I Pretend You're Mine

10. A Novel Concept

"So, it's not..."

"Lucy," he squeezed her hand, "we can be scared about taking the risk, but we owe it to ourselves to see what we could be. Maybe we mess everything up, but maybe we have something better."

She tried not to shake despite her anxiety. "We can't know what'll happen."

He traced the outline of her engagement ring and replied, "I think our time here has proven we know what our future holds. How happy we can be together. How easy it all is."

"That's the thing, Tim. We're pretending."

"What exactly are you pretending? You just said you aren't, and it seems to me that you're genuinely happy."

"I am, just..." Lucy pulled her hand away. What was she pretending? Every time she touched him, kissed him, and spoke to him, she did so with her whole heart- the only "fake" part about their situation was referring to him as her fiancée, but the feelings were far too real. Yet, how could she risk her heart without knowing he was not acting? "I think the best way to give us a real chance is if we wait until we're back in L.A. While we're here, it's confusing to add real feelings to this fake engagement."

He hated that she moved her hand away, but moreover, her suggestion was pretty sad, even if it made sense. "You're right. We should take this slow and wait so there's no confusion, because I like you, Lucy. A lot. I care about you, and I don't want you to think that I don't mean every word I say to you, because I do."

She was speechless. If Lucy were being honest with herself, she would not want to wait any longer, but she was TERRIFIED.

He sighed, "Okay?"

"Okay," she felt relieved.

"Alright, well then, when we get back to L.A., do you wanna get dinner with me?"

"Yeah," she paused, "I would."

"Good," he pulled his lips down into a frown of satisfaction and started the car to resume their drive to the cottage.

♡ ⋆˙⟡ ♡ ˙⋆ ⟡ ♡ ⋆˙⟡ ♡˙⋆ ⟡ ♡

While at dinner with Dave, Amy, and Tamara, Tim put an arm around the back of Lucy's chair with a smile on his face that he could not wipe away. He had a date with Lucy. He was excited about the prospect, and his mind was running with the countless options for where to take her for their first date.

"So, since the bookstore is closed on Tuesdays, what are you kids planning on doing?" Dave asked the couple and Tamara.

Lucy glanced at Tim before answering, "We don't have any plans."

"You guys should enjoy the beach for a while. Have a picnic. I'll see if I can join you depending on how I'm feeling," Amy suggested.

As Lucy was about to say that Tim hates that beach, he said, "That sounds perfect," with a sweet smile. She reached under the table to squeeze his thigh and tell him a silent "thank you".

"Are you inviting that boy you spent all day with?" Dave inquired.

"I don't know. Maybe," Tamara shrugged.

"You have to give love a chance. Love is too special to let slip away," Amy advised.

"You're right, Aunt Amy. Tim and Lucy didn't really like each other at one point, but then they got out of their own ways and gave love a chance, and now they're happy together," Tamara smiled over at the fake couple across the table. She liked torturing them. Of course, she was quite surprised by what transpired next. It was not the usual discomfort from Tim that he swiftly masked and Lucy's quick response to maintain their covers.