Jesus. First, I have to convince her that we’re dating, now I have to convince her that I’m not? Is there no end in sight? “Well, it’s true.”
“Covey Arthur Gallagher.” I straighten up at the use of my full name. “That’s the biggest lie I have ever heard come out of your mouth. I’ve spent the last two months watching you two, and I can say with complete certainty that the two of you are in love. With each other.”
I don’t know what possesses me. Maybe it’s the exhaustionfrom all the performance or the pain of my heartbreak, but it all comes spilling out of me. I tell her how I made up a boyfriend, how Aidan got sucked into the lie, and how he suggested pretending to be my boyfriend for the holidays. “Except, I think I’ve been in love with him the whole time. I can’t be in a fake relationship with Aidan, because all I want is for him to be mine. For real.”
“Covey.” She pulls me in for a hug, and I try not to get any of my tears on her satin dress. “I think things will work out.”
I huff out a breath. “You have to say that.”
“No, but I’ll ask you about it later.” She gives me a big smile. “Maybe tomorrow.”
AIDAN
“Covey?” His eyes go wide as he turns toward me. “Did you mean any of that?”
As soon as the words are out, I start to panic. The question hangs between us with no way to take it back. If the answer is no, I don’t think I’ll make it. My heart can’t take anything else at this stage. Someone will have to carry me out of here, probably after they find me catatonic in the bathroom.
“Never mind.”
“Aidan—”
“No, forget I asked.” I want to forget the last two months. Maybe longer. If Silas is right, maybe I’ve been in love with Covey forever. Even if the last few months didn’t happen, I might have ended up in this same position. Eventually, he’d get a boyfriend, and I’d be forced to confront my feelings as I watched the two of them live happily ever after together. At least when we get to that this time, I’ll have a head start on processing my emotions.
“Aidan—” Covey puts a hand on my shoulder, and I immediately pull away.
“Don’t. Please, don’t.”
“Aidan—” he says louder, drawing a few looks from other patrons. I slap my hand over his mouth, hoping he’ll get the point.
A devilish look crosses his face, one that should give me enough warning, but doesn’t. Before I react, he runs his tongue over my hand, licking a big stripe. “Covey!”
He shrugs as I pull my hand away. “Listen. Please.”
At this point, the alternative is that the two of us become some sideshow for the fundraiser. I doubt Covey’s mom will appreciate us becoming a focus of the evening since we don’t generate any donations. I sigh and grab his hand, pulling him into a side room. It’s not empty, but at least there are fewer people around. As a bonus, these patrons didn’t see our little show earlier, so they’re wholly uninterested in our conversation. “Fine. Go ahead.”
“Aidan, I didn’t mean for you to overhear that conversation.”
“Yeah, I know. It’s fine.”
“No, you don’t understand. I didn’t intend for you to overhear it, but that doesn’t make it not true. I meant every word of it.” He takes a deep breath, closing his eyes. “At some point in the last two months, I fell in love with you. And I might have been in love with you long before that. Maybe since that first day of kindergarten. And I know you don’t feel the same way?—”
I don’t need to hear anymore. I grab him and lean in, pressing my lips to his. He gasps into my mouth before kissing me back. I don’t mean to do anything but shut him up, convey that I feel the same way, but now that I’m kissing him—for real—I’m not willing to stop.
“Get a room,” I hear someone hiss at us.
Covey buries his head in my neck, laughing softly.
“I told you so,” I say.
“Told me what?”
“That I’d kiss you first.” He pulls back and gives me a soft smile, one that’s so Covey my knees almost give out. I haven’t seen that big smile on his face in a few weeks. I didn’t realize how much I was missing it.
“But I beat you to saying I love you.” He pulls me down into another kiss, this one softer and less urgent.
“Seriously, guys.” A woman comes up behind us, hissing and shooting daggers in our direction. “This is a public event.”
“Want to get out of here?” Covey asks.
