“How about some food?” Jared suggests, scanning the nearby booths. “I’m thinking of funnel cake.”
“Funnel cake, huh? I’m not sharing,” I warn, already feeling the excitement of sugary treats ahead.
“Wouldn’t dream of it,” he teases, falling into step beside me as we head toward the food stands, the glow of the carnival lights and sounds of laughter following us.
He’s already in line for the funnel cake by the time I catch up. The lights from the food trucks light the path for the crowd, and the air smells of fried dough and powdered sugar. I watch him order, his casual confidence on full display as he chats with the vendor like they’re old friends.
I hug the oversized stuffed bear to my chest, which somehow manages to soothe my mind and heart at war. Somewhere between the fake smiles, lab sessions, and impromptu nights at my apartment, I let my guard down.
I let Jared in.
I glance over at him again, watching the way he effortlessly navigates through the crowd, the way he smiles like he doesn’t have a care in the world. He’s always been like this, composed and peaceful. It’s maddening.
And maybe that’s why I’ve been avoiding this—avoiding him, really—because deep down, I know what’s happening. I can feel it in the way my pulse quickens when he’s near, in the way my heart stumbles when he looks at me like I’m the only person who matters.
Shit.
The realization slams into my chest as I clutch the bear like it’s a lifeline. This wasn’t part of the plan. I was supposed to stay in control. But Jared… he slipped past my defenses so easily, without even trying.
I can’t do this. I can’t be the girl who falls for her fake boyfriend. It’s cliché, ridiculous. And yet, here I am, standing in the middle of a carnival, hoping our hands will brush against each other, holding a stuffed bear, and trying to convince myself that I didn’t just lose the one battle I swore I’d win.
“Here,” Jared says, handing me a plate stacked with funnel cake, blissfully unaware of my internal spiral. “Dig in.”
I force a smile as I take the plate. “Thanks.”
He grins, tearing off a piece of his own funnel cake. “See? Isn’t this better than being stuck at the photo booth all night?”
“Sure, much better…” I manage, my voice sounds far too normal for someone who just had a life-altering realization.
I’m falling for Jared, and there’s no coming back from it.
Chapter 21
Jared
I don’t know why I’m still here, packing up photo booth props like I have some deep commitment to oversized sunglasses and fake mustaches. I should’ve called it a night hours ago. But then there’s Alli, standing next to me, quiet. But it’s not her usual sarcastic quiet, rather a different kind that feels almost risky. Like something’s shifted between us, and I can’t tell if it marks a good beginning or the kind of mess I’ll be untangling for weeks.
I’m not supposed to feel this way.
I glance at her again, just a quick look while she’s busy folding one of the cheesy fake mustaches into a box. Her hair falls over her shoulder, loose and messy from the night, and for some reason, it’s all I can focus on. I don’t know when I started noticing the little things, like how she bites her lip when she’s thinking or how her laugh sometimes catches in her throat before it bursts out. Hell, I don’t know why I even care.
She straightens, brushing her hands against her jeans before glancing at me with a casual shrug. “Thanks for sticking around. I was starting to think I’d be trapped here till midnight.”
I give her a grin. “Wouldn’t be right to let you suffer alone, would it?”
She lets out a breathy laugh, and I feel it in my chest, like her laugh has somehow become a physical thing. Damn. This isn’t supposed to happen. But I can’t stop it, can’t stop her from getting under my skin. Maybe I should start wearing armor.
Alli puts up the last box for the clean-up crew to take back into storage. “Okay, that was the last of it.” She dusts off her hands like she’s just finished fighting a bear, then glances at me with a sly grin. “We survived. Barely.”
“Ready to go?” I ask, stepping in just enough for her scent to hit me—light, a little sweet, and way too easy to get stuck in my head.
“Yeah, thank you again for tonight. I thought I was going to rot working the carnival, but you made it fun. It means a lot.”
“Any time.” My chest feels tight, like every beat of my heart is louder than the last. There’s so much I want to say, so much I want to acknowledge—how easily she’s slipped under my skin—but the words are stuck, and I’m not sure how to speak without overthinking it.
“See you around?” she asks, her voice calm, though there’s an undertone of finality. She starts to turn away, and I watch her, trying to ignore my insides churning at the thought of her leaving.
Just as she’s about to walk away, I reach out, my fingers grazing her arm. “Wait,” I say, my voice just above a whisper.
