Play Pretend
Summary: After nearly 2 decades without seeing the Thrombey family, you return to the estate to visit Harlan on the day of his 85th birthday party. After you spend the evening reminiscing, on your way out you bump into someone you weren’t expecting. Ransom. And after one brief interaction, he’s asking for your help.
Word Count: Roughly 5,500
Paring: Ransom Drysdale x Reader, Fake Relationship
Warnings: mentions of loss, some sketchy choices, some swears and a bit of a cliffhanger. But nothing terrible.
Notes: This is my first submission for @cevansgirl ‘s writing challenge! She’s a sweetheart and has some of the most amazing Chris Evans fics! If you guys are thirsting for that gorgeous man you should go check her out!!! So I haven’t posted in a minute and that’s because of things happening at home, I’m sorry about that :/ I have lots of new ideas in my drafts but I’m gonna finish up these challenge fics before I move on to anything else. I’m thinking maybeee a part 2 to this fic? Maybe even a part 3? Let me know what you guys think, hope you enjoy 😊
You sit in the driver's seat of your parked car with a murky feeling in your stomach. You're normally not such an anxious person, but thinking about a reunion like this had dizzy butterflies whizzing around your belly. You aren't exactly nervous for what's to come, just a bit on edge.
After taking a calming breath you pull the keys out of the ignition and shove them in your purse. You know these people. At one point they were like your second family, there's no need to be so uneasy. In one swift motion you open your car do and step out, closing it behind you with a quiet thud.
You walk the familiar stone driveway while your eyes scanned the house. A wave of nostalgia settles over you as you take in the many features of the old Victorian home. It looks the same as it did all those years ago. You can't help the sad smile that appears on your face.
Each of your steps seem to alternate between confident and wobbly, one moment it's like nothing has changed and the next it feels like everything is different. But it seems like that's what time does to things.
With a tingly sensation working it way through your body you use the front of your knuckle to rap on the door. You wait a moment, wondering if you had knocked hard enough to be heard over the noise of the party when a woman with beautiful tan skin and dark eyes opens the door. She gives you a sweet, gentle smile.
"You must be Y/N." She opens the door to welcome you into the house. "Harlan has been waiting for you." Her words send another burst of butterflies through your tummy.
"I'm Marta, Harlan's nurse." She explains as she leads you through the halls of the house you once considered your second home. It's like walking through the past. "He's told me so much about you." She offers you a kind smile, you give her one in return.
You can hear the chatter of the members of the Thrombey family in the different rooms on the first floor, you could place a face to each voice and imagine what their expression would look like based on their words. But you aren't here to see them.
You follow Marta to a room you're well acquainted with. Harlan's Study. There are so many memories in that room alone, you're not sure if you're ready for it all. But this meeting is long overdue, no more stalling. Marta knocks twice to announce your presence. An all too familiar voice calls for the two of you to come in.
When you step into then room your hit with the familiar scent of aging paper and pipe tobacco, you're instantly taken back to those Sunday afternoons.
"Y/N is here, Harlan." Marta's voice pulls you from your trance, your eyes focus as the man turns in his chair to face you.
"Thank you, Marta. Could you leave Y/N and I for a moment?" Marta nods before turning away and exiting through the door.
The air in the room is thick and everything stood still and motionless. You stare at Harlan. Harlan stares at you. He stands and takes slow steps towards you until he's only a bit away.
"Y/N." His smooth voices calls. It's familiar and warm, it reminds you of the grooves on a beautifully stained mahogany table. Grooves that you've let your fingers follow so many times that you could trace them with your eyes closed. Tears stings your eyes as you offer him a trembling smile.
"Harlan." You breath.
A beat passes before he pulls you into his arms, hugging you in a way only he could. You body shakes with your silent cries as he holds you and for a moment it's like your with him again.
"It's been a long time hasn't it, my dear?" He leans away, giving you a soft smile.
"20 years is a pretty long time." You laugh sadly, wiping the tears away with the back of your hand.
"Indeed it is." Harlan hums, gazing down at you, seeming to take in your features. "I apologize for not reaching out sooner, I have no excuse. I just hope you can forgive me for allowing this rift to grow."
"There's nothing to forgive." You shake your head at him with a bright smile. "I could've reached out to you too and I didn't. That's my mistake as well." Harlan nods at your statement, proud of the wise woman you seemed to have become.
"Take a seat, let's talk for a bit." He gestures towards the seat that sat on the other side of the desk. You sit down and situate yourself before you glance back up at Harlan, he seems to be observing you. "Tell me dear, how have you been?"
"I've been well, keeping busy with work and such. Not as busy as you it seems." You eye all the different copies of his books that lined the shelves of the room. "What are you working on?"
"I've actually been studying new and unusual techniques of ending someone's life, I'll have to tell you more about it sometime, but right now I want to talk about you. So really, how are you?" You know what he's really asking about, it's a subject you've been tiptoeing around for quite some time. You twiddle your thumbs that rest in your lap as you think about what you want to say.
"...I'm the best that I can be." You huff after a while, eyes on your hands as you think of what to say next. "You understand the pain of loss, Harlan. Regardless of how much time passes the hurt never really goes away. You just grow used to it enough to bare it every day without letting it hinder you." You shrug halfheartedly.
"Yes, I understand that all too well." He agrees with a far away look in his eyes, you know he's thinking of his son, his wife, and his many other passed loved ones. There's a few minutes where neither of you say anything, just sitting in silence. "Your grandfather was my best friend before I even knew what it meant to have a friend. He was there long before the fame and fortune, I only wish he was around longer to enjoy it with me after."
"He loved you like a brother, Harlan. He would tell me every time we'd be on our way for our Sunday visits." If you close your eyes you could still see the joy on your grandfather's face when he was around Harlan. The two were like two peas in a pod, never truly meant to be separated. They were the half to the other’s whole.
"You remind me of him. Your smile is his and so are those eyes." Your grin widens at his words. "If you shaved your head and grew a moustache, I'd swear I was looking at him right now." You laugh at the thought, imagining yourself with that godforsaken moustache that your grandfather refused to shave.
"I'll take that as a compliment." Your face feels warm and your heart feels lighter. Being around Harlan makes you feel like you're back with your grandfather.
"I'm so happy to see that you turned out so well, after you were sent off to live with that aunt of yours, I feared you'd never live up to your potential." Harlan was the first to recognize your talent with words even at a young age. He was one of the reasons you worked so hard to become the chief editor of a publishing company. "I can only hope that my own grandchildren will end up as well off. At least the two I still have hope for."
You ponder Harlan's words for a second. You know that during the 20 years since you'd last seen any of the Thrombeys, two children had been born. Could he be referring to them? You didn't feel comfortable prying into what sounded like a can of worms. You shift the subject a bit instead.
"How is Ransom, by the way? I haven't seen him since the night of the funeral." You think back to the boy with bright blue eyes that always seemed to be full of mischief. While there were times that Ransom was crass, a bit stuck up and entitled, he was a good kid with a good heart.
"Ransom is...himself. I'm sure you could remember the stubborn fits he would throw as a boy. While he grew out of a lot of things from that time, acting out isn't one of them." He sighs with a slightly crestfallen look. "I fear that he has lost his way like the rest of my family has. I have so much hope for him, but I'm beginning to think it might be too late."
"I'm not sure what he's like now, but I don't think you should throw in the towel quite yet. I think you should give him one last shot." You're talking blindly on the matter, but in your opinion everyone deserves another chance to prove themselves.
"I'll keep that in mind." Harlan smiles at you kindly. "Now tell me, what's work like Miss Cheif Editors?" Then he pauses. "You know, there's always an open job for you in my publishing company if you want it." He adds after.
You spend the next hour and a half talking with Harlan. He tells you about the misadventures he had with your grandfather, you reminisce all the Sunday afternoons spent together, and you discuss a possible transfer to Harlan's publishing company. It's a little after 6 when you decide it's time for you to go.
"Are you sure you don't want to stay for cake? You know I always pick the best." The smile on his face is warm and it comforts you. Harlan is doing so well. You won't have to worry about loosing him too.
"I really appreciate the offer, but there's something that I need to take care of." He seems a bit disappointed by your response but he nods understandingly.
"You'll come back to visit, won't you?" Harlan hugs you once more, you take in a whiff of his familiar scent. The aged paper and tobacco.
"Of course, I promise I'll be back to visit you. I gave my number to Marta in case you need something or would like some company. Call me anytime." You nod, giving him a sweet smile when you pull away. "Goodbye, Harlan."
"Goodbye, Y/N." He waves at you as you turn to leave his study. You make your way through the halls, careful to avoid any family members who might try to rope you into staying. You make it to the foyer, so close to success when the door opens and a man steps through. You squint your eyes a moment before realizing who it is.
"Ransom?" He stares at you for a second before it clicks in his mind and he knows who you are.
"Well if it isn't Y/N. What are you doing here?" He's definitely surprised to see you, but not in an enthusiastic way it seems.
"I came to visit your grandfather, 85 is a pretty important birthday." You smile wryly, hoping to make this a short and sweet interaction to avoid being seen by any of the other family members. While your glancing at the door behind him, Ransom is busy running his eyes over you, taking in each of your features. Time had done you well.
"Too bad it took 20 years for you to come around." He crosses his arms and through the material of his sweater you can see his muscles bulge. Time had done him very well.
"Yeah, I feel really bad about that. I just never knew when the right time to reach out-" He shakes his head and moves away from the door closer to you.
"I don't really care. You made your decision, it is what it is." He begins to walk past you, but paused only a foot away. He glances at you over his shoulder, a cocky smirk on his face. "But if you ever want to make things right, don't be afraid to give me a call. I'm sure it won't be hard to find my number." He continues walking after that, in the direction of Harlan's office.
You stand shocked for a moment before you continue out the door towards your car. Harlan neglected to mention that his grandson turned into an asshole over the past 20 years.
(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ
Ransom slams the door behind him angrily, throwing his coat over the couch and storming through his house. The conversation with his grandfather is stuck on loop like a broken record in his head.
"I'm cutting them out of the will." His grandfather spoke abruptly, shocking Ransom to the fullest extent. "And I was going to cut you out too-"
"You were going to cut me out? What the fuck is this?!" He yelled, enraged by what he thought was his grandfathers mutiny. "We're family you can't just cut me out!"
"You see what you just said right there? That's the exact reason why I'm doing this. I've allowed my family to ride off my successes for far too long. None of you have an ounce of independence! Not to mention that you've all developed that irksome sense of entitlement when you've accomplished nothing!" Harlan's blue eyes, the ones that are nearly identical to Ransoms, were filled with ice. "You don't care about anyone other than yourself."
"So what you're just going to let everything go? The house, the money, the publishing company?" Then a thought occurred to Ransom. "No. You're gonna leave it all to that Ecuadorian woman, your nurse."
"She's the only one who'd be deserving of it. At least, at the moment she is." His words eluded to something more, something he hasn't told Ransom yet.
"What are you getting at, Old Man?" Ransom stood statue still, waiting for the 'but', waiting for the thing that he could used to keep his claim on his portion of the Thrombey estate.
"This is the one and only chance you're going to get, no one else is getting it, so listen up and listen good." Grandpa Dearest starts, leaving no room for any response, just attention. "If you can prove to me that you're capable of caring for someone other than yourself, I'll leave your share for you. If not, it all goes to Marta."
Ransom stood dumbfounded for a moment. "You...you want me to get a girlfriend?"
"No. I want you to find a woman willing enough to look past your self-centered, egotistical, entitled personality. If you can find a young lady, a proper one at that, to care for you then you've succeeded." It sounded simple enough to Ransom, he could just pick up some good girl he finds and it would be over with. "But you have to show me that you're committed and I need to meet and approve of her."
"You can't be serious. You're standards for women are ridiculous!" He complains, knowing how picky his grandfather was when he comes to his choice of girlfriends in the past.
"These are my conditions. You can take them or leave them, but they're not up for debate." There was a finality to his voice that told Ransom there was no point in arguing. Harlan's mind was set. “You’ve got three weeks.”
"This is bullshit." Ransom growled, turning away and storming from the study. He grabbed his coat and didn't stop walking until he was outside of his car. He yanked open the driver side door and dropped into the seat unceremoniously, starting the car and pulling off without a second thought.
He can't help the feelings that are coursing through his body. How could his grandfather cut him off like that, then offer him an ultimatum as his only shot at redemption?
Ransom has a different relationship with his grandfather than the rest of his family does. Where his other family tries to play sweet and innocent with their intentions, Ransom has always been blunt and honest. He's never tried to sugarcoat the fact that he uses his grandfather's money to its fullest extent. And while that doesn't make him any better morally, at least he's not a liar.
And still, his grandfather would be so willing to cut him loose like the rest of those idiots. Let him struggle after he'd grown accustomed to a life of luxury. That's more cruel than any punishment in his book. But, he has a chance.
Thinking back to the proposed ultimatum, he can only think of it as stupid and ridiculous. It's his grandfather's final attempt at getting him to settle down, to end his immature lifestyle and become the man that Harlan wants him to be. It's a heinous plan that might've worked with plenty of others. But it won't work for the stubborn mass that is Ransom Drysdale.
He stands in his living room, pacing the floor while he tries to come up with a plan. A loophole or a quick trick to make this as easy and painless as possible. He could hire someone to pretend to be his girlfriend, have them act like a woman Harlan would approve of. But the idea itself insults his ego. He's Hugh Ransom Drysdale, a third generation Thrombey. He doesn't need to pay someone to be with him. The mere thought of it is outrageous.
He's thinking of other things he could try, other solutions to his problem, when you appear in his thoughts. You, the one girl that seemed timeless, perfection to the 'T' in the eyes of Harlan. Even after not seeing him for two decades it seems he still thought of you as an angel. If Ransom was being honest, he'd admit that you look like one too.
He smirks as a scheme rears its ugly head at the forefront of his mind. It's all too easy. Harlan wants him to get a girlfriend. Harlan adores you. Let's connect the dots here. Odds are you don't have a boyfriend and would be plenty willing to "date" Ransom. If he remembers correctly, you had the sweetest little crush on him when the two of you were younger, time couldn’t change things all that much could they?
And even if you didn’t like him that’s nonessential. You don’t need to like him, he just needs you to pretend that you’re head over heals in love with him long enough to convince Harlan. Simple enough. Now he just has to convince you to play along.
(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ
The pinging of your phone is what draws your attention away from the manuscript before you. You’re not one to go on your phone freely during work, but something makes you open the notification. It’s a message from an unknown number. Typically you’d just ignore it unless you were expecting a message from someone specific.
Hey there Beautiful 😉
You stare at the message, wondering what creep managed to find your number. You set your phone back down, planning to ignore the text, only to pick it back up when you hear it go off again.
This is Ransom, incase you didn’t know.
Ah. It’s that creep.
You want to ignore him. You want to pretend you never seen the message and continue working. But each time you place the phone down and begin working again, something pulls your focus away from the manuscript and directs it towards your phone. You huff as you pick it up, looking at the screen with uncertainty. You nibble on your lower lip as you think of what to say in response. You decide to go with the obvious.
How did you get this number?
A few minutes pass before you get a text back.
Marta gave it to me.
Why would she do that? You’d only known the woman for a hour before you learned of her bitter attitude towards Ransom. There’s no way in hell she’d make an effort for him.
Why did she do that?
The little bubbles appear below your text seconds later.
Because I asked her for it.
Quite the explanation.
Why did you ask her for it?
And a moment later-
Because I wanted to text you, duh.
It’s almost like he’s the same 12 year old you left behind all those years ago.
Ransom is there a legitimate reason for you to be bothering me right now while I’m at work? If not you’ll be finding yourself on my blocked numbers list.
You’re growing annoyed with the situation and no longer have the patience to deal with his childish behavior.
I do have a legitimate reason, actually. I want to invite you to dinner.
Dinner? Why would he-
Tonight at 8, meet me at that little diner on the edge of town.
His second message is almost as confusing as the first. If you’re thinking of the right diner, you have no idea why someone like Ransom would ever step foot in that place. Doesn’t seem like it’d fit anywhere in with their usual choices.
You consider the invitation. While it seems a bit sketchy and awfully out of the blue, you hadn’t had a real conversation with him in a long time. Maybe he genuinely wanted to reconnect with you after all these years. He was a good friend to you when you were much younger, and if you’re remembering correctly, he even had a bit of a crush on you. You give a small snort at that thought.
Well, there’s no harm in trying. Might as well give him a shot.
Okay, see you then.
After you send the message, you switch your phone to silent mode and return to your work. If you wanted to be done anytime before 8 you couldn’t have anymore distractions.
(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ
As Ransom sits at the table he runs over his lines again. He knows exactly what he’s going to say to convince you to take his deal. Absentmindedly, he gently tugs on a loose strand on his favorite sweater. He never noticed how often he’d do that until lots of his sweaters began to fray. So he’s been trying to break the habit, but sometimes when he’s overly focused or nervous he can’t stop himself.
It’s a little after 7:50, he’s been there since around 7;30. Never in his life had he been so eager for something that he arrived early for it. Never. While he’s certain it’s because this interaction would determine whether or not he has a shot at getting back on to Harlan’s will, deep deep down where that 12 year old boy is buried, he knows that he’s partially excited about you. He’ll never admit that though, to to himself or anyone else.
He can’t help but check the time over and over, picking up his phone only to look at the clock. It’s nearly 8 o’clock now. He thinks about texting you, making sure that you were still coming before he made a fool of himself by getting stood up, but before he can unlock his phone you’re sliding into the seat across from him.
“Here I was thinking I’d be the first one here and you’d be the one who’s fashionably late.” You give him a half smile while setting your purse down next to you and picking up the menu. “I hear this place has fantastic baked beans.”
Even though you’re dressed in what seems to be your work attire, Ransom finds himself thinking that you look damn good. He furrows his brow in thought, trying to decide whether he wanted to jump to the chase or allow you to settle in for a moment. He chooses the former, maybe if he waited for the right moment you wouldn’t take off without hearing him out.
You both order your meals, bits and pieces of small talk flowing between the two of you but nothing really sticks. When the food arrives, Ransom watches as you begin to eat, the words sitting on the tip of his tongue. He moves the food from one side of the plate to the other, never really eating it just playing with it.
“You know, I never expected to get that text from you.” You say after swallowing a bite, your eyes meeting with his. “Honestly I’m still kind of in shock. So I’ve gotta ask, why did you ask me out?”
He should’ve known you’d figure something was up. You’re too smart, you’ve always been. At least now he has a clear segway into explaining his actions.
“Look I’m just gonna be honest with you, I’m not in the mood for beating around the bush any longer.” He drops his fork to the table and sits up straight, eyes focused solely on you. “My grandfather is cutting everyone from the will and leaving everything to his nurse.”
Multiple things flash across your face in the span of a few seconds. First shock, then satisfaction, and finally skepticism. You stop eating as well, simply placing your fork down and crossing your arms in front of you, waiting for Ransom to continue.
“I’m the only one who has a shot at getting back on it. Harlan gave me some bullshit ultimatum, said if I can’t comply than I’m out.” He huffs, watching as curiosity graces your features.
“What was the ultimatum?” You ask with a quirked brow.
“Essentially, find a girl to love me or get the boot.”
(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ
“So what does that have to do with me?” Your face scrunches with confusion. Was he asking if you loved him or something?
“I can see the wheels turning in your head, quit jumping to conclusions.” He grunts, rolling his eyes at your assuming face. “I need you to pretend to be my girlfriend.”
This response is actually more shocking to you, you sit dumbfounded for a moment. “You want me...to fake...being your girlfriend?” You almost look like a confused puppy with the way your head tilts to the side.
“It’s not that complicated, just show up to a couple of family events with me, we’ll tell everyone we’re together, kiss and smile for show and go our separate ways at the end of the night. After the old man is convinced, we play it off for a bit, who knows how long he’s gonna last? And when he croaks, my bag is secured.” You’re at a lack of words for the nonchalant way Ransom speaks about his grandfather’s future death. He talked about the man like he was just a bank, a blank check, and free ride and nothing more. It makes you sick.
“Okay first of all, how can you talk about Harlan like that? It’s like you don’t even care for the man who adores you so. News flash, he’s more than just your personal bank Ransom, he’s a good man who cares about his family and has worked hard for everything he owns.” You spit, anger filling every crevice of your soul.
“Second of all, “when he croaks”? Does the thought of your grandfather dying even phase you? It damn sure doesn’t seem like it to me. You have no idea how much pain I felt at the loss of my grandfather, I would do anything for just another hour with him. Yet, here you are with your grandfather still living and you treat him terribly! Practically counting the days until he’s gone so that you can lay claim to a fortune you didn’t work for.” You’re starting to get loud and people are beginning to stare, but you can’t find it in yourself to care.
“Third of all, you deserve this! All of you do! Each and every one of you have milked the cash cow that Harlan is for every cent you could get. I’m not sure if some of you love him for his money, love him and his money, or don’t love him at all and just take his money! It’s sickening!” Ransom looks like he wants to interject but you don’t allow him to, drawing in a quick breath and continuing your rant.
“And last of all, you’re an asshole! You were simply a brat when we were kids but now I see that the brat was nurtured and grew into a full on asshole! We go almost 20 years without seeing each other, and the second time we meet face to face you lay this shit on me?! What makes you think that I’d ever want to be your fake girlfriend? I will not contribute in the plot against the man who’s the closest thing I have to my grandfather. He doesn’t deserve any more back stabbing.” You seethe, snatching your purse up from next to you and standing, well and ready to storm out of the diner and leave Ransom to sit alone like the fool he is.
“Y/N, wait!” He grabs your hand and stops you from leaving. He looks at you with those blue eyes, the ones that resemble Harlan’s so much. “I know I said all the wrong reasons, but please believe me when I say that seeing you with me would make my grandfather so happy. Even when we were still kids he would tell me that he couldn’t wait for our wedding day. If he thinks I’m with you, he’ll be over the moon.”
You hate to admit it but his words get to you. Harlan not so subtly name dropped Ransom multiple times, mentioning how he was doing and what he was up to, even asking if you were seeing anyone right now (which you are not). You yank your hand away from him, but sit back down with a sigh. You’d do anything to make Harlan happy.
“Let me make one thing clear right now, I’m not doing this so your spoiled ass can get what your after. I’m doing this for him because I want to see him happy.” You glare at him, flames dancing in your eyes.
“I don’t care what your motivation is, I just need you to act the part.” There’s a pleased smirk on his face that annoys you more than anything.
“We’re gonna need to lay down some ground rules first though.” You cross your arms once more as a small act of defiance.
“Fine, be my guest.”
“Only you’re family will know about our “relationship”. No one else.” You start, imagining what would happen if word got out about you dating the competitor publishing company owner’s grandson, work would be a mess.
“Sounds great.” Ransom agreed easily.
“You can’t see other people during the course of “relationship” either. No exceptions. If I find out the agreement is immediately off.” You take satisfaction in watching the way his jaw clenches.
“Whatever.” He grunts, he seems bothered by that one, but you couldn’t care less.
“The last thing is no contact. No kissing and no intimate touching. The less contact the better.”
“What? How are we going to convince anyone that we’re together if I can’t touch you?” His faces twists into a look of disbelief. It makes you happy to know you’re gettin under his skin.
“Sounds like a you problem.” You shrug, seemingly unbothered by his annoyance.
“What about putting my arm around you, can I at least do that?” Ransom asks with an eye roll. You ponder his question for a moment.
“Fine, but that’s it.” You finally answer.
“Are these all your conditions?” You can tell that he’s growing tired of this interaction.
“Yeah that’s all.” You nod, before adding on. “For now.”
“Great. Well then, it sounds like we have a deal.” He holds his hand out for you to shake. You look at it with a bit of hesitation. Shaking your head, you take his hand and give it a small squeeze. “We have a family dinner next Saturday. I’ll pick you up at 5.”
Good golly.
(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ(づ。◕‿‿◕。)づ
The dreaded Saturday seems to arrive faster than Ransom expected. While the passing of time is inevitable it didn’t have to go so fucking quick. When he picked you up from your house very few words were exchanged. Nerves and anxiety seemed to be picking at the both of you, but probably for two different reasons entirely.
Honestly, Ransom felt a little bad for you. His family could be a bit- much -at times, he’ll be the first one to admit that. He’s certain you didn’t forget their eccentric and sometimes imposing ways since the last time you’d seen them, who could forget something like that? The only one who will probably ask more questions than Harlan himself? Ransom’s mother, Linda.
She had been a helicopter mother since the day Ransom was born. He’d only managed to ditch her by being such an asshole for so long. If there’s anyone who’s going to want to know how you worked your way into Random’s frozen heart it will be her. That’s why the two of you needed a cohesive back story.
“We need to get a story together.” He speaks for the first time since leaving your house. “Something we can tell everyone that’s believable and easy to remember for the both of us.”
“Okay. Obviously we met when we were kids, but didn’t see each other after my grandfather’s passing because I moved in with my aunt.” You start with the truth because those were undeniable facts.
“Years and years pass and I bump into you as you’re leaving Harlan’s party. I ask for your number because I wanted to catch up with you. We text for a while and share a few phone calls before we decide to spend some time together in person.” He fills in the next part, sprinkling some lies amongst the truth.
“We have dinner together and get along great, obvious lie, and plan for another date.” Ransom rolls his eyes at your side comment, but nods his head in agreement. “On our second date we go to the movies and split a popcorn, at one point we both reach in and our hands touch. I move to pull away but instead you take my hand in yours and hold it for the rest of the movie. Then-“
“I’m sorry, but this narrative sounds like it’s straight out of some sappy teen movie. No one is going to believe that I did any of these things, I mean have you met me?” He can’t help but laugh at the slightly flushed look on your face when you realize how carried away you got. “How about on our second date we went to a bar and you got shitfaced, then we went back to my place and fucked like rabbits.” He wiggles his brows suggestively.
“Hell no, you’re sick!” You hand whips around and you wack him in the chest with the back of your hand, causing Ransom to laugh even harder. You glare at him until his laughter dies down. “Okay, here’s a compromise. On our second date we went to my house to drink and watch a movie. We both got a little tipsy and had a bit of a drunk make out session. You were too drunk to drive home so you spent the night, but nothing happened.”
“Yeah that works. On our third date I decided to officially ask you to be my girl over ice cream. This is our first official outing as a couple.” Out of the corner of his eye, Ransom can see a smirk playing on your lips. “Something funny?”
“Nothing really, I just never expected you to be such a story teller. Color me impressed.” You bump him with your elbow in a playful manner that makes Ransom snort and roll his eyes.
“Whatever.” He shakes his head with a small smile on his face. “Feel free time add little details wherever to make it more believable, but nothing that I can’t follow along with in case someone asks.”
“Gotchya.” You answer simply, turning your gaze to the winding road below you. The ride after that is silent.
It’s not long before the familiar house is taking up the view in front of him. Ransom parks in his usual spot, not thinking twice as he does it. As he pulls the keys from the ignition he turns his gaze on to you. You look nerve wracked.
“You ready for this?” He asks you, watching as you nibble anxiously on your bottom lip.
“Nope, but it feels too late to turn around now.” You breath out. You give Ransom a weak smile. “C’mon, let’s play pretend.”
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