Page 90 of The Fake Out

I laid my head on her chest, and she caressed my hair while I tried to catch my breath. If this was truly the last time I was going to see her, I’d give her my body until she told me to stop. I’d give her everything she wanted tonight.

“Blaise,” she sighed.

I pulled out of her and got rid of the condom. “Yeah, sweets?”

“Thank you.”

I laid back on the bed and pulled her into my arms, stroking my hand through her hair. “For what?”

She kissed my chest and looked up at me with a longing look I couldn’t place. “For everything. For doing this for me…for being at my side.”

I brought her hand up to my lips and kissed the flower tattoo on her wrist. I wanted this to be every night. For her to be in my arms all the time. Only I would fall in love with a closed-off woman who didn’t allow herself love out of fear of getting hurt.

I gave her my body instead, even though I knew it wouldn’t be enough.

Chapter Twenty-Six

VERONICA

I woke up to an empty bed, and even though I had been expecting it, it still hurt. The bed was cold, like my heart, and it was exactly what I deserved. I could barely move. I was sore from all the lovemaking Blaise and I did last night. He gave it to me roughly and dominated me like I loved, but when he shifted to missionary because he wanted to look me in the eyes, I knew I was done for.

It hadn’t just been a casual sexual encounter last night. It had been something so much more. Something I craved but couldn’t allow myself to have. I broke my own heart because of my foolish idea that I could keep my feelings out of it. He had stared deep into my eyes like he was staring into my soul as he made sweet love to me. But it had only been a goodbye.

It was good he was gone when I woke up; otherwise, my heart would have tried to convince me I needed him to stay. Ghosting me like this was perfect. Everyone did it this way, so having my fake boyfriend do it too was the perfect way to prove my point about why I didn’t do relationships anymore.

I rolled over in bed and looked at my phone.

OLIVIA: You still want me to pick you up?

ME: Please.

OLIVIA: Good, because I’m here. Come downstairs.

I got dressed in last night’s clothes, and I felt gross. But I left the room, collecting the few things I had, and walked out into the morning light to find Olivia waiting in her compact car. I slid into the passenger seat with a sigh.

She grinned at me. “You look like you got fucked six ways to Sunday.”

And then I burst into tears.

“Oh, honey,” Olivia comforted me. She pulled me into a quick hug and let me cry on her shoulder. When I pulled away, she leaned over into the glove box and handed me some tissues.

I nodded my thanks, and she drove off, seeming to get that I didn’t want to talk about it.

Or so I thought.

“You fell in love with him, didn’t you?” she asked when we were almost at my place in Drakesville.

“I don’t understand. I’m not supposed to have feelings anymore.”

That made her laugh her ass off. “Honey! You have feelings, but no one made you feel the way Seth did. I know you and Blaise started this as a casual thing, but I saw you together. Your eyes lit up whenever he texted. And when he came into the shop, I could see the love between you.”

I wiped my eyes. “Liv, can you drop it? I want to go home, shower, and not think about this ever again.”

She nodded and parked across the street from my apartment. “What did Blaise say when you left this morning?”

“He wasn’t there.”

“What?”