"Are you serious?" Knox's voice is level, controlled, which means the thing underneath is neither of those. "You heard what she said. She told Jessica that she's dating us. Without asking, without thinking about what happens next."
"I heard." I lean forward, elbows on my knees. "I also heard that Jessica's smile broke. After everything she put us through, don't you see this as a win?"
Knox rubs the bridge of his nose. "Sure, it feels good.For now. But how long do we maintain a lie like this? A month? A year? What happens when someone slips up?"
Arthur settles into Knox's desk chair. "I don't think it's such a big deal."
"Really?" Knox turns on him. "Think of it this way: Beth's been in Lakeview for less than two years. She doesn't have family here. She doesn't have history. Her whole life in this town is a store and a loan. If she decides this place isn't worth the hassle, she packs up and leaves, and the whole town thinks we got dumped again."
"She's not leaving. You just said yourself she has a loan." I hold his gaze. "Which means she has skin in the game."
"And if she does?" Knox pushes off the desk. "If this whole arrangement evaporates, what are we gonna do? Worse, what if people learn about the lie? Right now, we're the pack that got dumped. That's bad. But the pack that got dumpedandfaked a relationship to cope?" He shakes his head. "That's not a setback, that's acategoryof pathetic Lakeview will dine out on for years."
"You're living in worst-case scenarios," I say. "Meanwhile, right now—today—we're about to walk into that couple's shower. And by the time we get there, people will already know. They'll look at us different. For the first time in four months, we walk into a room with our heads actually up."
Arthur leans the chair back on two legs. "He's right. And Knox, think about it. Beth said this to Jessica. That's not a private conversation, that's a public broadcast. Jessica's probably told six people already, and those six people have told six more. By tonight, everyone in our circle will have heard it. By tomorrow, the whole town." He lets the chair thud forward. "And if people hear this was a lie, they aren't going to think Beth made it up on her own. So we're already in this whether we like it or not. I say we might as well make the most of it."
Knox is quiet. He looks at the topographic map on his wall like the depth contours of Lake Vienne might have an answer hidden in them.
"If I'm even going to consider this," he finally says, letting out a long breath through his nose, "we at least come up with a plan."
6
Beth
I'm wedged beside Arthur in the backseat of Mason's truck, the space beside me completely surrendered to a stack of construction gear, with the rest crammed into the bed.
The car smells like coffee and a bit of sawdust, which I've come to associate with Mason.
Knox, who's riding shotgun, looks back. "Okay," he says finally. "So let's make sure everything is clear—"
"No rules for when to hold hands, and any other type of physical contact," I say, catching his eye in the mirror. "We just use our best judgment in the moment."
"And that doesn't mean in any way you can tackle people, Mason," Arthur adds with a dry chuckle.
Mason just grunts in response.
Knox clears his throat. "Yes. And on a more serious note, the only thing left is to agree on answers to potential questions. How long have you been together, how did it start... the usual."
"What do you suggest we say?" I ask.
"The truth. Mostly." Knox shifts so he's half-facing us. "We say that after everything that happened these last few months,we started gravitating toward each other. Naturally, organically. And then, when we were helping Harper and Ben at their engagement party—closing up the venue, specifically—that's when it clicked."
"Works for me," Arthur says. "Close enough to real that we won't trip over it."
True. And judging by the single, sharp nod I catch Mason giving his own reflection in the rearview mirror, the vote is unanimous.
"And here's our neutralizing line," Knox adds. "If someone pushes, gets too specific, asks something we don't have an answer for. Just say 'We're all just really happy right now.' That's our exit. Don't elaborate. Redirect."
I chuckle. That's actually a good smokescreen.
"By the way," Knox turns to me. "Did Harper reply?"
"Yeah." I pull out my phone, scrolling to the thread. "She's in. Gave us her full blessing to, and I quote,'fake the ever-loving hell out of it.'"
Arthur snorts.
"What about Luna and Maren?" Knox asks.
