#accidentally engaged

****

Everyone had dreams growing up. Some dreamed about being a doctor, firefighter or police officer while others dreamed about marrying a prince or being a wizard and going to Hogwarts. My dream had always been the same. Ever since I was little I wanted to be an actress in Hollywood, playing alongside acting icons such as Angelina Jolie or Leonardo Di Caprio. 

   I've always loved acting and jumping into different characters. I joined every drama club in all of the schools I went to and felt at home whenever I was on stage or standing in front of a camera. 

Despite a lot of people telling me to give up and move on from my dreams, I was determined to make them a reality. So, after I finally graduated from college, I packed up my old, boring life in Conway and moved out to Los Angeles, the city where dreams were supposed to come true. Once I got here though reality decided to hit me right in the face. 

Moving out to L.A. didn't launch me to where I wanted to be and I soon started to realize that working in this industry was harder than I first anticipated. The standards and competition I was up against were nothing like I ever expected. I knew that being rejected was part of the job, but it still wasn't easy to deal with, especially if it happened over and over again. I didn't give up though. I went from audition to audition, fighting for my dreams and working my butt off to better myself in every possible way. 

Luckily all of the hard work I put into improving myself eventually paid off and I finally managed to land a small role in an upcoming movie. While a role with less than ten lines wouldn’t seem like much to many people, it meant a lot to me. Now I finally had the chance to prove everyone wrong and most importantly prove to myself that I was good enough.

I was backstage with the makeup artist and stylist who were helping me get ready for my first shoot ever while waiting for my cue to go on set. The movie I was a part of was called Coffeeshop Crush, starring two of the biggest stars in Hollywood right now. The male lead was played by Noah Centineo, the internet's sweetheart who every girl wanted to be with, while the female lead was portrayed by Camila Mendes, a beautiful yet very presumptuous actress. Of course, it was an honor to play alongside these two talented actors, but I didn't really understand the big fuss everyone made about them. 

  “Alright, so we got you your director approved apron. I like this one a lot better than the other one.“ Kelly, the stylist said as she put it on me. I smiled at her, nodding. 

  “So... I saw his abs.“ She said, clearly talking about Noah Centineo. 

  Sidney, the makeup artist gasped, “Seriously?“ Kelly nodded, “Yeah. He just ripped his shirt of right in front of me. He got abs for days.“ She explained, fangirling a little. 

“And what did you do?“ Sidney asked while she continued doing my makeup.

      “What any girl would do, of course. I asked him to take a selfie with me for my Instagram so I can brag about meeting him to all of my friends.“ The both of them just started laughing while I just sat there and smiled, listening to them gushing about Noah. 

  “Are you gonna be able to look into his eyes without stumbling over your lines?“ Sidney asked, looking at me. 

  “I'm sure, I'll manage. I mean he's just a person like everyone else, right?“ I answered, looking back at them. 

“Right.“ The both of them answered simultaneously before starting to laugh. 

   “Okay, we're ready for her. Let's go.“ The assistant interrupted as she walked in to come and pick me up. I nodded and followed her. 

  The set we used for the first scene was a coffee shop where I played the waitress, which was quite ironic considering I worked as a waitress in real life too. 

 “Okay, everyone. Quiet on set! We're running in 3...2...1... and action!“

Noah walked in and sat down in front of Camila, who was already seated at a table. She looked up and smiled at him, “Hi.“ 

 Noah smiled back at her, “I didn't see you last Friday.“ He said, looking at her. 

  “Or the Friday before. But you were here-“ 

 “Three Friday's ago.“ Both of them said at the same time before laughing with each other. 

  “I thought I'd never see you again.“ Noah said, probably making every girl's heart beat faster by the way he delivered this line. 

  “Well, I'm here now.“ Camila responded, looking at him with loving eyes.

  Noah smiled, “Let me buy you a cup of coffee.“ He waved at me which was my cue to walk in. My heart was beating like crazy, but I tried to ignore it. I took a deep breath before walking into the scene with a pot of coffee in my hands and a big smile on my face. 

I started to pour some coffee into Camila's mug, “Can I get you anything else?“ I asked before pouring some into the other mug as well.

Noah shook his head, “I think I got everything I need right here in front of me,“ before he could continue with his next line, the lid of the coffepot slipped off, causing the coffee to spill on both Camila and Noah's clothes. They both gasped before jumping off their seats. 

“Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry!“ I apologized, feeling awful about messing up the scene. 

I looked at Camila and apologized again, “I'm so sorry.“ She just glared at me and said, “Uhm no,“ before walking away from me. 

I sighed and turned to Noah, “I didn't know the lid wasn't-“   

“Don't sweat it. Wardrobe has doubles.“ He said, patting my shoulder before walking over to the wardrobe to change. 

Once he left, the director approached me. “You come with me.“ I sighed and followed her, knowing I screwed up. She walked me out of set and immediately fired me. She also told me that someone like me didn't deserve to call herself an actress and that I should probably reconsider my life choices. 

   I left the building, feeling like crap. I got into my car and decided to drive over to my Agent Natalie. I knew she would probably give me one of her famous pep talks, which was exactly what I needed after I just ruined my acting career. 

“Oh honey, you always gotta check your props,“ Natalie told me after I explained what had happened. 

I sighed, pacing through the room. “I know that now. Gosh, I made a complete fool of myself in front of two of the hottest actors in Hollywood right now.“ 

“Oh, please. Camila Mendes is a notorious diva. It was probably her bad karma that caused it to happen in the first place. And Noah... he's sexy and all, but no brain's above. I doubt he'd remember you if he saw you.“ She said, trying to comfort me. 

“Natalie... I know how hard you worked to get me that audition.“ 

  “Forget it, okay? You still got paid and we'll keep it on your headshot until we get you something better.“ 

  “Yeah, but what if this small part could've lead to something bigger? It was the first role I got after two years and I messed it all up.“ 

 Natalie looked at me, a small smile on her face. “(Y/N), it was seven lines. It's not the end of the world or your career. You're still young.“ 

  “So is Camila.“   

“Do not compare yourself to her, (Y/N). You are such a talented actress. So, you're not all lips and lashes like Camila. You're beautiful just the way you are. You look like a storybook princess. You're vulnerable yet you're strong. Honey, you have star quality. That's why I signed you, okay?“ 

I nodded, “You're right. Besides... If I don't believe in myself who will, right?“

Natalie smiled, “See, you are a great actress.“ 

I looked at her confused, “what?“

“Well... even though you're down on your luck and you don't believe a word you just said, you still had me convinced.“

I smiled at her, “Thanks, Natalie.“ 

   I was right about her being able to make me feel better and giving me the pep talk I needed because she did. She was definitely the best agent I could have ever asked for and I was glad to be signed to her. 

“Alright. You go home and get some rest and I'm gonna get you out for a commercial audition on Friday at two in Studio City, okay?“ 

“Oh, I can't. I'm going back home for a bridal shower, remember?“ “Yes, you're maid of honor at your best friend's wedding, right?“

I nod, “The honor is all mine.“ 

“Well, it'll be good for you to get away and not think about auditions and Hollywood for a while. Go and have some fun.“ 

I smiled and got up from my seat, before walking towards the door. “Oh and (Y/N)?“ 

I turned around, looking back at her. “Life is a movie if you let it be. I know.“

Natalie smiled at me. “Alright, go and have some fun. Bye, honey.“ 

“Bye.“ I waved at her before leaving her office and walking back to my car. ****

I was working my early shift at the café that paid for most of my bills while trying to clear my head from yesterday's events. I still couldn't believe that I lost my first ever movie role because of some stupid mistake I made. I know Natalie told me that losing my role wasn't the end of the world or my career, but it definitely still hurt. I let out a breath and pushed all these thoughts away and focused back on my shift.

“Can I get you anything else?“ I asked the couple that seemed to be out on a date, after serving them some coffee. 

  “No, I think we're good.“ The boy answered, smiling at me. I nodded and walked over to the next table to take a new order when I saw that Noah Centineo was the one sitting there. 

“Uh... Noah.“ 

He was staring at his phone and looked up once he saw me standing in front of him. He seemed to recognize me immediately and forced a small smile at me, “Hi.“

“Uhm... Hi.“ I replied, looking at him. 

“You know, I... uh... think I came to the wrong place.“ He said before getting up from his seat and walking right out the door. 

I put the coffeepot down on the table and looked at my co-worker Melody. “Hey, Mel, can you watch my tables for a second?“ She nodded and I followed Noah outside, where he was talking to someone on the phone. 

“Yeah, the menu here isn't so great. We could get some take out.“ I heard him say into the phone. “Okay, bye.“ He ended the call and put his phone back inside his pocket.

I crossed my arms in front of my chest and cleared my throat. Noah turned around and glanced back at me.

“You didn't even look at the menu.“ I said, raising my brows at him. 

 “I just didn't think my publicist would like it here, so.“ He defended himself while fidgeting around with his hands. 

“What? You thought I was gonna pour a cup of coffee in your lap again? I'm not an idiot you know? I wait tables for a living.“ I knew how pathetic my statement sounded after what happened yesterday on set, but I needed to put him in his place. Just because he was a Hollywood star, didn't mean he had the right to be a jerk to everyone around him. 

“Really?“ He asked, raising his brows at me. 

“What exactly are you doing here anyway? Shouldn't you be brunching at the Ivy with some Teen Choice Award winners or something?“ I asked, a hint of annoyance in my voice.

“Uh...I don't even know your name so why are you even mad at me? Besides, you're the one who set our shoot back two hours.“ Noah said, giving me a reproachful glance.

“Seriously? Why does no one blame the prop master for not doing his job?“ I asked, throwing my arms in the air defensively. 

 “Checking your props is practically acting class 101.“ He commented, running a hand through his curly hair.

“Oh, yeah? Since when?“ 

“Since always. I don't know that doesn't really change.“ 

I shook my head, laughing. “Great. I'm getting acting advice from a Disney Channel star.“ 

  “You watched Austin & Ally?“ He asked, sounding a little surprised. 

  I shrugged my shoulders, “Everyone our age did.“   

Noah laughed and pointed a finger at me, “You had a crush on me, didn't you? Come on, admit it, you thought I was cool.“ 

   Now he was really taking it too far. Who did this guy think he was? I don’t think I've ever met someone in my life, who was so full of crap and I seriously had no idea what everyone else loved so much about him. Noah Centineo was an asshole who clearly only cared about himself and his career. 

“I have to get back to work.“ I said, turning away from him. 

  “Okay, but just remember... coffee is better in a cup than on your shirt.“ 

  I decided to ignore his comment and just glared back at him. 

  “I'm joking, girl. It was just a joke.“ Before he had the chance to say anything else, I walked back inside the café, slamming the door behind me.

I grabbed the coffeepot from the table and walked behind the counter.

“Uh excuse me. Was that Noah Centineo you just talked to?“ Melody asked, looking at me. I nodded my head, “Yeah... the one and only.“ 

  “Okay, wow. He sure is hella dreamy.“ She gushed, making me roll my eyes. “Yeah and he knows it. Gosh, that guy is so full of himself it's almost pathetic.“ 

She stared at me for a minute before saying, “Uh huh. You clearly are just saying that to cover up the fact that you two are actually a thing.“ 

I immediately shook my head, feeling a little offended by her assumption. “Ew, no, what the hell. That's definitely not the case. Why would you even say that?“ I asked, looking back at her. 

“Because of this pic, I saw online.“ She said, grabbing her phone.

“What pic?“ 

“The one of you and Noah leaving some VIP lounge in Hollywood.“ 

“I can assure you that it definitely wasn't me.“ 

“Okay.“ She said, clearly not believing me.

“It wasn't, I swear. Why would you even think it was me?“ 

She pulled out a picture and showed it to me.

“I don't know. I mean you can't see her face but she has the same hair as you.“ 

I glanced at it for a second and shook my head, “It's not me.“ I said before walking into the kitchen to make some new coffee. Once I finished my shift and got back home I immediately called my best friend Emily, who's bridal shower I was going to tomorrow. We both talked for a while and I poured my heart out to her, telling her about the last couple of days. She always knew exactly what to say to make me feel better and of course she did this time too. 

  Although I did get some bad news from her as well. Because I was so busy with going to auditions and focusing on my acting career she decided to change my title from 'maid of honor' to 'co-maid of honor'. 

The actual maid of honor now was our friend Ashley, who organized the bridal shower and also most of the wedding next weekend. Even though I'd been fired as the maid of honor, I still looked forward to going back home to Conway. It would be good for me to leave Los Angeles for a while and to focus on my friends and family back at home. I was excited to see them and hoped that it would distract me from all of the madness in my life. 

****

After a long flight and a two-hour drive, I finally arrived at my best friend's house where she held her bridal shower. 

I parked my car and knocked at the door. When no one answered, I checked if the door was unlocked and when it was I entered the house. 

  I walked through the familiar place until I reached the backyard where a lot of people were already waiting. I saw all of my friends gathered at a table and smiled. 

“You guys seriously started without me?“ I asked, walking towards the table they were sitting at. My friends Ashley and Jane squeaked before running over to greet me. Emily followed them with a big smile on her face. 

Ashley and Jane both looked me up and down once we pulled apart from the hugs.

“Oh my gosh, that color looks so good on you! And the L.A. weather must be good to you too  because you're tanned as hell!“ Jane said and Ashley nodded. 

“You look so hot, girl. Come on, let's take a selfie for Instagram.“ Ashley pulled out her phone and held it in front of our faces. I smiled at the camera and we took a couple selfies before both of them started asking me question after question.

“Oh my gosh, I heard you're filming a movie with Noah Centineo! The Noah Centineo. Is that really true?“ 

“Yes, is he as hot as he is in person? Is he tall and oh my gosh did you touch his hair?“ 

“Yeah, did you? What does he smell like? Are his eyes really that sparkly?“ 

  I let out a breath, feeling a little overwhelmed about this whole situation. I loved my friends a lot, I really did, but they were really hard to be around sometimes.  

“So... the maid of honor has finally arrived.“ Emily said, saving me from this crazy situation.

Ashley cleared her throat, looking at Emily. “I mean co-maid of honor.“ She corrected herself, smiling at us. 

“I'm just teasing, (Y/N). When you're here, I want you to do everything you can. And when you're not, I just wanna help out.“ Ashley said, smiling at me. 

  I smiled back at her. “Thanks, Ash. I think it's really sweet of you to help out while I'm stuck in L.A.“ She nodded before she and Jane disappeared to grab some champagne.   

Emily walked over to me and hugged me. “It's good to finally see you, (Y/N).“ She said once we pulled apart from each other. 

I nodded and linked my arm with hers, “It's so good to be home. I missed you guys so much.“ 

  “and we missed you.“ She smiled at me before we walked back to the table. 

“By the way, I didn't tell anybody that you got fired.“

“Thank you. I really don't feel like talking about it.“ 

“I know and you're welcome.“

We sat down at the table and waited for the others to arrive. Once everyone was there, we raised our glasses in a toast to officially celebrate Emily's bridal shower. 

  “So, how's Los Angeles, dear?“ Allison, Emily's mother, asked me

. “It's good. I'm going to lot's of auditions and also work at this cute coffee shop. I really like it there.“ I answered, looking at her. 

  She smiled at me before Jane asked me another question. “So... is Noah Centineo really that tall? Or just kinda tall?“ 

  I sighed, “No more questions about Noah, okay? Today is all about Emily.“ I looked over to my best friend and smiled. 

  She nodded her head and smiled back at me. “Yeah, (Y/N)'s right. Today's all about me. You guys know that I love being the center of attention.“ 

We all laughed at her comment before we moved on to open her gifts. 

  While Emily was opening her presents I went back inside the house to grab some more champagne for us, when I ran into Jake, Emily's fiancé. He was six years older than all of us which we often liked to tease him about. 

  “Hey, grandpa.“ I said, waving at him. Luckily he was a cool guy and immediately played along. 

  “(Y/N?) Is that you?“ He asked, doing a terrible grandpa voice.

I laughed and pulled him into a hug. “It's good to see you, Jake. Congrats.“ I smiled at him.  

“Thank you. And thank you for flying all the way in from Los Angeles. I know it means the world to Emily.“ 

 I nodded and grabbed the bottle of champagne before going back outside. Jake followed me and I stopped in my tracks to look at him. 

“Uh, since when does the groom join the bridal shower?“ I asked, raising my brows at him. 

   “Since the groom's poker tournament ended two hours ago.“ Jake said before making his way outside. I shook my head laughing before following him. 

   On my way out I ran into Dylan, my childhood crush and best friend for years. I barely recognized him. He lost so much weight since the last time we saw each other and looked even better than I remembered him.

“Dylan, oh my gosh, I didn't even recognize you.“ He smiled and pulled me into a hug. 

“Hey, (Y/N). I missed you.“ Dylan said once we pulled apart from each other.   

I looked him up and down, a proud smile on my face. “You look great. How much weight did you lose? I mean you look... wow.“ 

I blushed a little and Dylan laughed. “It's okay, (Y/N). You can ask.“ 

“How much weight did you lose?“ I asked again. 

“58 pounds.“ 

My eyes widened. “Wow, that's incredible. When did this all happen? I mean the last time I saw you was barely a year ago.“  

Dylan nodded, “Yeah, I know. It happened after grad school. I took spring break off, got a personal trainer and been focusing on my body ever since.“ He explained while we walked back inside to sit down at a table. 

  “and what are you doing now?“ I asked, looking at him. 

“I'm a project manager at a tech firm near the beach.“ He replied.

“Wow, that's amazing. Congrats. I didn't know you moved back here.“ 

  “I didn't. I'm close though. I visit on and off. I got back here for Jake's poker tournament which didn't go too well for him.“ Dylan laughed and I joined him. 

  “Yeah, he's awful at poker. My grandma plays better than him.“ I joked and Dylan laughed again. 

  “I destroyed him. But anyway, what about you? How's L.A. treating you?“ He asked, looking at me. 

  “It's good. You know... dreams don't disappear.“ 

  Dylan nodded, “Yeah, they don't. You know what does though? People.“ 

  “Ouch, was that directed to me?“ I asked but he shook his head. “No, of course not. I just... missed you a lot.“ 

  “I missed you too, Dylan. But you were the one that ran off to Atlanta for college, remember?“ 

  He sighed, “Yeah, but that's still a closer drive back home than from Los Angeles.“ 

  Before we could continue with our conversation, Ashley walked in and joined us at the table. She kissed Dylan on the cheek and sat next to him. 

  “Now I know what was taking so long for you to get that champagne.“ 

Ashley said, looking at me. “Did you two have some time to catch up?“ She asked and Dylan nodded. 

  “So... how long have you two been together?“ I asked looking at them. 

“Two months.“ Both of them said and I nodded. 

“Well... I'm happy for you guys.“ 

Ashley smiled, “Thanks. So babe, are you ready to go home?“ 

Dylan looked at her confused, “I thought we'd stay a little longer. I haven't seen (Y/N) in a while. It'd be nice to you know... talk a little more.“ 

  “Okay, sure. Let's go back outside then.“ She said, getting up from her seat. 

   I could tell how jealous she was and that she didn't like how close I and Dylan still were. I didn't really blame her though. Dylan and I had a lot of history together. At some point in our lives, we both had feelings for each other. Things got really complicated between us though, which ultimately lead to the end of our friendship. Thankfully a lot of time has passed since then and we're now back at being friends. 

“Yeah, let's go.“ Dylan said before getting up from his seat. I followed him and the three of us went back outside.

It had gotten dark outside when we joined the others and most people had already left the bridal shower. Ashley, Jane, Jackson, Dylan, Emily and I were the only ones left and we all gathered around at a table. 

“(Y/N), you have to tell us. Have you been dating any celebrities?“ Jane asked, clearly a little tipsy from all the champagne and wine she'd been drinking all day.

  “Not really. There were a couple of guys I really liked but they all ended up being total psychos so nope, no dating. Especially no one famous.“

“What about that director guy Zeke?“ Ashley asked but Jane shook her head,“No, we hate that guy. He dumped her on her birthday.“ 

“He didn't really know that it was my birthday, but whatever. That was a lifetime ago. Besides, I just wanna focus on my career right now. So it's fine.“   “Well, that's a good thing.“ Dylan commented.

“Yeah, but that's all by choice, right? Of course, all the guys adore her out there.“ Emily said, smiling at me. “and I totally respect that you wanna focus on your career. That takes a lot of dedication.“ 

  “It sounds like it's paying off though. I mean with this big movie role and all.“ Ashley added, looking at me. 

  “Wait, you booked a movie? That's awesome! Congrats, (Y/N).“ Dylan said, sounding all proud. 

  “When does it come out?“ Dylan asked curiously. 

  “I don't know. My scene might get cut anyways.“

“Wait, why would your scene get cut? I mean don't they need you in the film? I thought you were like a lead character.“ 

“I wouldn't say that, exactly.“ I responded, looking back at Ashley who was the one asking me all these questions. 

  “You guys it's complicated. You know she has to sign like a non-disclosure deal and all that stuff. She isn't really allowed to talk about it.“ Emily chimed in, saving me once again. 

  “Yeah, she's right.“ I said, mouthing a 'thank you' at her. 

  Jane's phone beeped and she immediately started squeaking. “Oh my gosh... no way. That's you, (Y/N)!“ She said, showing me a picture on her phone. 

It was the same picture Melody showed me the other day of Noah Centineo and some girl leaving a VIP lounge in Hollywood. 

She showed the picture around the table. “She's the mystery girl! The one that's been kissing Noah Centineo.“ Jane said and Ashley looked at me. 

  “You said you worked with Noah?“

“Yeah, I did.“

“So you guys are more than co-workers then?“

“Yeah... are you?“ 

  Everyone had so many questions about me and Noah which made me a little uncomfortable. I felt like I was being interrogated by the police or something. 

“I wouldn't really say that.“ I replied, looking back at them.

“Then... do you even know him?“ Ashley questioned, raising her brows at me.

“Yeah, I do. He just showed up at my work yesterday.“ 

“Then it is true! You're dating Noah Centineo!“ Jane laughed, nudging my shoulder. 

  I didn't really know what to do. Everyone was staring at me and I felt really pressured which is why I said, “Yeah. It's true. It's all true.“ 

  “I just want to know if he's coming to the wedding because I want him to sign my bridesmaid's dress.“ 

  “Oh, really?“ Emily asked, giving her a weird look. 

  “I don't know what the big deal is. It's not like I'm gonna wear it again.“ 

  I shook my head, “No, he's not gonna come to the wedding.“

“Oh, he isn't? Why not?“ Ashley asked curiously. 

“Because no one knows yet. It's a publicity thing, you know. So you guys can't say anything.“ 

“About what?“ A familiar voice asked, causing me to turn around. My parents were standing behind me and I immediately got up from my seat to greet them.

   “Mrs. (Y/L/N), you didn't tell us your little girl was dating Noah Centineo.“ Ashley said, looking at my mom.

“Well... I... I didn't know.“ My mother said, looking at me surprised.

“Uh, hi mom. Dad.“ 

  “Who's Noah Centineo?“ My dad asked, confused.

“Oh don't worry, honey. He's a cutie.“ Mom said, patting his shoulder.

“What are you guys doing here?“ I asked, looking back at them. 

  “We were just driving by and we didn't really know if you had a ride home or not.“ My mom answered. 

  “You're staying with us, right?“ 

“Yeah, but my stuff is in the car. I can meet you guys at home, though?“

“No, we can hang. Can't we?“ “No, you know what? I'm exhausted. Let's go.“ 

“Sure, honey,“ Dad replied before he and mom turned around to go back to their car. 

  I waved at my friends before walking towards the house. Once I got inside I saw that Emily was already waiting for me. 

  “So, is it true? About Noah?“ She asked, looking at me with questioning eyes.

“Of course it is, why would I lie?“

“Maybe because you don't want any of them to know you got fired from your job? Look, (Y/N), it's okay if you're struggling. I promise you all of them will understand.“ 

   “It's just like I said. I can't say anything.“ I felt awful about lying to my best friend, but I was already too caught up in all the lies.

Besides, she would never find out the truth anyway. After I leave Conway and get back to L.A. this whole story won't be relevant anymore. No one's going to talk about it and I won't have to worry about explaining myself to my family or my friends. 

“Okay, fine. I just don't understand why you wouldn't have told me.“

“Yeah and you could have told me about Dylan and Ashley too, you know.“ I said, looking at her reproachfully. 

  Emily sighed, “I just didn't know how to tell you. They started dating when he got back and I didn't even think it would last in the first place.“

“It's fine. It's just kind of weird, you know? Ashley used to make so much fun of him back in school.“ 

“Yeah, but he's a lot different than he was in school.“

“I guess. I mean he looks great.“ 

“Yeah. But so does Mr. Noah Centineo.“ Emily said, wiggling her brows at me. 

“I'm so sorry about how all of that came up. Today really should have been about you and not me.“ 

“It's okay. I'm just glad that you came.“ 

“Yeah, me too.“

“Hey, but no more secrets, okay?“ Emily looked at me.

I nodded, “okay. No more secrets.“ 

  I felt horrible. I know I had to tell her the truth, but I just couldn't bring myself to do it. I kind of liked that everyone thought I was Noah Centineo's mysterious girlfriend, even though it wasn't true. It just felt really good to have this kind of attention from everyone which makes me feel even worse about lying to all of them. 

“Anyway, I have to go now. Bye. See you soon.“ I said, waving at Emily before grabbing my bag and leaving her house.

****

I woke up the next morning with some surprising news. Apparently, the whole internet world was talking about me and Noah Centineo, which I knew was Ashley and Jane's fault. 

Everyone assumed that I was Noah's secret girlfriend and even pictures with my face were going around the internet. Some newspapers and magazines even talked about it. So of course when I landed back in Los Angeles people were going crazy. Paparazzi were following me everywhere and even a few girls approached me and asked for a picture.

It was insane. Of course, I wanted to be famous and always dreamed about being in magazines and newspapers, but not like this. I didn't want to be famous because of a  celebrity I supposedly dated. Especially if that celebrity was Noah Centineo. It was my own fault that all of this was happening though. I never should have lied about being with him in the first place. I mean I didn't really lie, it was more like a misunderstanding that lead to a lie, but still. It was what got me into this mess. A mess I didn't really know how to get out of. A few days had passed since I got back and people were still talking about me and Noah. I was working my morning shift at the café. Almost everything seemed normal, except for the fact that a lot of paparazzi were gathered outside, taking pictures of me. 

“All the paparazzi sure love you a lot.“ Melody said, looking out the window. 

“Yeah, try to go to an audition at 8 am with three cars chasing after you.“

“Ohh, poor you.“ She said, rolling her eyes. “You said you two weren't dating though?“

 “No, we're not. This whole thing was just a big misunderstanding. Noah Centineo wants nothing to do with me.“ 

“Then why is he here?“ Melody asked, pointing towards the door. I followed her gaze and saw Noah, who had just entered the café.

“Oh no.“ I said, walking over to him. 

  His arms were crossed in front of his chest while he was staring back at me.

  “Noah, I'm so sorry about everything. I swear I didn't tell anyone we had a thing it was just a huge misunderstanding.“ I explained, looking at him.

“But you did tell people it was you in the picture?

“No...“

He raised his brows at me. 

“Well yes, I mean not really. Look, they all said it was me and I just didn't tell them no. I went home for a bridal shower last weekend.“

“Ugh, bridal shower. You're the bridesmaid?“

I nodded. 

  “Yeah... those can be pretty rough,“ Noah said, hiding his hands in his pockets.

“Yeah, tell me about it.“ I replied, thinking back at how crazy the bridal shower had been before adding, “look, I just didn't want to tell them I got fired, okay?“

“So you told people we were together instead?“ He asked, giving me a weird look.

I sighed, “You don't know these girls. They create fantasies in their heads.“

“Well, it clearly looks like they're not the only ones.“ He glanced at me.

“Hey, if you want me to go out there and tell everyone it was a lie, I'll do it.“ I said, pointing outside to the paparazzi. 

   Noah put his hand on my shoulder and pulled me over to one of the tables. 

“Actually... there's something I need your help with.“ 

“My help with what?“ I asked once we sat down at the table.

“I was kind of hoping we could break up. In public.“

I looked at him confused, “Break up? Why?“ 

  “No one can know who was really with me in the photo that night so I kinda need people to keep thinking it was you.“

“Who is it?“ I asked curiously. 

  “It's complicated. If people find out I was dating this woman it could ruin both of our careers.“ He explained. 

  “Well, you didn't really seem to care about helping me save mine.“ 

“You didn't ask.“ 

  I rolled my eyes at that. 

“But I am. I'm asking for your help here. Besides, this looks like it might be pretty good press for you.“ Noah looked over his shoulder and pointed over to the window where all of the paparazzi were taking pictures of us. 

“It's not the kind of press I'm looking for. If I actually get famous I want it to be because I played the perfect part and not because I was the chick dumped by Noah Centineo in public.“ 

“Well... what do you want then? Money?“ 

“No. I'm not gonna lie for money.“

“It's not lying, it's acting. Besides, you didn't have a problem lying to your friends back home.“ 

  I sighed. He had a good point.

“Alright, just tell me. What do you want?“ 

 “We have to break up in a way where neither of us gets humiliated.“

Noah nodded, “Yeah, I completely agree. But we need to do it fast. Like this weekend fast.“ 

   “I'm not around this weekend.“

“This can't wait. In my experience, these things get out of hand pretty quick.“

“You know, this is perfect actually. You wanna do it this weekend? Then you come with me to a wedding.“ 

  Noah shook his head, “No. Definitely not. No way. No.“ 

  “This is the least you can do, Centineo,“ I said, looking at him. 

 Noah sighed, “Okay, fine.“ 

I grabbed a napkin and wrote down the details for the flight he had to book.

“So here's the flight you have to book. And you also have to promise not to embarrass me, okay?“ I said, before handing him the napkin.

“Pretty sure you'll be able to do that on your own, (Y/N).“ Noah said as we both got up from our seats. 

   I reached out my hand and Noah took it, giving it a gentle shake. When he reached over to shake my hand, the napkin I gave him earlier, fell down to the floor. I reached down to get it but Noah held me back. “I got it.“ He knelt and grabbed it.

   As he was kneeling, people immediately started clapping while all of their eyes were focused on us. Oh no, this can't be happening, I thought to myself as I looked at everyone's reaction. 

Noah immediately got back up and looked at me. “Okay. No more dropping things.“   

“Woah... that got crazy fast.“ I said, feeling a little overwhelmed about this whole situation. 

  People were still clapping, some of them even cheering loudly. 

  “Okay, so this weekend?“ He asked and I nodded. He then wrapped his arm around me and smiled, “We're getting married!“ 

  I immediately jumped into character and smiled as well. “Yes. This is the happiest day of my life.“ 

“Nice.“ Noah whispered before kissing me on the cheek. We posed for the cameras and acted like the happy newly engaged couple for a while until Noah had to leave.