chances."

Out of the corner of my eyes, I could see Ralph watching the two of us with avid interest, like we were in some sort of tennis match that was about to devolve into a fist fight.

"Look," I said through gritted teeth, "I get that you're freaked out right now, but I don't think it's too much to ask to pack my own things." I had to fight back the urge to stomp my foot and cross my arms like a toddler.

Spencer stepped closer, his jaw clenched and his eyes determined, and given the opportunity, I was sure that he would have begun to spew some more arrogant, bossy BS, but we were interrupted by a frantic knock on the door.

"I'll get it," Ralph said evenly, looking reluctant to tear his gaze away from the spectacle in front of him. I was about to give Spencer a piece of my mind when Ralph announced, "Penelope," as he opened the door.

Spencer and I broke apart as Penny stormed into the place, and Spencer rushed to her. She must not have been able to see me from her vantage point because she started talking rapidly. "Spencer, there's something weird going on, and I think I need your help. I've been trying to get a hold of Ava, and she's not picking up, which isn't too out of the norm, but when I dropped by her apartment, she wasn't there, and usually, she's answered me by now, and—" She stopped suddenly upon finally spotting me. "Ava?"

Then, she was racing toward me and throwing her arms around my neck. "Oh, my God, you scared the shit out of me. I'm so relieved and—wait, what exactly are you doing with my brother, of all people?"

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