Page 25 of Fall Fake-Out

“Wade, I am not dating you.”

“First of all, you sure know how to make a man feel good. Second of all, you don’t have to date me for real. You can be my fake girlfriend. Just the ruse we use at school to get Ashtyn off my back.”

It’s all the benefits of dating without the commitment.

“Your fake girlfriend?” Her eyes pin me. “Wade, this isn’t a 2000s rom-com.”

“You’re right. It’s much more serious than that. This is a criminal felony.”

“It’s your criminal felony. Not mine. I’m not lying for you. Leave me out of it.” She spins and begins walking away.

“Whoa, whoa, whoa!” I chase after her. “We’re not lying. We’re deceiving Ashtyn. Like you said in your English class last week, deception is a powerful tool that can shape what people believe about us, and I want Ashtyn to believe I’m interested in someone else.”

“Are you seriously quoting me back to me?”

“It was a great lesson. I don’t think you understand what a good teacher you are.”

“We’re not living The Great Gatsby, and I didn’t tell you to get a fake girlfriend. I told you to get a real one. There has to be another option.” She stops in front of her car and scans the church parking lot. Her eyes pause on Mayor Monroe, laughing boisterously with Sharon Price. “Wow, look at the mayor. Friday it was Lisa Ellis. Today it’s Sharon Price. He really gets around, doesn’t he?” She smiles over at me. “Almost as much as you do.”

“I don’t get around.”

“Okay, then, name someone in this town you don’t already have a dating history with.”

My smile pushes wide with cockiness. “Just you, baby.”

“Oh my gosh!” Dramatically, Ari swings open her car door and plops down on the seat. “On second thought, you might deserve prison time after all.”

“Don’t be rude.” I hold the car door open so she can’t close it. “There are benefits to being my fake girlfriend.”

“If you say you’re a great kisser or something cheesy like that, I swear I’ll deck you.”

“No, the benefits would be that your mom would be happy.”

“I think you’re overestimating how much my mom likes you.”

“Ouch. I always thought Barb and I had a great relationship.”

“Tell my mom to get a ride home with Landrie.”

Ari pulls on the door, causing me to quickly add, “Wait, your mom would be happy because she’s trying to find you a husband, right?”

“I don’t need a fake boyfriend to get my mom off my back. Unlike you, I know how to have an adult conversation and set boundaries with the people in my life.”

“I know how to have adult conversations. I just don’t like to.”

“Goodbye, Wade.” She yanks the handle even harder, forcing me to let go.

“Just think about it and get back to me,” I say as the door slams shut.

I can’t help but smile as Ari backs her car out and pulls away.

I’ll wear her down.

Ari

I should’ve asked Emma Harper who else attends the monthly book club before I agreed to join.

Maybe then I wouldn’t have had to listen to Maggie Devens drone on and on about why she didn’t like this month’s book, The Nightingale. Everyone’s entitled to their own opinion, but ever since junior high, Maggie’s opinions have annoyed the heck out of me—whether she’s criticizing Kristin Hannah’s flawless World War II book or tattling on me in high school for ditching math to attend class with Liv.