All Chapters of Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend: Chapter 31 - Chapter 38

38 Chapters

Chapter Thirty-One

Riley's POVWhat kind of outfit was considered appropriate for dinner with your fake boyfriend's parents when you knew absolutely nothing about them? I sprawled across the mountain of clothes covering my bed and stared at the ceiling.Exhausted.The day had already drained whatever energy I had left. The argument with Cole felt like the final layer of icing on a very unpleasant cake. I didn't have the mental energy to pretend tonight.Not just because of the fake relationship. Because deep down, I knew spending an evening with the Donovans would remind me of everything my own family wasn't. And that was the part I dreaded.There was something uniquely painful about seeing something beautiful, getting a glimpse of it, then realizing it could never be yours. Maybe I should cancel. Call in sick? Fake food poisoning? Would Cole even believe me?"Urgggg."I groaned into my pillow just as my phone buzzed beside me. A new message. From Cole.7PM. Don't be late.A second message followed imme

Chapter Thirty-Two

Cole's POVRiley stared at me like she'd seen a ghost. Honestly, I was just as surprised that I'd driven all the way here to pick her up."You're being childish," Tyler had said the moment we got home after our argument."It's not childish. According to the contract, neither of us is supposed to do anything that contradicts the narrative of this arrangement.""Looking at that clause, don't you think you broke it first? There was that picture with Emilia.""That couldn't be helped."Tyler rolled his eyes. "And you think this is any different?""Yes. Their situation is based on consent and free will."He laughed. "Oh my God." A hand pressed dramatically against his chest. "Cole Donovan is jealous.""What the hell are you talking about? Why would I be jealous? This is a contractual arrangement.""Which is exactly why you're acting ridiculous." He shook his head. "Even in a real relationship, Riley is allowed to have friends."Tyler started toward his room but paused at the doorway. "You

Chapter Thirty-Three

Riley’s POVTalking to Cole's mom was easy. The hard part was Mr. Donovan. It wasn't because of my own issues with my father. At least, not entirely. And it wasn't because of his intimidating presence either, though the man could probably make seasoned politicians sweat with a single look.It was because of the way he and Cole interacted. Or rather, the way they didn't. Every conversation between them felt like two people standing on opposite sides of a battlefield, pretending not to notice the weapons. And for some reason, that scared me.Still, I did my best to be cheerful. Mr. Donovan's responses were short and measured, but I refused to let that discourage me. Cole had warned me on the drive over."My dad enjoys intimidating people." Those had been his exact words. "If you survive the first dinner, congratulations. You're officially approved."So naturally, I squared my shoulders and put on my best brave-girl smile. Apparently, Mr. Donovan found that amusing. A small smirk tugged

Chapter Thirty-Four

Cole's POV"She's going to live, Cole. It's just a cut."Tyler's voice snapped me out of whatever thoughts had followed Riley down the hallway. I looked away from the direction she'd disappeared and found him smirking at me from across the table. Mom noticed immediately, of course she did."Look at him," she said, nudging Dad with her elbow. "He's worried."I frowned. "I am not worried.""You absolutely are."Dad sighed. "I owe your mother a thousand dollars."Tyler nearly choked on his drink. "What?""He bet me Cole wasn't over Emelia."The entire table fell silent. Then Tyler burst out laughing."So that's why you invited her?" I muttered, annoyed.Dad looked completely unapologetic. "It was a scientific experiment.""It was a bet.""Same thing."I rubbed a hand over my face. I couldn't believe these people. Mom looked entirely too pleased with herself."I told him he was wrong.""And I was wrong." Dad shrugged."Very wrong."The sound of footsteps pulled everyone's attention toward

Chapter Thirty-Five

Riley's POVThe dinner went better than I expected. Considering most of the chaos had been caused by me, that was saying something.At least it wasn't a complete disaster. Cole’s mom seemed happy. Mr. Donovan hadn't scared me into a nervous breakdown. And somehow, despite everything, I was fairly certain we survived the evening.Cole didn't talk much on the drive back, but that wasn't unusual. Honestly, I didn't have the energy for conversation either. Dinner had drained me.Unfortunately, exhaustion didn't stop my brain from replaying Emelia's phone call. I couldn't stop wondering what she'd meant.‘She has nothing to do with why I came back.’I had considered telling Cole what I'd overheard. Then decided against it. It wasn't my place. Still, a small voice in the back of my head kept asking the same question. Who was "she"? And why did I have the horrible feeling Emelia had been talking about me?By the time I got home, June was nowhere to be found. So much for binge-watching her fa

‎Chapter Thirty-Six

Riley's POV‎‎I stood frozen as students who knew absolutely nothing about me dissected my life like it was entertainment. They didn't know what Matty had done. They didn't know how badly it had hurt. They didn't know the mess I'd been left to clean up afterwarYet somehow, I was the villain. The worst part? A small, ugly part of me felt guilty anyway. I knew I shouldn't. But I did.‎‎A hand settled firmly on my shoulder. I startled and looked up. Cole. His grey eyes met mine. Calm, steady, softer than I'd ever seen them before.‎‎"Come on," he said quietly. "We should go."‎His hand slid from my shoulder to my wrist before settling around my hand. The gesture was simple. But somehow, it grounded me.‎‎I let him lead me through the crowd. Noah fell into step beside us without saying a word. The further we walked, the worse it got.‎‎Whispers followed us. Phones appeared. Some students didn't even bother pretending they weren't staring.‎‎My shoulders tightened. My breathing beca

Chapter Thirty-Seven

Cole's POV“Yo, Cole. I was just about to call you.” Tyler’s voice came through the phone the moment he picked up. “I saw the post on Campus Blog. It seems to be gaining a lot of traction. Is she okay?”I glanced over my shoulder. Riley sat on the bleachers with Noah, the afternoon sun filtering through the trees behind them. The tension that had practically swallowed her whole earlier seemed to have eased a little.“Red is fine.” I said then regretted it immediately because Tyler had certainly not missed it.“Red,” Tyler repeated, amusement dripping from every syllable.I pinched the bridge of my nose.“We can't make it back to the meeting though. Any way you can convince Stacy to move the meeting forward?”“Why can't you make it?”My gaze drifted back to Riley. Noah was saying something to her. The sight rubbed me the wrong way. I looked away immediately.“Take a hint, Tyl.”“Whatever.” He hung up.I stared at my phone for a second longer before slipping it into my pocket. What the

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Riley’s POVCole stared at me like he couldn’t believe what had just come out of his own mouth. A subtle grimace crossed his face, the kind people made when they regretted a decision a second too late.“Urmm… well…” he stuttered.Oh my gosh. Cole Donovan was stuttering.“Actually, you’re right. I remember now,” I said quickly, rescuing him before he completely malfunctioned.He stared at me for a beat, confusion flickering across his face before he gave a small nod.“Thank you for the offer,” I told Noah, “but I’ll go with Cole.”“Of course.” Noah stepped back with an easy smile.“Well, shall we?” I turned to Cole.He nodded and grabbed his things. The walk to his car was rather quiet, and awkward, the awkward kind that made me suddenly aware of every footstep, every rustle of leaves, every passing student.I still didn’t know what work he was talking about, and he hadn’t made an effort to explain what it was. The moment we reached his car, he stopped and faced me. His usual composur

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