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JasperandJamesonwalk over and start stealing fries and cotton candy over my shoulder.I’mhappy to share.Whyis cotton candy always so enormous?Imay bake desserts for a living, but unlikeJackson’s, my sweet-tooth has its limits.
“Morefood?Rides?”Jacksonasks.Threewords.Again.
There’sonly one solution here, and it’s definitely not food or rides. “Beer!”Iannounce cheerfully. “Youstay with your brothers.I’llgo get it.Everyonein?Beright back.”
chapterforty-four
selena
I’mnot sure howI’mgoing to carry four beers, butI’mjust going to make it work.Three,IknowIcan do, although it’s been a few years since my hey-dey in college.Spottinga short lineup for the bathroom,Ipop in to use the park facilities before getting in the beer lineup.
Thelineup is pretty long, but that just means thatIcan have a few extraJackson-free minutes to balance myself out.Itake my place at the back of the line and don’t pull out my phone.Idon’t know whatIwould tell my friends, ifIeven could tell them anything.TheyknowI’mon a whirlwind trip toCanadawithJackson, but that’s it.TheNDAapplies to everyone in my life, so there’s not a single personIcan talk to.ExceptJackson,Iguess.Butcommunication isn’t going too well for us at the moment.
Myfoot taps along to the country music pounding from the stage across the field from me.Iswear it’s these cowboy boots.Theycan’t be stopped.Theyneed to be stomping or tapping at all times.Thebluegrass band is gone now, and it’s a woman country singer on stage.Apretty woman with long blonde hair.Shesounds kind of familiar, butIcan’t place her.
Asthe line slowly moves forward, the person in line behind me bumps into me.Itake a step forward to give them more space.Thenit happens again.Once.Twice.Okay,I’mbeginning to think this isn’t an accident.
Thefourth time it happens,Iwhip around, ready to slap someone. “Excuseme?It’scalled personal space, asshole.”
Andthere isJackson.
Ipanic.Ijust called my fake boyfriend an asshole in a line full of people.Andif he was my real boyfriend, shouldn’tIhave known it was him and not some pervy stranger rubbing up against me?I’mfrozen.Idon’t know how to fix this.
Jacksonwraps his arms around me and pulls me towards him, so we’re hugging like we did when he won me my pink poodle. “Gotyou!”
Laugh.He’spretending it’s a joke.Youneed to laugh, or else the whole fake part of this fake relationship is going to be out in the open.
Smilingup at him,Ipress my hand against his cheek.Ican’t remember if face touching was part of the contract or not right now, butIfigure this situation calls for extreme measures.
Shakingmy head,Ilet out a few laughs and then slap atJackson’sarm with my other hand.Mylaughter sounds pathetically fake to me.
“Youare such an asshole!Whydo you always try to get me?”
“MaybeIlike seeing you pissed?”
“Andwhy in the world would you like that?”Iask, sweetly.
“Becauseit makesthingsspicy when you’re pissed at me, baby,”Jacksonwhispers against my face, loud enough for at least the five people in front of us and behind us to hear every word.
Ohmy god,things.Things?He’stalking aboutsex.
“You’reso naughty!”
“Justthe way you like it,”Jacksonwhispers.
Ifonly he had any idea.
Idon’t care what anyone says,Jacksondeserves a damnOscarfor this performance.AndmaybeIama good actress?Ideserve anOscarjust for not spontaneously combusting.Orspontaneously humping his leg untilIcome all over his jeans.Honestly, not sure which would be worse.
“Line’smoving, baby.”Jacksonnods his head at the line and releases me from his arms.
Heholds my hand as we move towards the booth selling the beer.Ilean against him, trying to keep up the façade we just put so much effort into protecting.
Eventually, we get to the front of the line and order as many beers as we can carry.Jacksonpays, because of course he does.Henever lets anyone pay for anything.It’sridiculous.Ican buy my own beer, damnit.AndIcan buy a few extra beers for my fake boyfriend and his brothers.AndI’mgoing to be able to buy more beers thanIcould ever drink withJackson’stwo-hundred-and-fifty-thousand dollars very soon.
Carryingall our beers, we head back over toJasperandJameson.LilyandGunnarand a few other girls have joined up.Jackson’sbrothers might be single, butIdon’t think they spend much time lonely, that’s for sure.We’reshort one beer.
“I’llgo back and get another one.It’sno problem.”Icould use more space fromJacksonto put out the fire currently raging from my bellybutton down to between my thighs.
