Violent knocks exploded against the door, dragging Celeste out of her sleep. "Even if I'm running out of time, I still have over two months left, so why is he here?" she panicked. She frantically slipped into her robe and grabbed the bat laying under her bed. Wielding the bat in her hand, she tiptoed across the vinyl floor to the front door. She increased her grip on the bat and eased the door open, bracing herself.
As she was just about to swing the bat, she froze.
"Adrian?"
He blinked at her, then at the bat raised above her shoulder. "Are you crazy?" he said, his voice a mix of anger and annoyance.
"I thought you were an intruder, she shot back, lowering the bat slightly.
"An intruder?" He eyed the weapon. "And why exactly do you even have a bat?"
She gave him a dry look. "I'm a single girl living in New York. That should be enough of an explanation for you. And besides, why were you banging on my door like you were about to commit bloody murder at seven a.m. on a Saturday?"
He scoffed and ignored her question. "Get dressed. We're going out."
She crossed her arms. "Excuse me?"
"We're in a relationship after all," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Remember?"
She rolled her eyes. It turned out that Ila had set up their first public appearance together at the homeless shelter. How convenient. She left Adrian in her living room and went to her bedroom to get ready, putting on a simple T-shirt and jacket to go with her mum jeans.
She returned to the living room to find Adrian flipping through the culinary books on her small bookshelf.
He glanced up with a grin. "someone's a little obsessed with 'Chopped.'"
"Are you ready to leave or not?" she snapped.
"Okay, okay he said, raising his hands in surrender. Let's go."
Celeste was surprised that Adrian was driving himself. She expected someone with his type of uptight, arrogant personality to have waitstaff at his beck and call. They pulled up to the shelter and waiting there was Ila, camera in hand. Of course, she had to cover their PR relationship to save Adrians destroyed public image.
Celeste noticed a little girl shivering in the corner, it seemed like she was too cold to stand up from where she was. Holding her jacket in her hand, Celeste went over to the girl and crouched. She softly covered her with the jacket and wrapped her in a warm embrace. Celeste knew how it felt to be alone and helpless.
Adrian looked over and saw the entire interaction. He softened his gaze and let out a glimpse of a smile. Maybe Celeste wasn't the cold, blunt girl he had thought her to be.
******************************************
Two weeks into the arrangement they were at a charity gala at the Metropolitan Museum.
They were supposed to be seen together, nothing more. But when a reporter cornered them asking about their "whirlwind romance," Adrian's hand had found the small of her back and he'd steered her away, his touch surprisingly gentle.
Now they stood in front of a Renaissance painting, the party buzzing around them.
"You're good at this," Celeste said quietly. "The whole fake charm thing."
"Years of practice." He studied the painting. It was a Monet scene showing water lilies reflecting on a pond surface. "My father used to say that business is theatre. Everyone's performing."
"That sounds exhausting."
"It is." He glanced at her.
His voice was softer now. "I remember that last interview. When they asked if you forgave me, you said "I'm working on it." Ila probably had a heart attack, but it was honest."
Celeste blinked. She hadn't expected him to notice. Or care.
"My grandmother always said lying takes too much energy," she admitted. "Said life's too short to pretend."
Adrian's expression shifted, a flicker of something hidden darting behind his eyes. "There's something I need you to do. The board suggested it and I agree with it."
Celeste's composure fractured, her dress suddenly tightening on her. "What?" she replied.
"I need you to make a statement saying that you lied about your injury. We'll establish that the accident still happened, but the injuries weren't as bad as you made them out to be. Of course we'll continue the fake dating, but you have to do this."
Celeste gasped in horror. "You know that's not even remotely. There's no way in hell I'm doing that."
Adrian sighed. "Look, I didn't want this to happen either, but my team did some digging into your past, and if you want us to keep shut, you just have to do as we say."
Celeste's mouth hung open in shock. "I knew you were evil, but I never knew you were the devil himself," she said, her eyes barely controlling her tears. She knew at this moment that she was trapped completely. Her past had finally caught up to her.
Adrian sighed. "This isn't what I want Celeste."