The Beginning of the Lie

Grace checked her phone for the third time in ten minutes.

7:58 PM.

Victoria had told her to be there by 8. Sharp.

She adjusted her grip on her suitcase handle, exhaling. This whole thing still felt unreal. Yesterday, she had been a normal girl working a shift at Ernie's Diner. Today? She was walking straight into the life of a rockstar.

A very arrogant, slightly insufferable rockstar.

Victoria had been clear about the rules when they spoke on the phone that morning.

She would be paid weekly.

She had to live in Jax's house full-time.

She had to attend events with him.

No telling anyone the truth.

"Oh, and one more thing," Victoria had added before hanging up. "Try not to let Jax get under your skin."

That part would probably be the hardest.

The Paparazzi Were Already Waiting

The second Grace's Uber pulled up to the gate of Jax's massive house, camera flashes exploded.

She froze.

What the hell?

Journalists shouted her name—her name.

"Grace! Grace, over here!"

"How long have you two been dating?"

"Are you moving in with Jax Riot?"

"Is it serious?"

Grace's heart pounded. How do they even know who I am already?

She barely had time to think before a tall, muscular guy in sunglasses and a security uniform opened the car door. "Miss Carter, right? Come on."

Grace grabbed her suitcase and hurried inside.

Jax Was Already Annoyed

When she entered the house, Jax was waiting.

His arms were crossed, jaw tense, and his usual "I don't give a damn" expression was even more irritated than usual.

"You're late," he said.

Grace frowned. "No, I'm not. Your mom said 8 PM. It's—" She checked her phone. "8:02."

Jax raised an eyebrow. "Exactly."

She let out a short laugh. "Oh my god, seriously? Two minutes? You really are dramatic."

His eyes narrowed, but before he could say anything, Victoria entered the room. "Oh, good, you're here."

She turned to Grace, ignoring Jax's glare. "Come, I'll show you around before I leave."

The house was insanely huge.

There were at least six bedrooms, a recording studio, a gym, a massive living room with a fireplace, and a ridiculous kitchen.

Grace tried to act like she wasn't completely overwhelmed.

"You'll be staying in this room," Victoria said, opening a door to a beautiful guest room with a king-sized bed.

Grace nodded, setting her suitcase down. "Nice."

Jax leaned against the doorframe, watching her like she was an unwanted guest. "Try not to break anything."

Grace looked irritated by Jax but she said nothing.

The moment the front door shut behind Victoria, an uncomfortable silence filled the massive house.

Grace stood awkwardly in the entrance, feeling completely out of place. It wasn't like she had never been in a nice house before, but this? This was on another level. The ceilings stretched high above her, the walls were decorated with modern art pieces that probably cost more than her entire college tuition, and the entire place smelled expensive—like leather, fresh cologne, and something she couldn't quite place.

Jax, on the other hand, looked completely at ease. He tossed his jacket over the back of the couch and ran a hand through his messy dark hair. His signature careless attitude was back in full force.

"So," he said lazily, his deep voice breaking the silence. "What now?"

Grace hesitated, shifting her weight. "I... don't know. Your mom didn't exactly give me a schedule."

Jax smirked at that. "Right. You're on the payroll now. Guess that makes me your boss."

She crossed her arms. "I wouldn't go that far."

He let out a short laugh before walking toward the living room. "Whatever. Just try not to get in my way."

Grace clenched her jaw, reminding herself why she was here. The money. The chance to study. That was the only reason she had agreed to this madness.

She took a deep breath and followed him.

Jax collapsed onto the huge sectional couch and grabbed the remote like he had no intention of sharing it.

"You watch movies, right?" he asked, flipping through options.

Grace gave him a look. "No, I live under a rock."

Jax smirked. "Wouldn't surprise me."

She ignored him. "What are we watching?"

Jax leaned back, stretching out like he owned the entire couch. "I was thinking something classic. You ever seen The Godfather?"

Grace blinked at him. "Three hours of serious mafia drama? No, thank you."

Jax raised a brow. "Wow. So uncultured."

She scoffed. "I just don't feel like watching a bunch of guys glare at each other for hours. Pick something fun."

He groaned dramatically. "Fun? Like what? Some dumb rom-com where two people pretend to be in love and then actually fall for each other?"

Grace stiffened. Was he making fun of their situation?

"Or," she said, ignoring his smug expression, "we could watch something that normal people enjoy." She grabbed the remote from his hand before he could react.

"Hey," he protested.

"Deal with it," she said, scrolling through the options.

Jax scoffed but didn't make a move to take it back. "Fine. But if you pick something unbearable, I'm walking out."

She smirked and selected a horror movie.

Jax frowned. "Seriously?"

"Yes," she said, crossing her arms. "Or are you scared?"

Jax let out a dry laugh. "Please. I don't get scared."

"Good," she said sweetly. "Then this should be fun."

The movie started, and for a while, neither of them spoke.

Grace sat on one side of the couch, Jax on the other. A safe distance.

At first, he seemed completely unbothered, barely reacting to the jump scares. But as the movie went on, she noticed him shifting slightly, his jaw tightening.

Grace bit back a smile. "You okay over there?"

Jax shot her a glare. "I'm fine."

Another scare. Jax's arm twitched ever so slightly.

Grace turned to him, smirking. "You sure?"

Jax leaned toward her, his face way too close now. "If you're expecting me to scream and jump into your arms, keep dreaming."

Her breath hitched for half a second before she forced herself to roll her eyes. "Relax, rockstar. No one's asking you to be the damsel in distress."

He chuckled, sitting back. "Good. Because that's definitely not happening."

They went back to watching, but the air between them felt... different. Less hostile, but still charged.

At one point, a particularly loud scare made her jump, and Jax let out a low laugh.

Grace glared at him. "Shut up."

"Who's scared now?" he teased.

She huffed, hugging a pillow. "You're insufferable."

"And yet, you're stuck with me."

She sighed. "Unfortunately."

Jax smirked, but something about the way he looked at her now was less irritated and more... amused.

For a second, she felt almost comfortable. Almost.

By the time the credits rolled, the house was quiet.

Jax stretched, running a hand through his hair. "Well, that was a waste of two hours."

Grace shrugged. "Could've been worse."

Jax studied her for a moment, like he was seeing her in a slightly different light. Then he stood. "I'm going to bed."

Grace blinked. "Oh. Right. Me too!"

He started walking away but paused. "Oh, and Grace?"

She glanced up. "Yeah?"

A lazy grin spread across his face. "Try not to fall in love with me."

She threw a pillow at him. He dodged it easily, laughing as he disappeared down the hall.

Grace let out a breath, shaking her head.

This was going to be a very long arrangement.