Love in Italy

-19-

-Tuesday December 20th-

——Recap——

"SURPRISE"

——Present——

"You guys did all this for me? I seriously thought you all forgot my birthday."

"Really Rafael? You would think your best friend since age 5 would forget your birthday?" Matteo says, coming over to us.

"Well..."

"We would never forget Rafael." I laugh.

"Yeah, what kind of girlfriend would Nat be if she forgot?" Amara adds.

"Is this why you moved our photography date? So you had a way to keep me from coming over to your house?"

"Maybe...."

"Nat...." He mimics.

"Fine! That was the reason." I huff. "Now come on, go talk to people." I push him forward into the crowd. He looks at me and smiles before going to talk to Arlo. I smile back, even though he isn't looking.

"You really like him, don't you?" Sofia asks standing next to me.

"Oh, umm..." I stutter. This whole 'dating' thing started as a favor. It's not like I actually liked him when I said yes. But I honestly don't know anymore. Maybe I do like him. It's not like he likes me back. He already said he liked another girl. "I mean, I'm dating him. I wouldn't be if I didn't."

"Come on, Natalia, we both know that's not what I mean."

"Well, what do you mean?" She can't know it's fake.

"I mean, I know you two are not actually dating. I heard you two on face time the other night when you were planning a 'date' and you yelled at him." She laughs.

"Then why are you going along with it?"

"Because he's my brother. And you both clearly like each other..."

"No, we don't. He likes someone else."

"But you like him?" She asks well more like tells.

"No..." I really want to say yes. I've been fighting myself about it since what happened on November 30th but if I say it, that means others know. It's bad enough that she knows this whole thing is fake! Everything is just falling apart. I mean, our one rule of doing this is we couldn't fall for each other. And guess what? I fucking broke it! This is honestly the most cliche, romance movie type thing that could happen and I don't even know how it happened.

"You do. I can see it in the way you look at him. Emma never looked at him like that, and he never looked at her like that. I'm going back to college on January 2nd so I wanted to tell you this now just in case I don't see you. Don't let the opportunity slip away. If you like Rafael, tell him. The worst that happens is he says he doesn't like you back. Which I highly doubt will happen. I made the mistake my junior year. I liked this guy, and I didn't tell him in time so he asked out someone else. Girls can make the first move too. I mean, if you two got together, it wouldn't be any different. You already have to act like it in front of your friends. And you two do a pretty good job."

I nod slowly at Sofia's words. She isn't wrong. I just wish this whole thing wasn't a complete mess. "We'll see. I don't even know how I feel."

"At least think about it." Sofia responds and then walks off. When did my life become so crazy? I really should have said no to Rafael. Or had us 'break up' when Emma got a boyfriend.

"Nat, you coming? It's time for cake?" Rafael says, pulling me out of my thoughts. Jeez, how long was I talking to Sofia?

"Oh right! Let me go grab it!" I grab the cheesecake from the fridge and set it on the table. Aunt Stella then helps me put candles in it.