MELISSA'S POV

The sun had barely settled into its afternoon glow when Marco texted us, inviting Xavier and me for lunch. It wasn’t unusual—he liked to keep things casual, loved talking shop over pasta or sushi. But today felt different. The moment I saw his name flash across my phone, my chest tightened slightly. Maybe it was the tone of his message. Or maybe it was the lingering thoughts from last night.

The entire internet was still going wild over our fake relationship. Our photos from ...