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Chapter Thirty-One

Author: T. Briella
last update publish date: 2026-06-12 18:28:38

Riley's POV

What kind of outfit was considered appropriate for dinner with your fake boyfriend's parents when you knew absolutely nothing about them? I sprawled across the mountain of clothes covering my bed and stared at the ceiling.

Exhausted.

The day had already drained whatever energy I had left. The argument with Cole felt like the final layer of icing on a very unpleasant cake. I didn't have the mental energy to pretend tonight.

Not just because of the fake relationship. Because deep down
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  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   Chapter Thirty-Eight

    Riley’s POVCole stared at me like he couldn’t believe what had just come out of his own mouth. A subtle grimace crossed his face, the kind people made when they regretted a decision a second too late.“Urmm… well…” he stuttered.Oh my gosh. Cole Donovan was stuttering.“Actually, you’re right. I remember now,” I said quickly, rescuing him before he completely malfunctioned.He stared at me for a beat, confusion flickering across his face before he gave a small nod.“Thank you for the offer,” I told Noah, “but I’ll go with Cole.”“Of course.” Noah stepped back with an easy smile.“Well, shall we?” I turned to Cole.He nodded and grabbed his things. The walk to his car was rather quiet, and awkward, the awkward kind that made me suddenly aware of every footstep, every rustle of leaves, every passing student.I still didn’t know what work he was talking about, and he hadn’t made an effort to explain what it was. The moment we reached his car, he stopped and faced me. His usual composur

  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   Chapter Thirty-Seven

    Cole's POV“Yo, Cole. I was just about to call you.” Tyler’s voice came through the phone the moment he picked up. “I saw the post on Campus Blog. It seems to be gaining a lot of traction. Is she okay?”I glanced over my shoulder. Riley sat on the bleachers with Noah, the afternoon sun filtering through the trees behind them. The tension that had practically swallowed her whole earlier seemed to have eased a little.“Red is fine.” I said then regretted it immediately because Tyler had certainly not missed it.“Red,” Tyler repeated, amusement dripping from every syllable.I pinched the bridge of my nose.“We can't make it back to the meeting though. Any way you can convince Stacy to move the meeting forward?”“Why can't you make it?”My gaze drifted back to Riley. Noah was saying something to her. The sight rubbed me the wrong way. I looked away immediately.“Take a hint, Tyl.”“Whatever.” He hung up.I stared at my phone for a second longer before slipping it into my pocket. What the

  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   ‎Chapter Thirty-Six

    Riley's POV‎‎I stood frozen as students who knew absolutely nothing about me dissected my life like it was entertainment. They didn't know what Matty had done. They didn't know how badly it had hurt. They didn't know the mess I'd been left to clean up afterwarYet somehow, I was the villain. The worst part? A small, ugly part of me felt guilty anyway. I knew I shouldn't. But I did.‎‎A hand settled firmly on my shoulder. I startled and looked up. Cole. His grey eyes met mine. Calm, steady, softer than I'd ever seen them before.‎‎"Come on," he said quietly. "We should go."‎His hand slid from my shoulder to my wrist before settling around my hand. The gesture was simple. But somehow, it grounded me.‎‎I let him lead me through the crowd. Noah fell into step beside us without saying a word. The further we walked, the worse it got.‎‎Whispers followed us. Phones appeared. Some students didn't even bother pretending they weren't staring.‎‎My shoulders tightened. My breathing beca

  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   Chapter Thirty-Five

    Riley's POVThe dinner went better than I expected. Considering most of the chaos had been caused by me, that was saying something.At least it wasn't a complete disaster. Cole’s mom seemed happy. Mr. Donovan hadn't scared me into a nervous breakdown. And somehow, despite everything, I was fairly certain we survived the evening.Cole didn't talk much on the drive back, but that wasn't unusual. Honestly, I didn't have the energy for conversation either. Dinner had drained me.Unfortunately, exhaustion didn't stop my brain from replaying Emelia's phone call. I couldn't stop wondering what she'd meant.‘She has nothing to do with why I came back.’I had considered telling Cole what I'd overheard. Then decided against it. It wasn't my place. Still, a small voice in the back of my head kept asking the same question. Who was "she"? And why did I have the horrible feeling Emelia had been talking about me?By the time I got home, June was nowhere to be found. So much for binge-watching her fa

  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   Chapter Thirty-Four

    Cole's POV"She's going to live, Cole. It's just a cut."Tyler's voice snapped me out of whatever thoughts had followed Riley down the hallway. I looked away from the direction she'd disappeared and found him smirking at me from across the table. Mom noticed immediately, of course she did."Look at him," she said, nudging Dad with her elbow. "He's worried."I frowned. "I am not worried.""You absolutely are."Dad sighed. "I owe your mother a thousand dollars."Tyler nearly choked on his drink. "What?""He bet me Cole wasn't over Emelia."The entire table fell silent. Then Tyler burst out laughing."So that's why you invited her?" I muttered, annoyed.Dad looked completely unapologetic. "It was a scientific experiment.""It was a bet.""Same thing."I rubbed a hand over my face. I couldn't believe these people. Mom looked entirely too pleased with herself."I told him he was wrong.""And I was wrong." Dad shrugged."Very wrong."The sound of footsteps pulled everyone's attention toward

  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   Chapter Thirty-Three

    Riley’s POVTalking to Cole's mom was easy. The hard part was Mr. Donovan. It wasn't because of my own issues with my father. At least, not entirely. And it wasn't because of his intimidating presence either, though the man could probably make seasoned politicians sweat with a single look.It was because of the way he and Cole interacted. Or rather, the way they didn't. Every conversation between them felt like two people standing on opposite sides of a battlefield, pretending not to notice the weapons. And for some reason, that scared me.Still, I did my best to be cheerful. Mr. Donovan's responses were short and measured, but I refused to let that discourage me. Cole had warned me on the drive over."My dad enjoys intimidating people." Those had been his exact words. "If you survive the first dinner, congratulations. You're officially approved."So naturally, I squared my shoulders and put on my best brave-girl smile. Apparently, Mr. Donovan found that amusing. A small smirk tugged

  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   Chapter Twenty-Four

    Riley's POVHours passed as students gradually filed out of the rehearsal hall. At some point, June had to leave too. She was currently working on a project under a mentor she dreamed of working with after graduation, and every opportunity mattered.Ironically, she wouldn't even be there if I hadn't

  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   Chapter Twenty-Two.

    Riley’s POVI had seen Cole annoyed, unimpressed, sarcastic, and emotionally unavailable. What I hadn’t seen until today was completely thrown off balance. Why did everything between them feel so tense and awkward? Why did he look like simply being in the same room with Emelia physically unsettled

  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   Chapter Twenty-One

    Cole’s POVThe entire meeting passed in a blur. All I wanted was for it to end so I wouldn’t have to keep seeing Noah’s face or sitting in the same room with him. The idea of being part of this committee was already unappealing enough. I had fully intended to talk to Professor Phil about removing me

  • Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend   Chapter Twenty

    Riley’s POVI still couldn’t believe I made callbacks. After weeks of terrifying silence and endless waiting, this was easily the best news I’d gotten in a long time.The moment Cole dropped me off at the library yesterday, I texted June immediately. Her reply didn’t come at first, but when she fin

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