Operation: Fake Love, Real Laughs

Previously

…She sank onto her sofa, pulling a soft blanket around her. The laughter she’d shared with Chidi echoed in her mind, a sweet, clear sound that felt utterly authentic. She closed her eyes, the image of his thoughtful gaze imprinted behind her lids. The scam was supposed to be a joke, a way to deflect. But maybe, just maybe, the real adventure was in embracing the possibility of a love that was messy, imperfect, and beautifully, wonderfully real. The thought settled, a fragile seed of hope in the fertile ground of her doubt. She would have to see. She would have to face it, scam or no scam.