7

_Bella Davis POV_

"I asked a question. What is going on here?" He repeats his question, staring between Veronica and me.

I had to act before she did.

"Avery." I cry running to him. Running into his arms, I hold him sniffling. It was fake tears but they didn't have to know that.

"Why are you here?" Avery asks Veronica holding me tightly. 

Veronica looks at me and smiles, probably seeing through my act, she was already suspicious of me. I just have to make sure she never exposes me in front of Avery.

I needed to do something to throw this all in my favor.

" She was already inside our home when I got home and she asked how much you paid me to be with you, she thinks you paid me to pretend to be your girlfriend. She doesn't believe that I love you. She said I'm faking it." I cried holding Avery tighter.

Well, that should do it, I just needed to get out of this, just this once, and then I'd be good. 

The temperature in the room drops immediately, getting colder all of a sudden.

"You are doubting our relationship? Which means you are doubting my words and you think I am lying 'cause I said that Bella was my girlfriend." Avery accused and her face whitened. 

She immediately refutes, shaking her head.

"That's not what I said. She's lying. I just said I haven't seen you two together before, and you haven't introduced her to your father and me. We didn't know that she was your girlfriend, we all thought you were with Ava!" She denies it, spinning up a new tale to go with her lie.

So I'm guessing she's afraid of him, is that why she hates him so much? Should I tell Avery that his stepmother was the one behind his accident? 

No, it's not a concern of mine. I'd just be around till he gets his memory back, then I'd leave. 

"I don't think she likes me." I once again pretended to cry, covering my face with my hands. 

"Do I need your validation before I date someone?" Avery asks her and I peek from between my fingers to check her reaction.

"Avery. Love. It seems your girlfriend misunderstood me. First tell me, where did you two meet?" Veronica asks, and this time my heart rate increases.

Damn, it seems we are screwed. I have no idea where 'Bella' met Avery. And if my guesses are correct Avery has no idea where we supposedly met because of his memory loss. Heck, I don't even know which of his memories he supposedly lost. I'm just aware he has no memory of his actual girlfriend, but he remembers his parents. 

"Uh… It was at…." Avery trailed off, obviously unable to remember where we met.

"We met at…." He pinches his head, trying to focus and remember. But unfortunately, he is unable to.

Veronica looks at me and smirks.

What should I do? I need to get out of this.

"It's okay love. You suffered severe brain damage in the accident. You don't have to try and remember." I tell him, trying to get him to stop trying to remember cause there was nothing to remember. If I put their attention on him and his accident then maybe they would forget all about me.

"What about you? You didn't suffer 'severe brain damage. Surely you remember." Veronica turned her attention to me and I cursed her in my head. 

She should have just let everything go without troubling me.

"Uhm… Me?" I ask and she nods her head. 

I look at Avery and he is watching me too. Waiting for what I'd say. That one percentage of suspicion was evident on his face because of my hesitation.

Oh shit. Now I have to make up something.

"We first met when we were kids. I was crying because other kids picked on me and he chased them away and told me to wake up and stop crying, I never met him again after that. Fast forward years later and we meet in a restaurant, at first I didn't realize he was one till we got to know each other better." I say smiling up at him, the suspicious look he had on before cleared away instantly and he smiled down at me. 

Ba-dum

My heart skipped a beat and I looked away shaking my head. 

Luke should have added a rule for me not to fall in love with Avery no matter what.

Okay don't get me wrong, Avery is a nice guy and all, but he's not my guy. Most times he acts cold towards me and it makes me want to slap his face with sunshine.

Veronica looked at me like I had faked the story, of course, my story was fake. Well, they are both part of my memories, they just didn't happen between Avery and me. As long as they bought it. That's all that matters.

"So that's how you both met."  Veronica trails off not buying the story. That story sounds like something that came from a romance book, not real life.

"You think she is lying?" Avery asks holding me possessively. 

I wonder what he would think after he remembers all. He would hate me surely, not that I cared. I just needed my money and I'd be gone from his life. Hopefully, I won't stay around for too long.

Avery has the kind of charm that would make girls fall for him. No wonder he was the most eligible bachelor.

"What are you still waiting for?" Avery asked and I snapped out of my daze, staring at him confused.

Veronica's face mirrored mine.

"I asked. Why are you still here? Leave." He told Veronica bluntly and she looked at him shocked that he was chasing her out of his home.

Did I mention he was rude too? Yes, Avery Tamer is very rude.