Chapter 4 - This Is Crazy

Aria's POV

I didn’t know why I said yes.

Even after the words left my mouth, I stood there for a second wondering if I could take them back, like maybe if I pretended I didn’t say it, everything would just reset and I wouldn’t have to deal with any of this.

But Damon didn’t look surprised. He just looked at me like he already expected it.

“When does this start?” I repeated, this time a little quieter, because now that I had said it, it suddenly felt real in a way I wasn’t prepared for.

A small pause passed between us before he spoke. “Now.”

I let out a short breath and shook my head slightly. “You’re very calm about all this.”

“I told you, I don’t like leaving things out of control,” he said, like that explained everything. But it didn’t.

Nothing about this made sense to me, and the more I thought about it, the crazier it sounded. I had just met this man less than a day ago, kissed him without thinking, and now I was standing in my own house agreeing to pretend to be his girlfriend like this was some kind of normal arrangement.

I turned slightly, pacing a little because standing still made me feel more anxious. “Okay, let’s say I agree to this, what exactly does it involve? Because I’m not about to embarrass myself further.”

“You won’t,” he said calmly. “That’s not reassuring,” I replied, stopping to look at him. “You barely know me.”

“I know enough.”

That made me pause.

Something about the way he said it felt… certain. Like he wasn’t guessing. Like he had already decided something about me and wasn’t going to change his mind.

“I don’t even know you,” I said. “Then you should ask,” he replied.

I stared at him for a second, slightly confused. “Are you always like this?” He didn’t answer immediately, just held my gaze for a moment before saying, “You get used to dealing with things quickly.”

That didn’t really answer my question, but I didn’t push it. There was something about him that made me feel like I wouldn’t get more than what he was willing to give anyway.

Sophia cleared her throat softly from where she had been quietly watching everything, like she didn’t want to interrupt but also couldn’t hold herself back anymore. “I’m sorry, but I just want to confirm something… you two are actually doing this?”

I glanced at her. “Apparently.”

She looked between both of us, clearly trying to process it. “You’re going to pretend to date?”

“Yes,” Damon said simply. Sophia blinked. “Wow.”That was all she said, but the way she said it carried a lot more. I sighed and ran my hand through my hair. “Okay, wait… if we’re doing this, there has to be rules.”

Damon nodded slightly. “Of course.” That surprised me.

“Good,” I said, feeling a little more in control now. “Because I’m not just going to go along with whatever you say.”

“I didn’t expect you to.”

That made me pause again, but I ignored it and continued.

“First, this is temporary. We do this until things calm down, and then we’re done.” “Second, no unnecessary drama. I’ve had enough of that already.”

“That won’t be a problem.”

“And third…” I hesitated for a second, not sure how to phrase it. “We keep things… simple. No crossing lines.”

His eyes stayed on me as I said that, and for a brief moment, something in his expression shifted slightly, like he understood what I meant without me having to explain further.

“Understood,” he said.

I nodded slowly, even though something about that moment made me feel a little uneasy, like I had just agreed to something bigger than I realized. “So what now?” I asked.

“Now,” he said, reaching into his pocket and pulling out his phone, “we make it believable.”

Before I could ask what he meant, he stepped slightly closer to me, not too much, but enough that I became aware of the distance between us again. “Stand closer,” he said.

I frowned. “Why?”

“Because no one will believe this if you look like you want to run away. “I don’t want to run away,” I said quickly.

He raised a brow slightly. “…Okay, maybe a little,” I admitted. That almost made him smile.

“Just stand closer,” he said again, a little softer this time. I hesitated for a second before stepping closer, and the moment I did, I became very aware of everything again—the way he looked, the way he carried himself, the fact that this was the same man I had kissed last night.

“Relax,” he said quietly. “I am relaxed.”

“You’re not.”

I sighed. “This is weird.”

“It will feel less weird if you stop thinking about it.”

“That’s not how my brain works.”

“I can tell.”

I gave him a look, but I still stayed where I was.

He lifted his phone slightly, angling it just right, and I realized what he was doing. “You’re taking a picture?” I asked.

“Yes.”

I let out a small breath. “This is happening too fast.” Before I could say anything else, he wrapped an arm lightly around my waist, not too tight, not uncomfortable, just enough to make it look natural.

My breath caught slightly.

“Damon—”

“Relax,” he said again, his voice low but steady. “Just look at the camera.”

I didn’t argue this time.

I just looked.