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“At Josh’s.”
“You said you were going to the gym this morning.”
“I did. I ran into the guys…and things devolved from there.”
“What have you been doing?”
“Um, eating? Waterskiing?”
She sighs. “Be careful, Elliot.”
“I will,” I promise.
Another sigh before she hangs up. I do the same before I bang my head back against the wall I’m leaning on.
Auden
It’sreallyinconvenient, knowing what a good kisser my best friend is.
I’m realizing I did not think this whole fake relationship thing through. Like,at all.
First off, there’s no good reason I’m in one. Neither of us is fulfilling a relative’s dying wish or trying to receive an inheritance from overbearing parents, or whatever other semi-legitimate reason there is for pretending to date someone you’re really not. Is there one?
Secondly, it hasn’t made me any friends here. Annabel hasn’t spoken to me since I soaked her, and I have a feeling the piece of paper I scribbledI’m sorryon and slid under her door is likely in shreds or a pile of ash by now—if she ever even came home last night, which I’m not sure she did. Every other girl here has waves of animosity wafting off her strong enough to knock me over.
Third, I don’t have to consult a single romantic comedy to know pretending to date someone you want to date for real is a bad idea. But like the fool I am, I accepted Elliot’s assurance that nothing would change between us, aside from people assuming we’re having sex, of course.
There wasno mentionof kissing. Yet here I am, lips tingling.
Worst of all, I’m the one who set this whole stupid thing in motion, so I really have no one to blame but myself.
Fuck.
My.
Life.
“Want to take her out for a spin?”
I glance back to see Josh approaching the dock. “The boat?” I clarify. Stupidly, because what else could he be talking about?
He nods, not taking the opportunity to tease me for stating the obvious.
“Um…” I stall. Josh seems nice enough, but I barely know him. Is getting in a stranger’s boat any better than getting in their car? I guess jumping overboard into water probably hurts less than rolling out of an open door onto cement. Plus, he’s Elliot’s best friend, so he can’t be a complete psycho. I hope.
“Do you need to check with your fake boyfriend?”
My eyes fly to his. “He told you?”
Josh smirks. “No, but you just did.”
I grimace.
“Don’t worry, I won’t say anything to him. Luke and Oliver totally bought it.” His expression sobers as he studies me. “Elliot is…complicated.”
I bristle at the thinly veiled pity in his voice. Along with sniffing out the fake in our relationship, he seems to have sniffed out the real in my feelings. “I’m not interested in Elliot like that,” I’m quick to say. “We’re just friends.”
Josh’s lips twist up into a smirk before he closes them around the bottle of beer. “Uh-huh.”
