Chapter 50: Emma

As I pushed open the door to The Maple Nook the morning after the art exhibition, the bell above the door chimed a greeting. It felt like a spotlight was on me, accentuating the new, somewhat infamous status Liam and I had inadvertently cultivated. I had already confided in Katie about the fake relationship with Liam, so she was privy to the behind-the-scenes of this whole charade. 

When I first told her, her eyes had widened in shock, almost comically so, before morphing into an expression of sheer thrill. 'You and Liam Harrington, in a fake romance? This is straight out of a movie!' she had exclaimed, her voice a mix of disbelief and excitement. Her enthusiasm was infectious, even if I was still wrapping my head around the whole situation.

I knew I wasn’t supposed to tell anyone, but there was no way I’d be getting through this if I didn’t have one person I could confide in. Katie had always been my partner in crime back in high school, so she was a natural fit for the role.