He grins, pulling back, and stares down at his phone screen. “Make sure you clear a day for me,princesa.”
Chapter 22
Not really a love letter
As soon as I walk into my apartment, the sound of Gabi's laughter fills the room.
That’s not typically a weird thing; the girl is always laughing and smiling, but this time it’s different. She’s… giggling. Blushing even.
I freeze at the doorstep, the keys jiggling in my hands as I watch her cuddled up on the couch, controller in her hand, playing a video game.
When I shut the door behind me, her head snaps back and her eyes widen, just now realizing I’m home. “Oh hey,” she says. “How was therapy?”
“Good.” I lean down and take off my heels, groaning when my feet hit the floor. I’ve worn heels for so long; they’re practically molded to the shape of my feet, but there’s nothing like the feeling of taking off your heels when you get home. It’s better than taking off a bra, I’d say. “Intense.”
“Yeah?” she asks, taking off her headset. “Are you okay?”
I nod. This week’s session was tough, bringing back all of my old memories of Daniel. It aggravates me that after all these years, he’s still the topic of my discussions. He’s still the reason I feel empty. Weak. Depleted.
“I’m good,” I breathe out, exhausted from talking about the one person I wish I could forget.
“Oh, by the way,” she says with a smirk. “I saw Lucas’ post today.”
“What post?”
“The one where you guys look like you’re two seconds away from ripping off each other’s clothes.” Gabi’s face lights up with a grin, and I roll my eyes, feeling my cheeks heat up.
Pulling my phone out of my bag, I quickly head to Lucas' page, where I see the post Gabi is talking about — the one he took three days ago after the interview. It's the moment that still echoes in my mind, capturing that moment when I thought he was about to kiss me, only to realize when the flash went off that it was just a move to win the stupid bet between us.
My lips feel dry as I stare down at the image on my screen, unable to break away from Lucas and the way he looks at me. I still remember what I felt at the time, wanting him to lean in and kiss me. It's a thought I haven't had in a long time, but it seems to be a constant occurrence with Lucas.
But it’s not the picture that catches me off guard. It’s the caption under the post that Lucas wrote.
My favorite person in the world.
My stomach somersaults and my heart bangs against my chest as I re-read it over and over again.
IknowLucas doesn’t mean those words. I know he has to sell our fake relationship, and he’s committed to winning the bet, but it doesn’t stop my heart from drumming all the same, hoping a part of him actually believes that.
“Did you zone out?” Gabi jokes, her words bringing me back to reality.
I quickly turn off my phone, trying to maintain composure. "No, I was just... checking something,” I lie, my voice slightly strained. "I'll be in my room.” Ignoring her amused chuckles, I make my way to my room.
"Oh, I almost forgot,” Gabi says, causing me to stop and look at her. "A package came for you today.”
“From who?”
She shrugs and lets out a chuckle. “Probably your boyfriend.”
A subtle smirk creeps onto my face, even as I try to narrow my eyes at her. “Funny.”
“I know. Thanks.”
I let out a laugh and head into my room, seeing a huge pink box with a bow on top sitting on my bed. My brows furrow as I approach it and lift the lid. An envelope sits on the top of the white tissue paper, and I pick it up, opening the letter inside.
I never thought I’d be writing one of these, and honestly, I never had the urge to. But you once mentioned loving the idea of receiving a love letter. Technically, you said you didn’t want one if you’d have to be in a relationship, so I guess this gets a pass, considering our relationship isn’t real.
This relationship might be fake, but this letter isn’t, and while I’ve never written one of these before, what I can do is be honest.
