Rafayel looked at your outstretched hand and smiled with satisfaction. He took your hand and allowed you to draw him out to the center of the hall. His attention moved to the corner of the room, where your relatives were gossiping about the two of you.

"Relax," you said with a playful smile. "It’s just a dance. You don't have to ask for my hand in marriage, yet."

Rafayel looked a bit flustered, though he did not let it show on his face. He gave your hand a gentle squeeze while his other hand rested against your back.

"If you want them to believe we’re a couple," Rafayel murmured into your ear, drawing you closer to him, "You need to act a little more head-over-heels for me."

The two of you were attending a relative's wedding. After enduring endless nagging about not having a boyfriend, you had decided to bring Rafayel along. It was all just an act to convince your family to stop pressing you to find a partner and setting you up on blind dates. The thing was, Rafayel was playing the role so convincingly that everyone believed he was absolutely smitten with you.

As for you? There must be a reason why Rafayel was the one accompanying you, not anyone else. Yet, you restrained yourself from overthinking it. After all, you feared that once this act ended, if you found yourself wanting more while he did not, you would lose what you had with him forever.

"That's better," Rafayel whispered as you danced. At such close range, it was hard to look him in the eye. It was hard to pretend your heart was not racing and that you were not clumsily stepping on his feet a few times.

The music played on, while you remained lost in thoughts that you would never let Rafayel discover. Watching the bride and groom exchange their vows, you imagined the two of you standing in their place. As you danced with him, you wished that this celebration were for you. You tried to brush aside those ridiculous thoughts, hoping Rafayel would not notice your flushed cheeks. Yet, he always paid attention to the slightest things about you; so, when the dance ended and he led you away from the center of the celebration, he teased:

"Your family might just want me to tag along for the next big occasion."

You glanced back at your relatives, who were smiling and waving at the two of you from across the banquet hall. Joy radiated from your blushing face. You said to Rafayel:

"Are you sure you don't mind going along with this?"

"Going along with what?" Rafayel assumed an expression of utter innocence.

You replied, "This fake dating thing, of course."

"Who told you this was just a pretense?" Rafayel gazed at you. His expression made it impossible to tell whether he was being serious or just amusing himself.

"Relax. You don't have to ask for my hand in marriage, yet." He even mimicked your expression after seeing that look of astonishment on your face. "But I don't recall agreeing to go with you just this once. Your family invited me to dinner, after all. What would they say if you broke my heart after just one date?"

That was the moment you realized you were done for. You could only stand there and watch as Rafayel flashed a sly, knowing smile as he strolled over to your family to strike up another conversation. You realized then that there was no escaping him; and the truth was, you did not want to.