A/N: Two chapters in one day aren't you lot lucky. Just a quick shoutout to Cloudywithachanceofpeddie for the lovely reviews, they make my day. Hope you enjoy this next chapter.

Chapter 3-

Alfie is staring at me intently, gaze not faltering. I notice him take a long sign and he mummers the words "Yeah" which are barely audible but there all I need to hear. I needed to show how much it means that he is not going to expose the one secret whichcould humiliate me for the rest of eternity. People who know me are aware that I'm not very good at expressing my feelings very well, but right now I have to let Alfie know how relieved I am. So I grab Alfie into a tight embrace and whisper the words "Thank you". We pull apart seconds later and he tells me it's probably best to go and save my fake boyfriend from the grilling he is probably received from my parents and Piper. To which I agree and leave Alfie, preparing the dinner.

To my surprise when I get to the lounge, Piper, Mom and Dad are leisurely chatting away to each other, but there is no sign of Eddie. Where did he go? Has he given up already? Do they know about the deal? These questions are swimming around my head, clouding my judgement. It only when I hit the ground with a large thump do I realise that I haven't been paying attention to my surrounding. I managed to walk into coffee table and land face down on the carpet and all because Eddie Miller had walked away from our deal. It was at that moment Eddie decided to walk back in.

"Patricia, what are you doing on the floor?" there was hint of genuine concern in his voice as his baby blues met with mine. He held his hand out to help me up which I accepted gladly. Although I was still aware that he had left, where did he go?

"I could ask you a similar question, where have you been?" My questioning coming out rather forceful.

"He went to the toilet Patty. What are you, his mother interrogating him every second!" Piper smiled at me like she delighted with herself, like she got one over me. She could be so pathetic when she wanted to be. It was my father who decided to defuse the tension that was forming again "So Eddie, before you left to go to the toilet, you were going to explain how you and Patricia met!"

"Sir" Sir what was he thinking starting with that, "You see Sir, we met when Patricia was doing a shift at the cinema, she was glaring at the popcorn machine bored one afternoon. When I arrived I came in and I asked for a diet coke; but she wasn't paying any attention and tripped and spilt it down me. I was so angry but when I gazed into her eyes I knew I couldn't hold on to it anymore, so I asked her out. She was so surprised that I wasn't angry and felt extremely guilty for making me wet that she instantly said yes, but ever since that day we've been inseparable." How did Eddie know the story about the guy who I spilt a drink down, the only time when I had ever been sloppy at work. Unless he really was the guy, yeah he must have been, I remember now the guy had an American accent, how could I not remember that. That story was half true so I guess, the lies aren't so bad. For the first time today, I properly stared at the man in front of me, he was so…, well I couldn't put my finger on the word just yet.

Not long after, Alfie called everyone into the dining room, he had finish dinner and was ready for everyone to eat. This was the bit I was dreading the most. Everyone in close proximity to each other with no space to breathe; I could feel my throat beginning to close so I took my seat at the table and seized the largest gulp of water humanly possible.

"So Eddie, how long have you a Patricia been dating?" Piper interest increasing, like she is testing me to see whether I will break at any second.

However Eddie was quick to respond, "I say a month, tops"

"A MONTH!" She was angry now, maybe even vengeful. She looked horrified by this revelation and it can't be helped, Eddie didn't know I was trying to make it look casual. Although I could hardly say an hour, that might be a little too casual.

Then I feel something on my knee, It a hand but it's not just anyone's hand its Eddie's. He being comforting, trying to tell me by feel to ignore my sister. Maybe he's not so bad after all.

"Well Patty, you should have told you sister you were dating Eddie. He's a fine young gentleman." My mother's diabolical attempt to defuse the tension, by taking my perfect sister's side. I could see my father was far more apprehensive about this relationship and it was him who was next to put Eddie in the firing line "So Eddie, short for Edison right?"

Eddie responded merely above a whisper, "Yeah that's right, Sir" Taking in a sip of water.

"Well what are your intentions towards my daughter?" My father being rather to forward for my liking.

Eddie spluttered out his water and flustered "My Intentions, sir?"

"Yes, your intentions in regard to my daughter"

I knew at this point I had to intervene for Eddie's sake, "Dad please" fluttering my eyelashes, hoping that he would just stop the hounding. Not to my surprise the talk of the table change to the subject of Alfie and Piper's engagement which mother and father couldn't have been happier about. Alfie was a polite, well-manner chef who own a successful chain of businesses around the Chester area. He was funny and smart and had lots of money, so Mom and Dad thought he was catch. He was a catch, any lady would be lucky to be marrying Alfie. However, all this wedding talk was making me sick so I decided to change the subject and I remembered Piper had said yesterday Mom and Dad had a surprise for me.

"Mom, Dad what's the big surprise that you have for me?"

I watched as both Mom and Dad turned their heads towards me, staring me blankly in the eyes.