4. Fake It Till You Make It (2)

[AVA]

“Well, more like they came to catch me in my lie, but yeah, now that you put it that way, they make me sick too.” He actually had the audacity to shudder.

This had to be some kind of twisted joke. Not only did Sean know about my part-time job, but now his friends were about to be witnesses to my downfall as well.

Another tap on the door interrupted any words I was about to say.

“What are they doing outside? Are they going to barge in and yell ‘surprise’ or something? How does this even work?” Confusion overwhelmed me. It felt like my skull was on the verge of imploding.

“No, they’re just waiting for my signal,” he said meekly.

“What?” His ability to astonish me left me speechless. I used to think my life was a disaster, but after witnessing this, I wasn’t so sure anymore.

“They wouldn’t believe me. And when I mentioned that I was seeing someone, they wanted proof. They just want to prove that I’m gay.”

“Are you?” I raised an eyebrow and asked bluntly.

“Are you going to judge?” he averted his eyes to the door.

I scoffed. “Why in the world would I do that? I have far more important things to do than pass judgment on someone’s sexual preferences.”

“Well…”

Another knock.

“Ugh. This is driving me insane. Give them the signal.” I had reached my limit. This had to come to an end right now. I couldn’t continue living like this, consumed by dread. Whatever awaited behind that door, I would have to face it head-on, no matter how bitter it tasted.

“Whoa!” he exclaimed, stepping back with his hands held up. “What? Are you crazy? I’d rather they keep knocking just for the sake of it. Maybe they’ll get bored and leave.”

I rolled my eyes. “Trust me when I say this. I’ve encountered my fair share of jerks in life. Your friends outside are no different. They won’t leave until they get to witness the spectacle.”

“Shit!” Yep, that was more like it. “You’re right. What are we going to do? I knew this was a terrible idea.”

“It’s too late for regret now.” I contemplated jumping out of the window or hiding in the closet—desperation was taking over—but Sean’s words kept resonating in my mind. Stupid conscience. He was right. I had been too absorbed in my own problems. I thought my suffering was the worst, but I was wrong. He was just as messed up as I was.

“Say something! I’m completely blank here. Do you have any ideas?”

I bit my lower lip. I had an idea, but I wasn’t sure…

“How important is it for you to keep your sexuality a secret?”

“Huh?” He looked confused.

“You heard what I said!”

“I’m not sure,” he shrugged, uncertain. “As long as I’m not ready to face my parents? I guess? Is that enough?”

“More than enough. Come on!” I grabbed his hand and pulled him towards the bed, starting to strip off my clothes.

His eyes widened, and he quickly backed away. “Whoa, whoa, whoa! What on earth do you think you’re doing?”

I narrowed my eyes as I pulled my shirt over my head. “Don’t act like you’re so innocent right now. Get your ass back here and strip down. We have to give them the performance they came for.”

“No!”

“Yes, Sean! Now, please, take off your clothes. We’ll have plenty of time to freak out later. Both of us.” I threw my top on the floor, pushed my skirt down, kicked off my heels, and climbed onto the bed. There were four pillows. I tossed two of them onto the floor in different directions and messed up the bedsheet to make it look like Sean had been involved in some wild action.

I let my hair down and slipped under the sheet to cover myself. Sean hesitantly joined me within a minute. Unsure of what to do, he stayed on the side of the bed, his eyes filled with fear and a battle of morals.

“Come on over!” I beckoned him, and he looked even paler.

“I think we should-”

“Just come over, Sean, before I change my mind and leave you to deal with this on your own.”

Thankfully, he stopped resisting and followed my instructions.

“Okay,” I said, adjusting myself beneath him. It was the first time I realized how strong and muscular he was. Damn, he was heavy too. “Give them the signal.”

“Are you… are you sure?”

“Just do it. I know what I’m doing.” I didn’t. But he was already in a panic, and I couldn’t tell him that or he’d run away.

Reluctantly, he nodded and dialed his cell phone before setting it aside.

I furrowed my brow. “That’s it?”

“Yep.” But then he raised an eyebrow. “What did you expect?”

“I’m not sure. For you to imitate a crow or a crane?”

He let out a startled gasp, and I did too. But even with my heart racing, I could hear the click of the latch and the steady creak of the door.

They were approaching.

Taking a deep breath, I surprised him by swiftly rolling us over, straddling him. The impact of the sudden move was just as I anticipated.

Sean let out an exclamation. “Oh, shit!”

I pressed my hips against him, ran my hands up my body and into my hair, and moaned loudly. “Oh, Sean. You’re incredible. So good.”

“Yeah?” Sean whispered, looking at me with a mix of shock and awe. “Do you like it, baby? Riding me like that?”

“Damn, I love it,” I replied, leaning down to kiss his neck. “I’m so close, baby. Fuck me harder.”

Even with my back turned to the door, I could hear muted chuckles and whispers.

Idiots!

But I kept moving with him, making sure the sheets concealed our lower bodies, hiding his boxers and my panties.

To add a bit more to the performance and make it appear more convincing, I reached behind my back and unclasped my bra. The sound of someone gasping reached my ears, and I couldn’t help but smirk.

Sean continued to caress my hips while thrusting upward with his own movements.

Not bad, I thought to myself.

We heard the footsteps fade away and the door close, signaling that his friends had finally left.

After a few moments, I disengaged from him and flopped onto the mattress beside him, both of us breathless and panting as if we had just experienced mind-blowing sex.

Sean was the first to burst into laughter, and once he started, he couldn’t stop.

“I can’t believe we pulled that off!” he exclaimed, turning to face me. “And they actually bought it.”

A wide smile spread across my face as I joined in his laughter.

For now, everything seemed to be okay.

At least, that’s how it felt…