Chapter 2 CHAPTER TWO

Rain fell in thin sheets against the windshield as Ava pulled up to the modest gray building tucked between a bakery and a laundromat. The sign above the door read: LarkTech Studios, it was simple, minimalistic and very Noah. She hadn’t seen him in two years, maybe more. Not since the night of her championship win, when he’d stood in the shadows of the locker room, waiting with a bouquet he never got to give her. She had hugged him, thanked him for coming, then disappeared into a sea of flashing cameras and screaming fans. She never looked back. Now she was back, bruised, humiliated, and desperate.

Her heels clicked against the wet pavement as she crossed to the entrance, pulling her hoodie lower over her face. The city hadn’t stopped buzzing since the scandal broke. She couldn’t even go out for coffee without someone whispering or live streaming behind their phone. Inside, the warmth of the office wrapped around her. Clean lines, natural wood, plants, computer screens and 3D models flickering. A calming hum of keys clicking and quiet conversation. Noah always hated chaos.

A young woman behind the front desk looked up.

"Hi, do you have an appointment?", she asked as Ava approached the desk.

Ava lowered her hood and the woman’s eyes widened.

"Oh my God… you’re - I mean, you’re Ava Monroe."

Ava offered her a tight smile.

"Hi, I’m here to see Noah."

The woman blinked.

"I… I’ll go get him", she said as she stood up.

---

Noah Lark sat in a glass walled corner office, sleeves rolled up, wireframe glasses sliding down his nose as he reviewed an augmented reality prototype. He was still the same, quiet, focused, wrapped in his own world. His hair was a little longer now, pulled into a loose bun.

He looked up as the receptionist knocked on the glass.

"There’s someone here to see you", she said.

Noah pushed his chair back and looked up.

"Tell them to make an appointment with-"

The door opened behind the receptionist and Ava stepped inside.

Noah froze. The sight of her; wet hoodie, eyes dimmed from exhaustion, standing in his office like a ghost he’d summoned by mistake, knocked the breath out of him.

"Ava?", he said, standing up slowly.

"Hey, Noah", she greeted, then silence stretched between them.

He took her in, she looked the same but… heavier, somehow. Like her confidence had been cracked. There was no swagger in her stance, no fire in her eyes, just a quiet urgency.

"Wait, should you be out right now?", he asked softly.

"The media’s insane right now."

"Tell me about it", she muttered, stepping inside and pulling down her hood.

"Can we talk?", she asked.

He gestured to the couch in the corner of his office.

"Yeah. Of course."

She sat, he remained standing, arms crossed.

"I know it’s been a while", she started.

"Two years", he said, not unkindly.

"Not that I was counting", he added.

She winced.

"I deserve that", she admitted.

He gave a half shrug but said nothing. Ava leaned forward, elbows on her knees.

"I need your help."

That pulled his gaze sharply to hers.

"I’m in a mess, Noah, a big one as you probably already know", she told him.

Noah said nothing, he waited, a beat passed.

"They’re pulling my contracts, my endorsements, everything and now my team is talking about releasing me unless I salvage what’s left of my public image", she continued.

"But my PR manager thinks she may have found a way out albeit a complicated one but it's my only one right now", Ava added, hoping he could sense her sincerity and desperation.

"A PR stunt?", he guessed, typical of Noah, he was always so quick.

She nodded.

"Something clean, like a redemption arc, if you will", she gave a self deprecating smile.

"And you came to me?", he tilted his head, confused.

"Yeah", she admitted.

"Look, I know we've not seen each other in years and that's probably my fault", Noah tilted his head at her and Ava scoffed.

"Ok, yeah it's definitely my fault, and it's audacious of me to come here and ask you a favor like this just like that but I'm here because regardless of how much time have passed, you’re the only person I trust not to screw me over."

Silence. One beat. Two beats then Noah sat down, expression unreadable.

"What do you need?", he asked finally.

She inhaled slowly, met his eyes and said, "I need you to pretend to be my fiancé."

The words hung in the air like smoke.

Noah blinked.

"Excuse me?"

"Just for a while", she added quickly.

"A few interviews, some photos, maybe a fake proposal video enough to make it look real. No doubt the netizens will paint you as the good guy who saved the scandalized star. It’ll flip the narrative."

He leaned back, trying to process.

"So you want me to lie to the world?", he asked her.

Ava was silent for a moment.

"Yes."

"Why me?", he asked.

She hesitated.

"Because you’re safe, you’re clean, no scandals, no drama. In short, you’re… you", she answered.

Something flickered in his eyes, a mixture of frustration and something sadder.

"So, I’m boring is what you're saying", he said.

"I didn’t mean it like that", Ava defended herself quickly.

"How did you mean it then?", he asked.

Ava’s voice dropped.

"I meant I can trust you."

Noah looked away.

"I know this is insane", she said. "But I’m out of options. I thought about hiring someone, but it would leak, I can’t risk another lie falling apart."

"What if I say no?", he asked quietly.

Ava stared straight at him.

"Then I lose everything", she answered.

They sat in silence.

Noah studied her, the way she gripped her hands together, the slight tremor in her voice, the walls she always built around herself. She hadn’t changed much, still guarded, still reckless when desperate but under it all, she was still Ava. The girl who helped him build his first robot in seventh grade. The girl who used to sneak out at night to sit on his rooftop and talk about the stars. The girl he fell in love with at fifteen and never stopped loving. He had watched her rise from the sidelines, had cheered for her, hurt for her, waited for her. And now here she was, asking him to fake being hers. He could say no. He should say no. But he didn’t.

"Okay", he said.

Her head snapped up.

"What?"

"I’ll do it", he repeated.

She scoffed then paused.

"Wait, seriously?", she asked.

He nodded.

"But if I’m going to be your fake fiancé, there needs to be some conditions."

She narrowed her eyes.

"Like what?", she asked cautiously.

"No lying to me, no treating me like a prop and I want some level of control over how I’m represented."

"But what about your company?", Ava asked him, looking round the office.

"Oh it'll be fine, I can delegate quite well and it's not as if I can't work while I help you", he answered.

"So do we have a deal?"

Her lips twitched, "Deal."

"And, I want you to be honest, with yourself", he added, his voice softer now.

Ava looked away.

"That’s harder."

Noah smiled and stood up.

"We’ll figure it out", he said as he extended a hand.

She rose slowly, stared at his hand, then took it.

"Thank you", she whispered.

He didn’t let go.

"Just remember, Ava… I may have agreed to play your fiancé but I’m not acting when I say I care."

Her smile faltered.

"Noah-"

"Don’t", he said, pulling his hand back gently and shook his head, "It's better we shouldn't."

He stood up and smiled at her.

"Well, shall we? We’ve got a story to sell."