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“Let’s go!” Blake cheers. Sliding off my kitchen stool, he goes over to the fridge to get a diet soda. “You coming?”
“Soon.”
But when he gets to the front of the TV and collapses on my leather sofa, I remain planted in the kitchen.
Staring at the back of Blake’s blond head, I wonder how things got this complicated so fast. Two months ago, I didn’t think of Britney too often.
And now . . .
My shoulders grow even more tense. How did I allow things to get this bad? How did I go from trying to avoid theburn from a scandalous relationship to entering into an even worse one?
Lying to my best friend with a straight face is despicable. I cannot keep being around Blake like this. Especially since he’d saved my ass by letting me fake date his sister. Not to mention that when we were kids, his family had given me shelter every time my father came home drunk. Hello, sweet betrayal. And while I loved hanging out with Britney more than I could have ever even envisioned, I cannot continue with the charade.
We need to stop. Staying around her for a moment longer is too tempting. Every time we lay hands on each other, we are getting closer and closer to fucking. The very next time I’m alone with her, I won’t be able to stop.
It needs to end. Now.
I walk around my kitchen island to the living room, where Blake has his eyes on the screen.
“I don’t know why I support New Mexico. They lose all the time,” he complains.
“Blake,” I start, still staring at the back of his head, “I don’t think fake dating Brit is still a good idea.”
Blake turns toward me in genuine shock. “What? Why?”
I stumble upon a reason in a second. “David,” I blurt. “Wouldn’t want him pissed at me. I owe him a lot. Remember when we were kids?”
Blake gives a tiny, disbelieving grin. “Come on.” He chuckles dismissively. “He loves you.”
“He does. But I still can’t imagine he’d let me date his daughter,” I insist in a voice tinged with irritation. Blake should agree, and we can end this chapter.
But he doesn’t. “Look,” he says, raising his legs up on my couch, “you’re just fake dating. No big deal. He knows that.”
My stomach squirms with guilt. “Yeah, but still. I don’t want to come between your family. And the internet isn’tcoming down on me nearly as hard as they were doing only two weeks ago.”
“Sure. But don’t you know what’s going to happen if you stop “dating” Brit after a week? Janice will have even more fodder and keep attacking you.”
He might be right. It’s something I hadn’t thought of.
Fuck. If I have to be around Brit for a few more months, I am going to lose it. That, or keep whisking her away to fuck every time she comes close.
“You know what?” Blake starts thoughtfully.
“What?”
“You should keep this up for another month. Take as many photos as you can. The photographer can release them to the press over a couple more months. Then, you’re home free.”
I consider that option. One month is more manageable than several months with Brit, as long as I make sure that all our dates are public, and I keep it short and curt.
“Fine.”
Blake beams and turns his attention back to the TV.
It is fine, I tell myself.
I can keep my hands off Britney for a month. I have no choice.
CHAPTER 11
