Chapter 5: Lunch

OLIVE BECKETT

"It's what this is, isn't it? You want Summer for yourself and you've come to destroy my engagement, haven't you? Are you still going to live that pathetic life ? Face it, Easton, not everything bends to your rules!"

"She doesn't want you!"

"And she wants you? Focus on your love live, it is clear you need some help in that department!"

"Fuck you. I have a girlfriend."

"Her?" He pointed at me. "Everyone here knows this is a facade. A big lie, I can tell. You guys are not dating."

Easton held his face like as he watched his brother, Ethan. It was like a show-off and a stupid one, if you would ask me. What I didn't expect was the next thing he uttered.

"You're right," he scoffed. "We aren't dating. That's because she is not my girlfriend. Olive is my fiance, and we are getting married."

The room froze as I watched him lie. I sat there, speechless as our fake relationship turned to a fake marriage in a blink of an eye.

~~~~~~

6 hours earlier

He picked me up at seven on the dot. Where and why we were going was still a mystery to me. But I badly needed this fake relationship to work.

“So, whose engagement ceremony are we going to stop?” I asked the moment I got in the car.

“My brother’s,” he said, his eyes focused on the road.

“Excuse me, what? Why are you stopping your brother's engagement ceremony?”

“It's a long story.”

“Yeah… one that you need to tell me about because I need to prepare for it.”He looked focused, like a different man from last night.

“Okay… since you want an explanation. He is getting married to my best friend, and I can't let him.”

“If she loves him—”

“She doesn't love him,” he finished. “She doesn't love him. She's just making a stupid decision, like the other stupid decisions she has made.”

The way his jaw flexed when he talked about the engagement showed the extent he was willing to go to stop it. It almost felt as if he hated the idea of giving away the woman he loved. Oh my gosh, that's it!

“You love her,” I said.

He blinked, and for a minute, I could tell he hadn't expected me to figure it out.

“You love her, don't you? That's why you want to stop the engagement. But if she chose your brother, I think you should respect her decision.”

“You don't know her like I do. She definitely does not want my brother. She made this decision because of something else, and I have to find out why.”

“I didn't sign up for this, you know? The deal was a fake relationship, not an addition to family drama. Excuse me, but I don't want the additional perks.”

He snorted, and I could see a little smile form on the side of his lips.

“Don’t worry, I won't get you into any mess.”

Soon enough, we got to his family house, more like a mansion. The type you would see in an Indian series, where the extended family was part of the show as well. The gate automatically opened as he drove in.

Grand facades featured towering gateways and ornate jharokhas, overhanging balconies with carved stone screens that allowed ventilation while maintaining privacy. Sloping roofs with terracotta tiles.

It looked magical and homely.

“Are you sure about this?” I asked him at the doorstep, our hands intertwined.

“Yes, I am.”

He rang the doorbell, and in a flash, the door opened. A woman, presumably in her late 60s, beamed at us.

“Mom.” He rushed into her arms, and she squealed.

“I'm soooo happy you could make it, Buttercup!”

Buttercup? Interesting.

“And who is she?”

“This is my girlfriend, Olive.”

I went in to hug her, and she placed a kiss on my forehead.

“Now I know the lucky girl who captured my Buttercup's heart.”

I smiled and she walked us inside. The living area was grand, decorated amazingly with gold and bronze.

Top-to-bottom windows shone sunlight through the house. In the middle stood a man with a striking resemblance to Easton and another who had the same face, holding a beautiful blonde’s hand.

“Guess who came?!”

Easton rushed to the older man and hugged him. “Dad!”

“Hey, slugger. I didn't think you would come.”

“No way, there's no way I'll miss this.”

“This is Olive, my girlfriend.” He introduced me to his father, and I didn't expect him to like me as well.

“It was about time you brought a girl home,” the other guy said.

“Olive, this is my brother, Ethan.” I could hear the difference in his voice.

“Nice to meet you,” Ethan said. I took a good look at him. Sharp jawline, black suit, and an arrogant attitude underneath it all. Compared to Easton, he was the worst version—the overbearing kind.

“Hi, I'm Summer.” A slim hand stretched out to touch mine.

Oh-

I'm guessing this is the girl. Thick blonde curls cascaded down her back, blue eyes that looked exactly like the sky. Soft porcelain skin with little dots of freckles underneath her eyes like beauty marks. Her voice sounded like she was singing a lullaby.

She wasn't just pretty—she was beautiful, like she had just come out of a Barbie cartoon.

“Summer.”

I could tell by how he looked at her… focused on the way his brother held her hand and the way his jaw flexed. There was tension between the three of them, and anyone could tell.

“Okay…why don't you go to your room and settle down with Olive, buttercup?”

He nodded, held my hand, and walked us upstairs.

—-----------------------------------------------------

“So, what's the plan?”

“I don't know. I'll try to convince Summer as much as I can,” he groaned, pushing his bangs all the way back.

“Are you sure you're not making the wrong decision? I saw her, and she didn't seem like she was forced to get married to him.”

“She doesn't love him. I know that.”

“And you think she loves you?” He paused, then turned to me.

“I know this is none of my business, and I know nothing about you and Summer, but don't you think you're living a delusion? Also, if you want to stop this engagement ceremony so bad, why did you agree to this fake relationship with me?”

It made no sense to me. Why waste my time? What was my reason for being here?

“If she sees me with someone else, it would make her jealous. Look, this is none of your business. No invading personal space, remember?”

“Okay, damn. You're a hard one to crack.”

He walked into the bathroom and, after a few minutes, walked out with nothing but a towel hanging low on his waist.

Instinctively, I covered my eyes with my hands.

“No worries, you can look. I enjoy the attention.”

Prick.

Three hours later, I walked down to the dining room for lunch. I had no idea where Easton had escaped to, but the show must go on. I didn't even have enough time to settle in when Easton walked into the dining room with Ethan following behind him. Ethan caught up with him quickly and pushed him aside.

“What the fuck is wrong with you?!” Ethan shouted.

“Is this it? This is why you're here, right?!”

Summer walked out to where they stood.

“Stop it, Ethan. It's not his fault.”

“Not his fault? Sure, you'll always take his side.”

“I'm not,” she said. “But you can't hit him because of me.”

“Why are you with him?!” Easton shouted. “I know you, Summy. You don't love him. You told me yourself.” He looked straight at Ethan. “My brother is a narcissistic, arrogant airhead. Those were your words.”

Ethan picked him up and threw blow after blow at Easton. Their parents tried to stop it, but Easton didn't even try to fight back. He just let his brother hit him and then shove him.

“I'm done with this shit! I'm done with always letting you get away with whatever you do! You're the golden child. The one that everyone forgives so easily.” He breathed heavily.

“It's what this is, isn't it? You want Summer for yourself, and you've come to destroy my engagement, haven't you? Are you still going to live that pathetic life? Face it, Easton, not everything bends to your rules!”

“She doesn't want you! She doesn't love you!”

“And she loves you? Focus on your love life; it's clear you need some help in that department!”

“Fuck you. I have a girlfriend.”

“Her?” He pointed at me. “Everyone here knows this is a facade. A big lie, I can tell. You guys aren't dating. You think I wouldn't know?”

Easton held his face high as he watched his brother, Ethan. It was like a show-off, and a stupid one if you asked me. What I didn't expect was the next thing he uttered.

“You're right,” he scoffed. “We aren't dating. That's because she isn't my girlfriend. Olive is my fiancée, and we are getting married.”

The room froze as I watched him lie. I sat there, speechless, as our fake relationship turned into a fake marriage in the blink of an eye.