“Front row.”
We sit side-by-side at the very front of the boat. Meredith and Carlton claim the row behind us.
The operator takes his place at the back of the boat, behind a giant swan sculpture, and begins paddling. Water laps against the sides of the boat as it slowly glides forward. The air smells like pond water, sweet flowers, and someone selling ice cream in waffle cones nearby. Ezra stretches his arm casually behind me again. “Are you cold?”
“No, I’m fine.” But I’m not even thinking about the weather right now. All I can think about is how close Ezra is.
Behind us, Meredith asks, “Can you take a picture of us? We’ll take one of you, too.”
“Of course.” I turn in my seat and angle Meredith’s phone at her and Carlton. She poses with minimal effort like she’s currently on set, and Carlton leans his face into hers and smiles.
“Thanks,” she says, taking the phone back. “Okay, your turn.”
We both smile, and she takes a few pictures before saying, “Look at each other for this next one. I think it would be cute.”
With my stomach in knots, I face Ezra. He studies my face carefully, like he’s memorizing it, and as his gaze flickers to my mouth, it feels like the boat slows down and the chatter fades, even though it doesn’t.
Cupping my cheek so gently it’s almost reverent, his thumb skims my jawline. Every nerve in my body lights up. His hand is so soft against my face, I completely forget where we are as he strokes my cheek, and my pulse hammers in my ears.
“Those were adorable!” Meredith squeals, breaking me from the trance. “I’ll send them to you, Rue”
“Yeah, really good pictures,” says Carlton, but his enthusiasm sounds forced.
Ezra’s eyes lock with mine, holding my gaze in a way that feels new and vulnerable. I force myself to look away.
Is this all for show, or does he feel this, too? Is it just me?
The rest of the ride is quiet, but I can’t help but lean into him as we sit. Just for the moment, I let my imagination get carried away, pretending we’re a real couple and this is a real date.
When the boat docks, Meredith and Carlton say goodbye to us on the bridge.
“That was fun,” says Meredith. “Thanks for meeting us.” And then she hugs me. My chest squeezes with happiness, and Carlton gives me a grin that actually looks genuine.
Ezra walks me to my car, hand brushing mine with every step. “Goodnight, Sullivan,” he says softly.
“Goodnight, Davis,” I whisper back. The flutters in my chest run a marathon as he meets my eyes before he shuts the door for me.
And even though everything between us is supposed to be fake, it doesn’t feel that way. Not right now at least.
Instead, it feels perfect. And that’s the part that worries me. As nice as this all feels, I need to remember it’s not real. Otherwise, I risk getting hurt all over again.
Chapter 9
Rue
When I get home, Mom is talking to a random woman with a tall updo at the table in the dining room.
“And that’s what’s so great about this business,” she tells Mom. “You only have to work for thirty minutes every morning to watch your whole life transform right in front of you.”
My mother nods emphatically. “Just show me where to sign, Linda.”
I roll my eyes and head upstairs. This isn’t the first time Mom has spontaneously joined a multi-level marketing business, and it certainly won’t be the last. It’s crazy, because she makes good money in her current line of work, or at least plenty for just the two of us. But she’s constantly trying to get out of it with all these MLM companies.
I close my bedroom door to shut out their voices. With a sigh, I change into something comfy and lie down on the carpet. Sometimes it’s easier to think like this, with the floor pressing into my back instead of my soft mattress. It’s like having someone nudge me and say,Focus, Rue. Don’t be complacent.
While I’m lying here, I draft my next Little Birdie post, just in time for my deadline this week. Thankfully, this is totally something the old Little Birdie would post about, and it alsohappens to align with my goal of making Meredith believe my fake relationship is real.
But before I hit post, my thoughts spiral right back to the same question that’s been haunting me since the admin console opened in front of me.
