take off," a voice

maginary fluff from my shoulder, a strangely intimate gesture. I was about to demand to know what sh

joy. "Especially your sister. I never had a sister, and it will be nice to almo

mber stopped besi

ke to get sea

own at me. "Are you moving over

welve other seats

u," she said. She rolled her eyes and

aid romance

makes up for it," the cabi

nd fastened her seat belt and then she took my hand in her

, the way my skin tingled where it touched hers

mber said. "Once we're in the air, if

ll be served approximately twenty

moved away, and I pulled

s that?"

work, because even you were buying it at one point when you to

awn me into the role she was playing,

d very little choice but to let her try

Lena, one person who suspects it's all a

ered this f

other," she

out her?

care about and if I agree to just anyone suspecting something, all you have to do is co

despite

ng Lena. Maybe this can work

d the tingling sensation where our palms touched. It loo

*************

s. After Lena did her little show on the p

t I was concerned that she wasn't going to be able to put herself into t

driver who loaded the luggage into the trunk and held her door open for her,

ed up at the hotel where all of the wedding events would be taking place

of the car. I sighed and got out myself and before I had a chance to s

nloaded our luggage. My mom pulled m

ow's thing

It's so nice to see y

to ruin this whole thing. Was she just going to come out and tell my mom I had paid her to

her whole face, and embraced my mom. They air kissed each other's

had. I wou

ersation with my mom flowed naturally, as if they were long-lost friends catching up. I stood there, dumb

arted banter, her witty remarks earning genuine laughter. It was as if she had transformed into someone else entirely-

t reminder that she had a role to play, a performance to uphold. I couldn't help but wonder if there was more to this act than met the eye. P

tened intently to my mom's stories, and shared anecdotes of her own that resonated with my sister. It was as if she had

e, this audacious plan of hiring her had a chance of success. The unease that had gripped me earlier began to di

-an unspoken agreement that we were in this together, navigating uncharted territory. And beneath t

e, Lena leaned closer to me

her words laced with sincerity. "For giving me this chance, for believ

he potential to transcend the boundaries of this charade. We had embarked on a journey that had the power to transform both

beautiful-a connection that could redefine our lives, if only we were willing to take the leap of faith together. And so, with a mixture of trepidation and excitement,