Page 6 of Fake Dating My Best Friend

She pulled me toward her, her arm wrapping around my shoulders and dragging me into her lap. I ended up flush against her chest, my hands instinctively clutching her dress for balance. My body met hers, the familiar heat rushing up my skin, reminding me of how much I wanted my best friend.

The world stopped. The clatter of the café, the steam of the espresso machine—it all vanished.

There was only Chloe. The scent of her floral perfume, the svelte strength of her arms, and the blue of her eyes, which were currently inches from mine. She didn't let go. Her gaze dropped to my lips, and for a second, the air between us felt thick enough to burn.

“See?” she whispered, her voice low and dangerously intimate. “People would kill to be this close to you.”

The romantic tension was so heavy it felt like a physical weight on my chest. I wanted to lean up. I wanted to see if the heat in her eyes was real or just another layer of the act.

“SLOANE! OH MY GOD!”

The shriek shattered the moment like a brick through a window.

I jumped, nearly falling off Chloe’s lap as I looked toward the door. My heart plummeted into my stomach. Standing there, clad in a bright floral scarf and beaming with enough energy to power the entire campus, was my mother.

“It is you.” She walked toward me until she was standing overhead. We had sprung apart, but she’d seen us embracing like lovers in a café, in front of an audience. Her eyes flickered to Chloe. “And Chloe.”

“Mom?” I choked out.

“Mrs. Peterson!” Chloe said, her ‘perfect girl’ smile sliding into place with terrifying ease. “What a surprise.”

“I knew it! I knew it!” She was practically vibrating with excitement. She looked between my flustered face and Chloe’s protective arm, which—to my horror—didn't move. Chloe just pulled me closer to her side.

“Knew what?” I was almost afraid to ask.

“The whole college is talking!” my mom cried, clutching her chest. “I heard so many people say you two were dating on my way here, but I was too scared to believe it.” She glances at us still stick together. “Looks like they were right.” I looked at Chloe, desperate for a way out, but Chloe just leaned over and pressed a sweet, lingering kiss to my temple. I felt all my resolve sinking. We had an audience, and that meant we had to lie. “Oh my god, I’ve been hoping this would happen…that you two would come to your senses one day.” She turned to me, and I knew I was in trouble. “Sloane, honey, why didn't you tell me? After ten years of you two being inseparable, I always hoped... I always knew!”

“We wanted to be sure before we made it official, Mrs. Peterson,” Chloe said smoothly, her eyes meeting mine with a wink that made my blood run hot. “But yes. It’s true. I finally realized the best thing in my life was standing right next to me.”

My mother let out a sob of pure joy. I stood there, frozen in the grip of the lie. My mother was thrilled. The secret was out. And as Chloe squeezed my waist, I realized we weren't just fake dating anymore. We were performing for the most important audience of all—my family.

“Your dad will be so thrilled,” mom said. “And your mom too, Chloe. Why don’t you two come over for dinner this weekend? It’s been so long since I had you both in the house.”

And just like that, we were stuck pretending once more. I turned to Chloe, whose eyes were fixed on mine. Was she thinking the same thing I was? That this lie was getting out of control? And the worst part was that it wasn’t even a lie. Not for me.

The smell of my mother’s roast chicken usually felt like home. Tonight, it felt like an interrogation room.

The dining table was set with the best china, the candles were lit, and the air was thick with the kind of parental approval that could crush a person. My parents and Chloe’s mom, Sarah, were practically glowing across from us. They’d been neighbors for fifteen years, shared lawnmowers and holiday recipes, and now they were sharing the smug satisfaction of a long-term plan finally coming to fruition.

"I told you, didn't I?" my dad said, gesturing between us with a carving knife. "I told Sarah back in middle school that these two were a package deal. You can't have one without the other.”

"It’s true," Sarah laughed, her eyes misty as she looked at Chloe. "I always worried about the boys you brought home, honey. They never seemed to... fit. But Sloane? Sloane has been part of your life since she was seven. I couldn’t believe it when Sloane’s mom told me you guys were dating, but I can see it now."

All evening, our parents had been going on about our new relationship, and with each lie, each omission, my guilt piled. How were we ever going to tell them that all this was fake?

"We just needed a little time to figure it out ourselves," Chloe said, her voice smooth but her fingers trembling against mine. She reached under the table, finding my hand and squeezing it—hard. Clearly, she was better at lying than me. I’d considered telling our parents the truth, but Chloe said that would complicate things further so we were sticking to the lie for now.

"But how did it actually happen?" my mom asked, leaning forward, her chin in her hands. "I want the details. Who finally realized it first?”

The table went quiet, expectant. Chloe’s grip on my hand tightened further. I could feel her panic. She was usually good at keeping the conversation going, but this was different. This was the people who knew our histories, our habits, our souls. She didn't have a script for this.

So, I took the lead. I had to.

"It wasn't a sudden realization," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. I let go of Chloe’s hand under the table so I could look her in the eye. "It was more like... finally admitting something that had been true for a long time.”

Chloe’s blue eyes locked onto mine, her lips parting slightly.

"I’ve spent years watching Chloe move through life," I continued, and suddenly the room felt very small. The parents faded into the background. "I watched her date people who only saw a pretty face and the confidence. They didn't see the way she gets quiet when she’s actually scared, or the way she’ll go out of her way to make someone else feel like the most important person in the room just because she knows what it’s like to feel alone."