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"I love you, too." She leaned into me, closing her eyes.
"Hold onto that thought." Letting her go, I stepped back around the counter to finish mixing the batter.
Her eyes narrowed at me over her juice glass. "Why? What'd you do now?"
"I didn't do anything… yet. I talked to Harrison this morning." I shifted my gaze away and looked down at the bowl.
"And he's going to tell Lexi to lay off and leave you alone? And he also realized what a horrible friend he's been and the huge mistake he made?" She was tapping her fingers on the countertop and irritation course off her in waves.
Shaking my head, I swallowed hard. "Not exactly. Well, not all of it at least. I think he did realize what a shitty friend he's been, but the jury's still out on whether or not he thinks this whole thing was a mistake."
Amara frowned and folded her arms across her chest as I continued on. "As far as Lexi, I told him I'd go to the premiere tonight because I'd already committed, but after that, I'm done. We're talking tomorrow to discuss the best way to end this whole thing publicly."
She let out a long exhale. "Yeah, that makes sense, I guess."
"I'm getting a new number tomorrow, so she can't keep texting us during the night. As much as I love those wakeups with you," I bit my bottom lip suggestively. "I know it's already hard enough on you trying to sleep. That shit needs to stop."
Nodding, she sat up straighter. "Okay, so just tonight, and then we're officially off the Lexi program?"
Pouring the batter into the waffle maker, I set the timer and walked over to her, rubbing her arms and looking into her eyes. "After tonight, no more Lexi for good."
"Okay." She smiled and wrapped her arms around me, and for the first time since this whole thing started, I felt like everything was going to be okay.
* * *
Tugging on my collar,I tried not to focus on the ache in my jaw or my elevated heart rate. I watched the streets pass by the window of the limo as I rode to pick up Lexi for her premiere. She needed to have a good showing tonight, which meant I'd be holding up my end of this fucked up arrangement.
We pulled up in front of Lexi's house, and shockingly she came right out. Despite her many flaws, she was surprisingly punctual.
"Hey, cutie!" She crawled in the limo and flashed me a bright smile before she plopped down onto the seat next to me, our legs touching. She leaned against my arm and brought her phone up in front of us. "Smile!" The flash blinded me momentarily as she snapped a selfie. I slid myself away from her, so we weren't touching.
Her smile faltered as she watched me move, but then her eyes traveled down my body and back up, and she brightened. "You look so hot in a suit. These pictures are going to be good." Her body was practically vibrating with chaotic energy, and it was a little intense.
Her eyes dropped to her phone as she tapped away. I figured now was as good of a time as any to talk to her about how I was quitting this charade. "Hey, Lexi?"
"Yeah?" She didn't even bother looking up.
"Did Harrison talk to you about what happens after tonight?"
She glanced up at me. "No. Why?"
"This is my last event as your fake boyfriend. After tonight I'm out." I held my breath, hoping she wouldn't freak out or cry. I didn't want to be a dick, but I also couldn't keep doing this.
"Oh, that reminds me!" She blinked a few times and then reached into her handbag. I rolled my eyes because it was like she never heard anything she didn't want to. It didn't matter. I was done after tonight whether Lexi liked it or not.
She pulled out a small box and handed it to me. "What is this?"
She wore a wide smile. "Open it."
I pulled the top off, and inside was a tie that matched her dress. I lifted my eyebrows. "You want me to change my tie?"
She nodded. "I thought it would be fun for us to match. It'll look great for the pictures plus reinforce our relationship. Won't it be nice to have someone on your arm that's not huge and fat?"
Anger bubbled up, and I fought it back. "What are you talking about?"
Lexi waved her hand around. "You know, your supposed other girlfriend? Isn't she, like, huge?"
"She's pregnant, Lexi, not fat." What the fuck was wrong with her? "And she's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen,especiallywhen she's carrying my child."
