JAY'S POV
The next morning doesn't ease me into anything gently.
It crashes in—again.
This time, not with notifications… but with a loud bang as my bedroom door flies open like someone's here to arrest me.
"RISE AND SHINE, MRS. WATSON—"
I groan into my pillow. "If you don't lower your voice in the next three seconds, I swear—"
"Nope. Not happening."
I feel the mattress dip as James literally jumps onto my bed, shoving something in my face. "Open your eyes. Right now. This is a crisis."
"…If this is about coffee, I will forgive you," I mumble, squinting one eye open.
"It's worse than coffee," he gasps dramatically. "It's you."
That makes me sit up.
"What?"
He thrusts his phone closer.
Headlines. Pictures....
But this time—it's not speculation.
It's official.
"'Watson Heir Engaged to Fashion Prodigy Jasper Jean Mariano.'"
"'London's Power Alliance: Business Meets Beauty in High-Profile Engagement.'"
"'The Engagement That Shook Elite Circles—Keifer Watson and Jay Mariano Make It Official.'"
"…Oh my God," I whisper, dragging a hand down my face.
James isn't done.
"Oh no, we're not skipping this," he says, scrolling aggressively. "LOOK AT THIS ONE—"
He shoves another photo at me—last night, on stage. His hand on my waist. My hand in his. Rings. Cameras. Everything.
"'The Look That Sealed It.' ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!" he shrieks.
"James," I say flatly, "firstly good morning to you too and secondly what the actual fuck are you doing in my house so early in the morning."
"In your house?" he scoffs. "IN YOUR LIFE, JAY. WHAT ARE YOU DOING IN YOUR LIFE?!"
I fall back onto the bed. "I need five minutes of silence."
"You need therapy," he snaps. "You got engaged overnight!"
"Fake engaged," I correct automatically.
He freezes.
"…I'm sorry, what?"
I sit up slowly, rubbing my temples. "Give me ten minutes. Let me get ready. Then I'll explain everything."
He narrows his eyes at me like I just committed a felony.
"You have ten minutes," he warns. "After that, I start making my own theories and they will be worse."
"Noted."
—
Ten minutes later, I'm dressed, hair tied back, face calm enough to pretend I have my life together.
We sneak out like criminals.
Because the last thing I need right now is my family overhearing this conversation and turning it into another emotional intervention.Again.
Like the world already knows something I'm still trying to process.
We walk in silence for a few minutes before reaching our usual café.
The moment we step inside—
"Jay Jay!" the owner beams from behind the counter, already walking toward us with a wide smile. "Congratulations! Big news, huh?"
I pause for half a second.
Then smile politely. "Thank you."
James snorts under his breath. "Yeah. Big news."
We take our usual table and the moment we do—
He leans forward.
"Start talking."
I exhale slowly, resting my elbows on the table.
"It's not what you think."
"That's not reassuring."
"It's not a love story obviously I hate that man's guts..," I clarify.
He stares at me.
"…Then what is it?"
"A situation."
"That's worse."
"It is what it is," I correct.
"That's even worse, Jay!"
I shake my head slightly. "Lola Watson was the one who asked for it."
He pauses.
"Asked for what?"
"For this," I say simply. "The marriage of me and Keifer...."
Silence.
Real silence this time.
James leans back slowly, processing. "You're telling me… this entire thing is because of her?I don't get it explain in detail..."
I nod.
"She's not well,and she wanted to see Keifer get married to me because apparently according to her 'we' make a good pair...so we both agreed to do it for her sake...with some rules of our own..." I add quietly.
His expression softens instantly.
"Oh…"
"Yeah."
A pause settles between us.
"But still—" he starts again, struggling to balance sympathy with logic, "marriage isn't… a small thing, Jay."
"I know."
"Do you really? Or is just a emotional decision?"
I meet his eyes.
"I do."
He studies me carefully now.
"Then why do you look like you're negotiating a contract instead of… living your life?"
Because that's exactly what I did.
But I don't say that.
Instead, I shrug lightly. "Because that's the only way this works."
His brows pull together. "What does that mean?"
I lean back slightly.
"It means," I say calmly, "we know what this is."
"And what is it?" he presses.
"An agreement."
He exhales sharply, shaking his head. "God, you two are unbelievable…"
"James—"
"No, seriously," he continues, running a hand through his hair. "You're telling me you're about to marry a man you don't even like properly because it's… planned? Since when does Jay Mariano let other people decide or plan things for her??"
I hold his gaze.
"It's not about liking."
"That's exactly what it should be about!"
I don't respond immediately because he's not wrong.
But he's not in it either.
"You don't have to understand it," I say finally. "You just have to trust me."
That stops him.Silence again.
Then—
"…Do you trust yourself with this??" he asks quietly.
That one lands.Harder than anything else he's said.
I look away for a second.Then back at him.
"Yes."
A lie.A partial truth.Something in between.He studies me for a long moment.
Then sighs, leaning back in his chair.
"This is insane," he mutters.
"I know."
"And you're really going through with it?"
"Yes."
Another pause.Then he picks up his coffee, taking a slow sip before pointing at me.
"I'm still judging you."
I huff lightly. "Of course you are."
"But," he adds, softer now, "I've got your back."
"I know James...." I added with a small smile...
"But I'll go literal bonkers if I don't get to be your best man!!!…also you do fucking realize this right???," he says slowly, "that you guys look ridiculously good together, right?"
I choke on my coffee. "Excuse me?"
"I'm serious!" he insists. "Like offensively good. It's annoying."
"James."
"No, listen—if I didn't know this was fake, I would've already shipped you," he continues. "The chemistry? Illegal. The visuals? Criminal."
"Stop talking."
"You're telling me you didn't notice it?" he leans forward. "The way he looks at you?"
I freeze for half a second.
"Absolutely not."
"Liar."
"James."
"Fine," he sighs dramatically, throwing his hands up. "Believe what you want. But when you fall in love, I will not be surprised."
"That's not happening."
"Sure."
I narrow my eyes. "You're very close to being disinvited from my fake wedding."
"Oh PLEASE," he scoffs. "If anything, I'm upgrading your experience."
"…How?" I ask cautiously.
His grin turns dangerous.
"I'm throwing you a bachelorette party."
"No."
"Yes."
"James, no."
"Jay, YES," he leans forward, eyes sparkling with chaos. "And not a boring one. I'm talking full drama. Full madness. Questionable decisions. Maybe a little illegal—"
"Absolutely not."
"Matching outfits."
"No."
"Embarrassing games."
"I will end you."
"A slideshow of your worst childhood pictures—"
"JAMES."
He grins wider.
"Oh, this is happening," he says with full confidence. "You might be entering a fake marriage—but your bachelorette party?"
He leans back, satisfied.
"That's going to be very real."
I stare at him.
Then sigh, dropping my head into my hands.
"My life is a joke."
"Correction," he says cheerfully.
"It's entertainment but now with a hint of the Watson Aura..."
Ahhhh whyy good why him!!!?????…why is it always him????