Gian

I glanced at the man beside me. Gavin kept his eyes fixed on the road, his hands steady on the steering wheel as we drove toward his condo—our condo now, apparently. The silence between us felt heavy with unspoken thoughts. He hadn't said much since we left my parents' house, probably just as shocked as I was that my parents had actually gone through with this insane plan.

The soft ping of my phone broke the quiet.

Kaia: Are you serious? Don't your parents realize what they're doing?

Me: Right! That's why I'm so shocked.

Kaia: Uhmmm I'm thinking... nevermind

Me: What?

Kaia: Maybe your mom is testing you.

I stared at her message, my brow furrowing. Testing me? What did that even mean? I was about to type a response when Gavin cleared his throat.

"We should probably talk about how we're going to handle this," he said.

The elevator ride to the top floor felt like it took forever. Gavin stood beside me, with his other hand in his pocket. I couldn't tell what he was thinking—was he upset? Accepting the situation? Thinking of a way out?

When the doors finally opened right into his penthouse, he stepped aside to let me enter first.

I walked into the clean, modern penthouse and was amazed by the views of the city through the big windows that went from floor to ceiling all around. Then I noticed the boxes and suitcases stacked neatly in the corner of the big living room. My stuff.

"I hate to do this, but there's an emergency at the office I need to handle. Fara just texted—the Singapore investors moved up their timeline, and I need to review the proposal tonight."

Of course.

"You're leaving? Now?"

His expression softened slightly. "I'm sorry, Gi. Make yourself comfortable, if you need anything you can call me."

He left. With a deep breath, I decided to look around. The main living area was beautiful—clean lines, simple furniture, and those amazing floor-to-ceiling windows. I had to admit, Gavin had good taste.

I walked around, touching the smooth countertops in the kitchen, peeking into cabinets that held matching dishes I was pretty sure had never been used. Everything was spotless—no dirty dishes in the sink, no mail on the counter, no magnets on the fridge. It didn't feel like anyone actually lived here.

The place was huge for one person, much bigger than mine. I wondered why someone who lived alone needed so much space.

I kept exploring down the hallway, looking at the nice bathroom with marble counters and a shower big enough for a party. The towels were all perfectly folded on the shelves, and the toiletries looked like they belonged in a magazine.

Next, I found Gavin's home office—several computer screens on a huge wooden desk, bookshelves filled with business books, and a leather chair. This room, at least, showed some signs of life—a coffee mug on the desk, papers in neat stacks, a jacket on the chair. This was where Gavin spent most of his time, I guessed.

Finally, I reached what had to be the bedroom at the end of the hall. I pushed open the door and stopped cold.

One. Single. Bedroom.

My heart practically stopped. I blinked hard. "No, no, no," I whispered, backing up into the hallway.

I spun around frantically, opening and closing doors I'd already checked. Bathroom. Office. Closet. I even opened the linen closet again, as if it might have magically transformed into a guest room in the last five minutes.

My breathing quickened as the reality sank in. There was only one bedroom. One bed. In the entire penthouse.

With a space this big, there's really only one bedroom?

This couldn't be happening. We were supposed to be fake engaged, not fake sleeping together! This arrangement was spiraling out of control faster than I could process.

I stumbled back to the bed and collapsed onto its edge, the mattress sinking slightly under my weight. The reality of my situation hit me like a ton of bricks. One bedroom. One bed. Two people. This was not going to work.

"You have got to be kidding me," I muttered, pulling out my phone and calling Kaia.

"How are you," she answered after the second ring, with coffee shop noise in the background.

"Fine, I guess. The space is huge," I said, still staring at the big bed, trying to understand what this meant for me and Gavin.

"Glad to know that you're okay, Gi. I know you don't like it there."

"But..."

"Sabi na! I knew there was a reason you called. What is it?" Kaia said, knowing right away there was more to my call.

"Well, it's just that... um..." I didn't know how to explain without sounding like I was making a big deal out of nothing. But sharing a bed with Gavin was definitely not part of our plan.

"Ano nga?" Kaia pressed, clearly curious.

"Never mind."

"You're funny. Spill it, Gi."

I took a deep breath and sat down in a chair in the corner of the bedroom, as far from the bed as possible. "He has one bedroom."

There was a pause before Kaia burst out laughing, so loud I had to move the phone away from my ear. "Gurl, malamang gaya nga ng sabi mo, magisa sya dyan. What would he even do with an extra room?"

"But!!! What, are we supposed to sleep side by side?" I stood up and paced around the room, running a hand through my hair. "This isn't what I signed up for, Kaia. The plan was to pretend to be engaged to get my parents off my back about finding someone, not to actually... live together."

"I mean... that's usually what engaged couples do," Kaia said, still laughing at my problem.

"They share beds and everything. Sometimes they even do other things in those beds." I could almost see her wiggling her eyebrows.

"We're not actually engaged! I mean, technically we are, but you know what I mean!" I looked at the pillows on the bed—there were four of them, two on each side. Gavin clearly slept on the left side, based on the book on that nightstand and the slightly more worn-in look of that pillow. Which meant I would be on the right, if we were actually sharing this bed, which we absolutely were not going to do.

"Maybe he'll be nice and sleep on the couch?" Kaia suggested, taking a sip of what I guessed was her usual iced coffee.

I looked back toward the living room at the sleek, angular sofa that looked about as comfortable as sleeping on kitchen counters. It was one of those modern pieces made to look good in magazines, not for actual sleeping. "That thing? It's basically a torture device pretending to be furniture."

"Eh di ikaw sa couch matulog," Kaia replied quickly.

"No way!" I exclaimed, shocked at the idea. "Why should I be the one to sleep on coach?"

"Kase ikaw lang naman yung bothered?"

"That's not fair! This isn't what we planned!"

"So what do engaged couples usually do, Gi? Live separately until the wedding?" Kaia's voice softened. "Look, I know this is awkward, but maybe you need to talk to Gavin about it directly. Set some boundaries."

"What am I supposed to say? Hey, I know we're pretending to be in love, but sharing a bed is where I draw the line?"

"Just be honest with him. I'm sure he's just as uncomfortable as you are."

I groaned and flopped back onto the bed. "I don't think so."

"Think of it as practice."

"Practice for what?"

"For when you're actually married someday. You know, sharing space, compromising, figuring out who sleeps where..."

"That's different. When I'm actually married, I'll actually want to share a bed with my husband."

"Hmm, but you never know. Maybe after a few nights of sleeping next to Gav, you might change your mind about this whole fake engagement thing."

"Not gonna happen!"

She laughed. "I'm just saying! Stranger things have happened. Remember Beatrice from college? She married that guy she was pretending to date to make her ex jealous."

"This is completely different," I insisted, though my face felt warm.

"If you say so." She paused. "Listen, Gi, joking aside—if you're really uncomfortable, just talk to him. And if anything gets weird or you need to get out of there, just call me. I can be there in twenty minutes with ice cream and my car keys."

I smiled despite myself. "Thanks, Kai."

"That's what best friends are for. Now, go unpack your stuff and claim your side of the bed before he gets back. Establish your territory."

I laughed. "I'll text you later."

"You better. And Gi?"

"Yeah?"

"Try to have fun with this. If you're gonna be stuck in a fake engagement, at least enjoy the perks—like that amazing view and what I'm assuming is a very expensive mattress. Plus," she added with a mischievous tone, "you get to see Gavin walking around in his boxers… or less. Don't pretend you haven't noticed those shoulders under his suits."

"Kaia!" I protested, but couldn't help the flush that crept up my neck at the thought.

"What? I've seen how you look at him when you think no one's watching. Fake engagement or not, there's nothing wrong with appreciating the... scenery."

After we hung up, I sat there for a moment, staring at the bed. Was Kaia right? I mean, yes, Gavin was objectively attractive with his broad shoulders and that jawline that could cut glass. And maybe once or twice I'd found myself watching the way his shirt stretched across his back when he reached for something.

But that was just... biology. It didn't mean anything.

Maybe I just needed to talk to Gavin and figure this out like adults. After all, we were both in this ridiculous situation together.

With a sigh, I got up and headed back to the living room to start unpacking. I'd barely opened one suitcase when my phone pinged with a text.

Gavin: Meeting finished early. Heading home now. Be there in 15.

I nearly dropped my phone. Home. He called it home, like we were really a couple sharing a life together. And he was going to be here in fifteen minutes.

"Oh god, oh god," I muttered, looking around at my half-unpacked suitcase and the mess I'd already managed to make. Suddenly the sleeping arrangements were front and center again.

I had to make a decision, and fast. Talk to him about the bed situation? Demand he sleep on the couch? Offer to sleep on the couch myself? None of those options seemed appealing after the long, exhausting day we'd had.

An idea struck me—one that would postpone the awkwardness, at least for tonight. I hurriedly threw my toiletries into the bathroom, changed into a t-shirt and shorts I'd normally sleep in, and rushed to the bedroom. I pulled back the covers on the right side of the bed, plumped the pillows to look like I'd been lying against them, turned off all the lights except the small bedside lamp, and crawled under the covers.

My heart was racing as I heard the elevator doors open. Footsteps approached—first to the living room, then pausing, then heading down the hallway. I squeezed my eyes shut tighter and pulled the comforter up higher.

I could feel his presence in the doorway, the weight of his gaze as he paused there. The silence stretched for what felt like an eternity. Then came the soft sound of footsteps, followed by quiet noises from the bathroom—water running, cabinet doors opening and closing.

I remained perfectly still, barely breathing, as the bathroom door opened again.