Chapter 10: ***

Avery Rose

The entire car ride is silent. I am too ashamed even to breathe loudly. Mr Styles stays busy on his laptop and doesn’t even look up from his screen at all.

I feel myself drifting off to sleep as the car slows. I hear a beep before the sound of large gates opening. I look out the window and my jaw hangs open when I look at the massive house before me.

There was a fountain in the middle of the compound and it was surrounded by well-trimmed flowers.

The car stops in front of the double doors that were the entrance to the mansion before us. Malcom gets down and opens the door for Mr Styles. I follow behind him and sheepishly thank Malcom who doesn’t have any expression on his face.

The doors open and an older woman is already standing by the door with her arms outstretched. She realizes that Mr Styles isn’t putting on his coat.

Her eyes drift to me, specifically the coat on my body. When I make no move to remove it, she gives me a polite smile and heads inside. Mr Styles heads up the grand stairs without sparing me a glance.

“Come with me, Miss.” Another woman says. It is just then that I notice that the first woman I saw at the entrance is nowhere to be found. I follow the second woman up the stairs. She heads to the left which is the opposite of where Mr Styles headed earlier.

We stop in front of a door and she gives me a polite smile. “Mr Styles will be meeting you in the study in fifteen minutes.”

She turns and leaves me alone. I open the door and I’m met with a sparsely decorated room. It must be one of the guest rooms because nothing personal is inside. It just has the essentials.

I see the neatly folded clothes on the bed and recall that I have to meet Mr Styles in fifteen minutes. I take off his coat and the uncomfortable dress before heading to the bathroom.

I don’t dwell on the size of the bathroom which looks like my entire living room and kitchen combined. I head straight to the showers and do my business.

Once I’m done, I quickly throw on the clothes which are an oversized sweatshirt and sweatpants that I had to tie tightly on the waist. I check my phone and it’s almost twenty minutes past the time I was given.

I rush out of the room wondering where the study is only to see the same woman from earlier waiting. I wonder how long she has been waiting for me.

She starts walking off and I follow behind. When we get to the study, she motions for me to enter. I knock twice before opening the door.

Mr Styles is seated behind a large oak table but instead of his usual suit, he is putting on a simple shirt. I take a seat opposite him. I still can’t shake off the memory of the disappointed look on his face from earlier.

“Um… Thank you.” I finally say. The words feel useless in my mouth because I have been saying them for the past few days to him. “If you hadn’t come in earlier, I don't know what could have happened. Well, I do know but.. but I’m glad it didn't.” I don't know what else to say so I just sit there staring at my fingers.

I hear him sigh before he slides the papers in my direction.

“One year and we call it off.” He says. I take the papers and slowly read through them. The first was a quick summary of our fake meeting and eventual dating history.

“Nobody will believe this story. I just got out of a four-year relationship. All the reporters need to do is a simple digging.” I tell him but he just smirks.

“Who knows you were in a relationship?” I furrow my brows in confusion at the absurdity of his question.

“Well, everyone..?”

“Caleb, right? His coworkers know you as his close cousin he grew up with.” Mr Styles says and I scoff. He does not know what he is talking about. “Your landlord believes you two are sharing the apartment and splitting rent.”

“That’s not true. Caleb changed the names on the papers and contract type. And his coworkers..” That is when it dawns on me. I have never gone to any of his official company dinners or parties.

It was either a birthday party or just drinks with some friends. There was no introduction as his girlfriend although I just assumed they knew.

“And his family?” Mr Styles asks and my mouth snaps shut completely. Caleb always came up with an excuse not to meet his family. One time it was work and the other it was his uncle’s health.

Mr Styles slides his tablet to me and I see a picture of Caleb, Melody, and a woman who looks exactly like Caleb. “This was taken last year on his mother’s birthday.”

Last year…

I remember him saying that it was a small gathering of only his family members. Turns out, I’m the only one excluded. I gulp and push the tab back to him. I wonder how much of what Caleb has said to me is a lie. Have I just been in a relationship with myself all this time?

“So you see in every other person’s eyes, you were never in a relationship.” Mr Styles drives the final nail into my heart. I just nod my head and continue reading through the papers.

The next one has a set of rules for the fake relationship and they did not look all that difficult.

“Number five, act as in love as possible in front of everyone.” I read out and he clears his throat.

“We have to act the part if the public is going to buy the story.” He simply says.

I nod and read the final clause which states that in no situation is either of us allowed to gain actual feelings for the other. On the occurrence of that, the marriage is nullified. The clause doesn’t even move me the slightest. After Caleb, I doubt I will be able to love anyone else.

“Think about it tonight and give me an answer by morning.” He says. I read through the rules again and my mind is made up. I feel like he also knows it is but we both mutually agree to conclude the conversation by morning.

“Have a great night.”