Two days later, I'm still feeling triumphal for what I did, especially when I get online to check what the reaction of the media is. They actually loved me, only writing nice things about how lovely I am and how in love we look. We totally deceived them. No one can say I'm not doing my job well. It's all pretence, we don't even like each other, but what matters is that they don't see that.

Havi called me the day after the premiere to congratulate me and ask me how I was doing. I didn't lie when I told her that it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be and that I actually had fun. I also felt good about telling my father the truth. Liam actually behaved nicely that night.

Havi also told me that I should have a few days for myself and that she would let me know when I have to go out with Liam again.

But she was wrong.

Without previous notice, Liam calls me. Not a text, not an email. He. Calls. Me.

"Hello?" I ask confused, a slight frown on my brow. "Is something wrong?"

"Hello, Belle," he says in a good mood, which confuses me further. "Nothing is wrong. Can't I just call my lovely girlfriend? I mean, according to the media she's the loveliest creature and we are madly in love. It's just normal that I call her to know how she's doing," explains Liam and my frown deepens. This doesn't sound right, there's something off, especially for his sweet tone. He doesn't talk to me like that.

"Fake girlfriend," I remind him. "It's just acting."

"Oh yes, I noticed. You're an amazing actress, I was shocked," is his response and I grin. It was a blow to his ego when I told him I had been acting the whole time. Good, because I don't want him to forget I don't like him a single bit. "But we can't let our guards off, the media needs to be reminded of how much in love we are so... What are you doing tonight?"

It takes me six seconds to understand he's asking me out. He. This is not some planned event by our boss, or even Havi. This is his will because Havi told me I should have a few days free. Two is not a few.

"I have to correct assignments," I say without a trace of emotion.

"Is it due tomorrow? Because if you still have some days for that, I would like to take you on a date."

I actually feel a chill going down my spine. I don't want to do this, I have a really bad feeling and I don't want to ruin my good mood. But he's being actually nice. He's asking me to go with him, not demanding and that's improvement.

"I have a few more days," I reply still a bit unsure. "What time are you picking me up?"

There's a moment of silence and I wonder what he's doing or thinking. I'm actually curious.

"Is thirty minutes enough for you?" he questions with an amused tone and that surprises me again. "Or do you need more?"

Still blinking in surprise I reply, "Thirty is fine. Do I dress casual?" I inquire next and I'm waiting for him to say I just have to look hot, as he's done before.

"Yes, just casual. I'm taking you to have dinner."

Is this his counterattack? Is this his way to pay me back? But we are just talking over the phone, there's no need to act now. We can't even see each other. It would make more sense if he acted like this when having dinner.

I have to be careful, extra careful now. I can't forget we are just playing to be a couple.

I get ready and inform Father I'll have dinner with Liam but I make sure to leave something prepared for him. And then, exactly thirty minutes after the call, the doorbell rings. I'm not sure to believe it's Liam because last time I had to make him come to pick me up. I don't think he learnt that fast.

But it is Liam indeed and I can't hide my surprise when I see him at the other side, dressed casually in dark trousers, a cool tee with a denim jacket and a comfy and warm scarf.

"Hello," he greets. "You look lovely."

Acting! Acting! He's acting!

I can't forget that. And I have to act, too. I'm pretending, too. His smile is pretence, the happy look in his eyes is just an act.

"Thank you, you look great yourself," I say and take a step forward to kiss his cheek. His eyes widen in surprise for a second before he recovers and smiles wider.

"Shall we go?" he asks and I nod with a big smile.

This is all fake.

It's so fake that we don't even try to have small talk during the ride, but Liam seems to be in a good mood. He sometimes takes glimpses at me and he's always wearing a smile and that makes me more nervous.

We park and then he rushes to open the door for me and I try not to act so surprised and then take his hand when he offers it. We walk together and I notice it's a nice, cosy restaurant. It doesn't look expensive or classy, it looks like a family restaurant and I like that. I feel a bit more at ease when we walk in and sit at a nice table. It's not crowded and you mostly see young people around. I wonder what kind of restaurant is.

A waiter comes to hand us the menu and when I take a look at it I notice he brought me to an organic restaurant. I smile because this is the kind of place I like and I'm surprised he brought me here. I would think of Liam only going to the trendy and most expensive places, not a restaurant like this one. I can't hide my happy smile when I look at him, grateful for bringing me here.

"I chose right," he muses after we make our order, the house's speciality: Green Festival.

"Yes. I really like this. Thank you, Liam," I say honestly and his smile is kind, different from all the others I've seen in him.

"Great. I wanted to thank you because you were amazing during the premiere. It's been long since I only saw good articles about me. You charmed them all." It's weird to see Liam leaving the jerk at home and just being kind. Whilst I look at him I'm reminded of the boy I saw in interviews, an innocent boy with big dreams and for whom everything was so new. I see the same kind eyes but now in an older face. I see a man, not a boy.

"When you are kind to people and act humble, you remind them you're also just human," I state wondering if maybe the jerk is the act because he looks so relaxed, far more natural than when he's acting arrogant.

No. That's me wishing the jerk act was the pretence and the nice one is the real. That's not reality.

"But people take advantage of you when you're kind," he retorts and there's a shadow in his eyes that disappears as quickly as it appeared.

"True that," I concede. "I'm not an expert in human behaviour because I just don't care and don't have the time, but it's what I tell my students all the time. You catch more flies with honey."

He doesn't say anything back, we just stare at each other and I would like to know what he's thinking right now. I'm getting the feeling he's not just a jerk or that the nice boy is dead... I'm getting the feeling he's hiding that version of him so well with a guard at the door telling everyone that the nice boy is gone and he'll never come back, but he's still there, locked up.

Our food arrives and it looks delicious and for the moment we focus on that but I keep giving thought to that. I'm aware that I shouldn't try to understand him because that's not my job, I was hired to pretend dating him, not to really date him. But either way I have to spend time with him and if I want to make him human again, it's help that I understand him. Maybe the way to deal with the jerk is to understand why the jerk is here to begin with.

"Liam, what about your family?" I ask a bit later when we are enjoying our food, to know a bit more about him and his background. "Harry took his sister and Zayn his wife and mum. I also saw Niall's brother at the after party."

"Things are not nice at the moment with them," he replies and his tone is harsh. "We keep fighting."

"Why?"

Liam groans before answering. "Because it's gonna be Ruth's wedding and she wants me there for the rehearsal dinner but I'm busy. The tour is about to kick off and I don't really wanna go. It's just a rehearsal dinner. She keeps whining and saying I don't care about my family anymore and loads of bullcrap."

And the jerk is back...

"Liam," I call using my teacher voice. "Your family is your family, no matter what they'll never stop being your family, even if you want it otherwise. Fame is capricious and it'll leave you as fast as it came. You can't neglect your family like that. You should apologise to your sister and go, because that's important to her and she needs your support. It's not just a rehearsal dinner, it's her wedding rehearsal dinner." He looks at me with a surprised expression after my speech, his fork with food halfway to his mouth.

He slowly puts it down again. "But I really don't wanna go," he complains and I groan.

"Can't you make a sacrifice for your sister?" I defy him and he looks down.

"I'll go if you come with me," he deals, surprising me. "And to the wedding, too. You're my girlfriend, right? It's just normal you come with me." I don't say anything, I just don't know what to say. I wasn't told I would go to a wedding or get involved with his family. "Please?" he adds and I sigh.

A wedding can't be worse than a premiere.

"Okay, I'll go with you but you gotta call your sister tonight and apologise, okay?" He nods and smiles brightly at me. "I'll have to buy another dress," I complain because the thought of going shopping physically hurts me. "Any requirement this time?"

"Anything you like," he says and my eyes shoot up to look at him, incapable of hiding my shock. "I trust you with that. You'll look amazing."

I drink water, loads of water, to swallow the lump that has formed in my throat at his words. It's not that he's being kind, it's that he's doing the opposite of all the other things I hated before.

I'm so awestruck that I barely mumble a thanks and then I just focus on finishing my food to leave as soon as possible. I'm feeling quite uncomfortable this time.

It's only when we are finally leaving after Liam tells me about his family—as a way to prepare me for the rehearsal dinner—during the rest of the dinner that I notice how people have been staring us, young people. When we are heading to the door, a group of girls approach us, all around our age. They are fans.

"Oh my God I can't believe it's Liam Payne. Please, can we get a picture?"

"I love you so much!"

"I'm shaking!" Are some of the sentences I understand. It's a group of seven girls but they all talk at the same time. Liam keeps his hand around my waist and seems a bit nervous so I decide to help.

"What if I take the pictures?" I offer myself. "That way you can have a better quality than a selfie."

The girls look at me as if just then they noticed my presence and their eyes widen when they recognise me. I smile kindly at them.

"That's nice, thank you, Belle," Liam speaks and the girls then hand me some phones so I wait for them to pose and start snapping pictures. I show them the results and make sure to take more than one. I also suggest taking individual pictures and as I'm the one suggesting, Liam doesn't complain. When we are done the girls are smiling at me.

"You're really nice," says one of them. "I wasn't sure at first. Thank you for helping."

"My pleasure," I reply with a smile of my own.

Then we are free to leave and head to the car. On the way Liam tells me, "You managed that pretty well. Once I dated a model and she could only make faces when we encountered fans because she wanted to leave as soon as possible. The fans hated her and that quite ruined her reputation."

"That's a pity."

"Totally. It's amazing how despite you've never had contact with this world you still manage so well. I'm glad you father suggested you for this... job."

I only smile. I force myself not to think about his words and the meaning of them, and I certainly force myself not to think how he hesitated on the last word. Those words are irrelevant to my job. Because I can't allow myself forget what this really is.

-:-:-

Please remember I wrote this story first as a teen fiction so the model is not any of Liam Payne's previous girlfriends, okay?

Also, the fourth book WON'T be about any of the boys of 1D nor it will include them in any sense. I've said this before countless times but I'll repeat it again: The AP series is NOT about 1D, it's about the GIRLS. They are the focus and most important element, so they don't direct the amount of books or whatnot. After BBB there won't be more fan fictions for the series, only teen fictions, as the ones you already find on my widbook profile. To be honest, these stories work far better as teen fiction.

Bel, xx