With her arms around her legs and her chin on her knees, Eleanor stared at the wall as she sat on the bed. The tears had dried out. She didn't know what to think. She was in love with Sebastian. No doubt about that. But she had doubts about how their relationship could move forward when it was based on a lie. If we could go back and remove the lie, could we still make it work? She wondered. How much of our relationship is affected by that lie?

Sebastian opened the door and immediately saw Eleanor with her arms wrapped around herself. He showed her a soft smile instead of one of his usual smirks.

'Are you okay? Larissa told me you were tired.'

'I just want to rest a bit before dinner.'

He sat beside her and pulled her towards him, wrapping his arms around her and holding her tightly against his body.

'Is that all?'

Eleanor bit her lower lip. Sebastian saw this nervous gesture, so he placed a kiss on her head.

'How much of our relationship is caused by the lie that it began with? We wouldn't be in this relationship without it.'

'Is that what has been bothering you?'

She nodded.

'Why should we have to worry about that? Does it really matter how it started?'

'Maybe not.' Eleanor placed a quick kiss on his lips and got away from his embrace. 'I need to get ready for dinner.'

***

After dinner, Lina invaded Larissa's room as she was getting ready to go to bed.

'Lina,' she squeaked. 'You should not barge in like this.'

'Sorry. I just wanted to have some time alone with you. We haven't been together lately. I'm curious to know about what you think of those two. And you have known Eleanor for a few months. I want your honest opinion.'

Larissa released a heavy sigh and let herself fall onto the bed, staring at the ceiling.

'What? Is it that bad?' Lina asked as she sat beside her friend.

'You have no idea of how bad it is.'

'Is she a gold-digger? She seems far from it,' — Lina laid down on the bed — 'but I guess you can't judge a book by its cover.'

'No, she's far from it. She's quite the opposite of that, actually.'

'Then what? She seems almost too perfect. They are hiding something, aren't they?'

Larissa knew that it wasn't her place to tell Lina the truth, but she also wasn't ready to let them lose their chance of being happy. So, with that in mind, Larissa told her friend everything she knew. And now, instead of one of them being confused and worried, they were both looking at celling with lost frowns.

The two women look at each other in silence for a few minutes.

'Are you sure about everything?' Lina asked.

'Which part?'

'That now they are dating for real?'

'I think so. Why?'

Lina frowned.

'You don't believe in it?'

'It's not that. It's just that the timing seems off. A week before coming here, they start dating for real?'

'I see your point.'

'Or was it just a coincidence?'

'I don't think that Eleanor would lie about it. She can't lie. She turns as red as a tomato every time she is embarrassed. There's not a malicious bone in her body.'

'Well,' Lina said as she hugged a pillow, 'and I don't believe that my brother would lie to her about wanting to date her. But something seems off.'

'Eleanor still has doubts. Because it started as a lie.'

'So that's it. Did she tell you that?'

'Yes. She told me herself, this afternoon. But, I mean, we can't blame her for feeling like that. Right?'

'Yeah. I see your point.'

'What are you going to do? Now that you know?'

'Nothing.'

'What you mean nothing?'

'Let them figure it out, Larissa.'

'They are adults, for Christ's sake. They already had more than enough time to do that on their own. They've spent so much time together. I think you should have an honest conversation with your baby brother. He clearly needs help.'

'I will. But lest give them one more day. One more chance for them to stop being idiots.'

'So, you do are planning something.'

'Just a romantic day for the lovebirds to enjoy.'

'Lina,' sighed Larissa.

'What? They probably only need a push.'

Larissa sighed.

'Can I go to sleep now?'

'No. Now I can't sleep. You need to keep me company. Ian is already asleep, and I don't want to wake him up.'

***

Lina couldn't sleep and was having the munchies, so she dragged from bed a yawning Larissa. The two enter the kitchen and see Eleanor by the kitchen island, eating ice cream.

'What are you doing here?' Larissa asked as she yawned yet again.

'Ice cream! I want some too,' Lina said as she picked up two more spoons from the drawer and gave one to Larissa.

Lina and Larissa sat beside Eleanor, and the three of them shared the ice cream.

'Since when do we have ice cream in this house without any particular reason?' Lina asked with her mouth full of ice cream. 'I'm not complaining, though.'

Eleanor looked at the other two women with her eyes wide open.

'What?' Larissa asked.

'Nothing,' Eleanor said with a smile.

'Come on, just tell us,' Lina begged.

'Sebastian bought it. I think.'

'You think?' Larissa frowned.

'I need to ask him something.'

Eleanor got up and ran back upstairs.

'What was that about?' Lina wondered.

'I have no idea.'

Eleanor entered the room and Sebastian was still on the couch, working on his laptop.

'You bought the ice cream for me, didn't you, that time at your apartment?'

'Why are you bringing that up again?'

'Just answer me.'

'I did,' he said as he kept looking at the screen.

'Thank you.'

'You're welcome. But why did you need to bring that up again?'

'Lina and Larissa were quite surprised when they found me eating ice cream downstairs. I suppose you bought it again.'

'I did. I thought that you should have your favorite food as comfort while we are here.'

Eleanor blushed and smiled as she glanced at the wooden floor. Sebastian glanced at her and smiled without her noticing it.

'Now that you know, go back to enjoying your ice cream. Before they finish it without you.'

He went back to looking at the screen, covering the smirk on his face.

She blushed even more and turned around, hiding a huge smile from Sebastian, and went back to eating her caramel ice cream as Lina and Larissa were still left with confused frowns.