And it’s true. No one would need to give me something in return to go out with her. Indigo has a wide range of qualities, including intelligence, charm, humor, and breathtaking beauty.

What kind of person would pay someone to be with their daughter? Wouldn’t she want something genuine for her? Forced things rarely work.

She gives a crooked smile, “Yeah, sure.”

“I can be your date if that’s what you need,” I offer, knowing I must pay her back somehow.

Indigo shakes her head. “It wouldn’t work.”

I frown because, to me, this sounds like it’ll solve all our problems. “Why?”

She raises her brows like she’s trying to figure me out, but there’s nothing to hide. I’m as serious as someone can be.

“That means you’d need to be there every week.”

I think for a little. She’s right about that. However, an arrangement could help us both avoid unwanted events: me telling my parents that I lied, and Indigo going to parties with random dates.

“Are you looking for a serious relationship at the moment?” I ask.

She grimaces. “Definitely not.”

“Good. Me neither.” I shift, placing my leg under me. “I’ll be your date whenever you need me and you’ll be my fake girlfriend,” I suggest and she stiffens. “Since neither of us is looking for a relationship, we could do this to get rid of the pressure from our parents.”

She looks from one of my eyes to the other, and I do the same. I can see the wheels turning in her head.

“You’ll need to spend hours clothes shopping,” she says.

I nod, although shopping is not my favorite hobby.

“You’ll need to accompany me every week for a few hours, shaking hands with people you don’t know. And my parents are not as sweet as yours.”

A shiver runs down my spine at the thought, but I ignore it. “Okay.”

She raises her brows, eyes big. “I like your parents.”

“They like you too.”

“And I don’t want to lie to them.”

“Then don’t. Be yourself. You only need to lie about us being together,” I say, the words feeling salty on my tongue.

If there’s one thing I hate, it’s lying to the people I love. There’s no way back from this, though.

“How can I be myself if you presented me as the girl who has her own freaking company?” She puts her hands on her hips.

I shrug. “What do you do for a living?”

“My family is rich, remember? I literally walk dogs and nothing else.”

“Same thing,” I laugh. She laughs. And I can’t explain how good this feels. It feels like her laugh is a precious win.

“Deal.” Indigo throws herself on the bed, looks up at the ceiling and I do the same.

“We should stop as soon as there’s someone else.”