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When he finally pulls back, those vibrant eyes meet mine, and he says those words that make my heart skip a beat, “I did it, Princess. I fucking earned those three years.”
“I’m so proud of you.”
“I couldn’t have done it without you,” he whispers.
I tighten my grip on him, feeling a sense of pride. Maybe this fake relationship started out as a means to an end, but somewhere along the way, it became something more. Something real. I don’t have anything to worry about. He’ll want to keep seeing me.
“You earned every bit of this success,” I say, my voice filled with sincerity. The moment gets cut short as Easton skates up beside us. “Hey, Blake. Coach wants us for some photos.”
“All right. I’ll be there in a second.” Blake’s attention snaps back to me. “Duty calls. But you’re mine tonight. Wait for me after.” He leans in for one last kiss.
“Yes, you do. But I’ll be waiting for you.”
He glides backward for a few steps until Ryan practically tackles him, and he gets absorbed by the team heading to the far side of the field.
Lost in my thoughts, I barely notice when Juliette sidles beside me.
“Don’t get too comfortable. Word on the street is that after the Gala, Blake will be a free man.”
That catches my attention. Did Juliette find out about the ruse? I doubt he talked to her about it. “I don’t understand.”
Her lips curve into an evil smirk. “Don’t you?” She tilts her head and makes a pitiful sound.
“I obviously have no idea what you’re getting at. You need to realize that you and Blake will never be together. Even if I weren’t in the picture, there would be no you and him. He didn’t want you before me and certainly doesn’t want you after.”
Her eyes narrow into slits, and I fear I just poked a sleeping bear. I shove my shaking hands inside my pockets. I hate confrontations, but I’ve taken enough of her shit this semester.
“At least I’m not delusional. Don’t be too surprised when you’re left crying over a man who can only love himself.” She leans closer, her voice dripping with venomous delight. “It’s a shame when we don’t get what we want.” She struts away, leaving me to ponder her cryptic words.
I take a deep breath, steeling myself. Whatever Juliette’s hinting at, I’ll unearth it. For Blake. For us.
CHAPTERTWENTY-NINE
BLAKE
“I assumewe’re meeting Maddy and Amanda,” Ryan asks as I push through the rink’s exit doors. We were the last to leave. Coach wanted me to meet some donors, but I’ve yet to meet the main one, Dr. Steinberg—aka, the reason for dating Amanda.
“You know it.”
“Gotta give you credit. No one would suspect this thing you’ve got going on with Amanda isn’t real.”
I give my friend a side-eyed glance, unsure if I should disclose that the line was crossed long ago. I feel that’s something Amanda and I should discuss first. My following words are said with caution. “It’s real enough. She’s cool.”
Not to mention sweet, super smart, and so goddamn sexy-hot that she steals my fucking breath every time I see her.
“You sure there’s nothing more going on?”
“I’m not saying there isn’t. But we haven’t discussed what’ll happen after the Gala.” That changes tonight. She will know how much I want her when I get her alone. There won’t be any doubt about how I feel about her. “I’m working on it, though.”
“Fair enough.”
We round the corner, and speaking of catching my breath, Amanda leans against the brick wall with that Wildcat sweatshirt hanging off her like a promise and jeans hugging her in all the right places. Maddy’s right beside her, but my attention is all for Amanda.
“Blake!” Amanda’s voice dances across the distance between us, full of warmth, and wraps around my name like it belongs to her alone. Her smile is like a hit of something stronger than adrenaline.
Ryan’s chuckle cuts through the evening air. “You’re not fooling anyone.”
“Hey,” I say, closing the gap, trying to keep my cool when I only want to scoop her up and spin her around.
