"You ready?" I asked Archie as he carried his bag out of the room to leave for airport.

"Yup."

We walked to the front door and Gareth walked to us from behind and looked at Archie's bag and at him.

"He's leaving?" He sounded so happy and relieved. A wide smile on his face. I scowled at him and his smile faded and he said in a sad tone. "Oh...he's leaving. You could have stayed a bit longer."

"Thank you but I need to get back to my job." Archie said and then he held out his hand for him to shake. "It was nice to meet you, Gareth."

Gareth shook his hand firmly. "Same, Archie."

"Let's go." I said and Archie frowned.

"Where are you going?"

"To drop you at the airport, duh."

Archie placed his hand on my shoulder. "No need of coming to the airport, Harper. It's okay."

"But--"

Gareth cut me off. "He's right. You don't need to go the airport."

"I don't need your opinion." I snapped at him.

"Harper..." Archie said softly. "You need to rest. Please."

I pouted sadly. "Fine..." I huffed.

Archie smiled and engulfed me in a warm, tight hug and I hugged him back. "I will miss you, Archie." I whispered as tears formed in my eyes.

"I will miss you too, Harper." He said pulling back and kissed my forehead before leaving.

As he left, Gareth rolled his eyes and scoffed to himself which I heard. "A friend."

"What?" I asked sharply.

"What?" He questioned back.

"What do you mean by 'a friend'?" I folded my arms.

"He clearly has feelings for you and you consider him your friend." He again rolled his eyes.

"Feelings? For me? He's my best friend, he doesn't have any feeling for me except for platonic love." I argued.

"Try removing the word platonic. I'm not blind, Harper. Anyone can see the way he looks at you and the way he flirts and all those things." A hint of anger in his voice.

"What are you? A love expert?"

"I have read enough Romance Novels to know the way someone acts when he/she has some feelings for the other person." He explained, feeling proud of his talent.

"Novels? They are books for God's sake! What happens in those doesn't happen in real life."

"Isn't that what everyone thinks?"

"Just shut up!" I walked past him.

He said in an exasperated tone. "He likes you. He likes you, Harper. I'm damn sure about it."

I stopped in my tracks and faced him. "Oh, really? Even if he likes me, why are you so bothered by it?" I retorted.

He was taken aback by my statement, his mouth opened and closed but no word came out. I scoffed and walked back upstairs leaving him standing there.

Archie likes me? Seriously? Oh, Archie...please don't. Please don't let Gareth be right. I don't wanna ruin our friendship.

.

.

.

It's been two weeks since Archie left. I talked to him over the call almost everyday but thankfully he didn't say anything that might have pointed that he likes me.

Gareth has hardly said anything to me since that day. He tries to avoid me and talks only when it's really important that too just a word or two. By the way, his bearded look is coming back, I had to mention cause he is looking fucking hot.

Anyway, Diana did notice the coldness between us but said nothing.

I have no idea what's wrong with him.

The cab stopped outside the road that led to Gareth's house. I don't want the whole world to know that I am staying at Gareth Wilbrose's house.

Paying the fare, I stepped out and started walking towards the house. It was around 10:30 at night.

I was walking on the side of the road, on hearing some sound I looked over my shoulder to see a car at the end of the road coming this way.

Ignoring it, I continued walking and soon reached Gareth's house when that same car stopped beside me.

Anger bubbled inside me on seeing Isaiah stepping out of the car. "Harper!"

"What the fuck do you want now, Isaiah?" I seethed at him.

"You literally disappeared again, Harper." He said and looked around. "So, this is where you are living now?"

"Leave me alone, Isaiah. Can't you understand that?"

He again ignored my words. "I literally had to follow you from that restaurant till here. Can't I just talk with you for some time?"

"Leave me alone! Please!" I shouted.

"Harper--"

"She clearly asked you to leave her alone, Mr Abraam." A firm and cold voice cut him off.

I turned to my left to see Gareth standing at the house's entrance with his hands folded across his chest and a stern expression on his face. A glare directed at Isaiah.

For the first time, I felt relieved to see him.

Isaiah's eyes widened in surprise and but then he composed himself and smirked. "Mr Wilbrose...how lovely to see you." He said sarcastically.

They know each other?!

"Leave, Isaiah." Gareth said again coldly leaving no room for argument.

Isaiah said to me. "So, this is the guy you are engaged to? Really, Harper?"

I opened my mouth to speak but Isaiah cut me off. "You could have done better."

Instead of denying that we are engaged, I said. "At least he is better than you."

He smirked. "You will regret this, Harper."

"Just fucking leave, Isaiah." Gareth spoke again.

Gritting his teeth he went inside his car and drove away and I sighed in relief and walked inside the house.

Gareth closed the door and I asked immediately. "How do you know him?"

"Shouldn't I be the one to ask you that?"

"First you tell me." I ordered.

He rolled his eyes. "He was my junior in my college. Saw him verbally harrassing a girl one day and I punched him. We have been rivals ever since. Especially since he started his own company two years back." He explained. "What about you?"

"We grew up in the same orphanage. I know him from there. That's it."

He raised his brow. "There's more to the story...what is it?"

"You don't need to know everything, Gareth. I don't wanna tell you everything. Please."

"Okay, okay. But what did he mean by that engagement thing?"

I blew out some air from my mouth. "Before my engagement broke with Dave, he came to meet me and I told him that I am engaged to someone. I didn't tell him who and today he just assumed that man is you."

Gareth face slammed himself and I asked. "Is that a bad thing?"

"Don't be surprised to see the paparazzi infront of the house tomorrow morning."

"What? Why?"

He gave me a tight smile and said sarcastically. "Congratulations, Harper. You are now engaged to Gareth Wilbrose."

My brows furrowed in confusion. "What the hell are you talking about, Gareth?"

"Isaiah thinks you are engaged to me and it won't take him long to get this to the media."

My jaw dropped. "What the hell! You should stop him, Gareth!"

"It's not possible..." He ran his fingers through his hair.

"Come on! Do something!"

"What do you want me to do?" He snapped. "Go and threaten him? So that he can tell this to the media too that I threatened him?"

I flinched at his tone and ran his hand down his face in frustration and mumbled. "I'm sorry... it's just...I can't do anything."

"So...what now?"

He bit his lips as he ruminated for a minute. "Now...the world knows us to be engaged. So, we put on a show for them."

"How?"

"We act like couples. Make the world believe we are actually engaged."

"Can't you just deny it?" I questioned.

He cocked his head and he realised something. "No. I mean... it's possible but...I don't want to..."

"Why?"

He sighed. "The media pesters me almost everyday regarding my relationship status..."

"So now they won't?"

"They will, just for a few weeks. Then it will all be calm."

"Oh...are you sure about this?"

"Yes, Harper. I am sure about this. Don't panic, it's not such a big issue."

I panicked already. "It's not a big issue for you because all this is common for you but not for me."

"Harper, listen to me. Just calm down. Everything will be alright."

"Calm down? How can I calm down?"

"What's happening?" We heard Diana speak as she came into the living room.

"Diana, please tell her to calm down and get her some dinner and get her to sleep." Gareth said to Diana.

"I am not a child that someone needs to feed. I can handle myself."

He rolled his eyes. "Yeah...I can see that."

Diana took my hand and dragged me away before I could argue even more.

"What exactly is happening?" She asked me and then I told her everything.

.

.

.

As usual I woke up and saw Gareth still sleeping so, I quickly did my morning routine and grabbed my handbag and headed downstairs wondering why he is sleeping till now when he has to go to office.

Coming down the stairs, I heard some commotion outside and I cautiously opened the front door and my eyes widened and the handbag dropped from my hand on seeing the number of paparazzi in front of the house.

"Fuck." I cursed.