His Ex Girl

Chapter 9- Practicing and Nerves

Yasmin's POV:

The evening was drawing to a close as Rafael and I exited the elegant restaurant where we had just shared a meal filled with Emily and Roman. With each step we took towards his car, I couldn't help but mentally scold myself for almost letting slip the secret I had guarded so fiercely for years. The glint of curiosity in Rafael's eyes during dinner had been enough to make my heart race, a dangerous reminder of how close I had come to revealing too much.

I wanted to tell him but after years of keeping such a secret it was becoming harder to let anyone in. That's why I didn't tell Ethan, I wanted to at the time but there was a part of me that was scared he would treat me differently if he found out. In the end, I was right to keep such a secret. Ethan turned out to be the very thing I was afraid of.

The drive to the hotel was tense, mostly because I was too busy berating myself to say anything else and Rafael was on a business call most of the time. Once we finally made it up to the penthouse, Rafael's demeanor shifted, his expression taking on a serious tone that matched the gravity of his words. "Yasmin," he began, his voice calm yet tinged with urgency. "We need to talk."

My nerves fluttered like trapped butterflies in my stomach as I nodded, gesturing for him to continue. I waited for him to ask me why I was panicking so much at dinner or why I was silent all the way home but what he said next left me speechless. 

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you this earlier but I invited you to dinner to see what Roman would say about you?"

I arched a brow, forcing myself to hear the rest of what he had to say. "This was a test?"

"Yes," he answered immediatley, I took a step towards him with what I could only describe as murder in my eyes. "Not just you," he continued, as if sensing how irritated I had become. "I was testing the both of us."

"Testing us?" I asked, feeling slightly better about the situation. "What kind of test was this?"

"I wanted to see if he would get suspicious of us and if he would think we were faking it."

"Oh," I mumbled. There was nothing else for me to say. He was doing something I should have thought of. We were in a fake relationship to get back at my ex and to prove to his board that he was a responsible adult. Of course he would want to make sure that we were seen as a real couple.

"We have to make our interactions look real in public," Rafael explained, his eyes searching mine for understanding.

I swallowed hard, my mind racing with questions and uncertainties. "I understand."

"We need to practice," he continued, his gaze unwavering. "Things like holding hands and kissing. It's the only way to make our arrangement believable to the outside world."

I felt a blush creeping up my cheeks, a mix of nerves and something else stirring within me. "Practice?" I repeated, trying to wrap my head around the idea of simulating intimacy with this man who had unknowingly captured my attention.

Rafael nodded, his eyes softening as he noticed my apprehension. "Yes, Yasmin. It's necessary if we want to maintain our cover. We can't let Ethan or the board suspect us, not even for a second."

I took a deep breath, trying to quell the nervous energy buzzing beneath my skin. "Okay, let's practice then," I agreed, though my voice wavered slightly.

"Not yet," he chuckled, his eyes wandering to my dress and heels. "You should change into something more comfortable."

I looked down at myself, suddenly aware of the ache in my legs from wearing heels for so long. I wouldn't have even realized my feet were killing me if he hadn't said something. "I'll just take a quick shower and be back," I mumbled as I all but ran out of the room. I faintly heard him say he would do the same but I could be wrong.