Her eyes lose some of their edge, but the doubt remains. She gives an unsure nod, avoiding my gaze. “I don’t want to let Serena down, but I know she’s excited for tonight. I just… I just don’t know how to keep it together without feeling guilty.”
“We’ll figure this out together, one step at a time. But if it gets overwhelming, we leave. No questions.”
Her grip tightens on my hand, and I can feel the silent battle raging in her. But she looks up, her eyes a little more focused, like maybe my words gave her just a little bit of consolation. “Thanks, Jared.”
“Always.” I offer her a smile, squeezing her hand once more. “So, how about we finish this study session, and then you let me take you out for pizza downtown?”
“Are you asking me on a date, or are you just trying to be nice?”
“Why can’t it be both?” I bump my shoulder with hers. “But honestly, I just want an excuse to hang out with you. You’re way more fun when you’re not buried in textbooks.”
She bites her lip, looking down at her laptop, and I see the gears turning in her head. “I have to finish this paper,” she says, trying to sound firm, though her voice betrays her with a faint tremor. “But if I get through it quickly, maybe we can grab that pizza afterward.”
“Deal,” I reply, unable to hide my grin. “I’ll race you to the finish line. Loser has to pay for dinner.”
“Okay, but you better keep up. I’m determined to get this done.” She begins typing faster, her fingers flying across the keyboard.
I watch her for a moment and lick my lips. “No pressure, but just so you know, I expect a full report on the state of world hunger at dinner.”
She rolls her eyes again, but the smile doesn’t leave her face. “Yeah, sure. I’ll just whip that up while I’m at it.”
Chapter 25
Alli
The crisp autumn air smells like fallen leaves and cinnamon. Campus is buzzing tonight, more alive than usual. Everyone’s shaking off the stress from midterms, ready to enjoy a much-needed break, and the bars are packed.
I’m still getting ready for the night, adjusting the hem of my blouse. It’s a simple look, nothing too fancy, but enough to make me feel confident. I check my reflection one last time, my dark hair loose around my shoulders, the soft curls brushing against my collarbone. A hint of makeup highlights my features, the deep red lipstick bringing out the rich brown in my eyes.
I’m a nervous wreck. The whole night’s meant to be fun, but all I can think about is how I’ve been lying to my best friend that I’m not really dating her brother.
It’s been eating at me. Lately, our FaceTime calls have been short, just a quick “hello” and “how are you,” but I know she senses something’s off.
How do I even begin to tell her that the relationship she’s been so excited about is fake? That the whole thing started as some ridiculous favor to keep girls away from Jared. And now… now I don’t even know what we are. Not after everything that’s happened between us.
I’m coming to terms with my feelings about him, but even then, I don’t know how to approach it. I’m getting déjà vu from the summer I turned sixteen. Back then, I couldn’t handleJared’s sudden rise in popularity in high school, and look where that got me. Heartbreak.
Fast forward to our sophomore year, and it’s like someone pressed play again, pulling us back into each other’s orbit, unwilling to pause on this… whatever thisrelationshipis.
It’s starting to feel real. When did it start to feel real? When he brought me food, or when he came over just to do puzzles? Maybe it was during our lab assignments, when we’d steal glances, hoping the other wouldn’t notice.
How do you confess something that wasn’t supposed to happen? It’s like I’m caught in this weird in-between, where everything feels too real to be fake, but not real enough to say it confidently.
And I’m losing control.
I hate it.
Before I know it, my phone starts buzzing with an incoming FaceTime call from Evelyn. I hesitate, staring at the screen, my thumb hovering over the “accept” button. A part of me is tempted to let it ring and avoid the conversation altogether. But I know Evelyn; she won’t stop calling until I pick up.
With a sigh, I swipe to answer, forcing a smile that barely touches my lips.
“Hey, Evie,” I say, doing my best to sound casual, even though my stomach feels like it's tied in knots.
“Finally! You’re alive!” her voice is chipper, but there’s a teasing edge to it. “You’ve been MIA all week. What have you been up to?”
My forced smile falters slightly. If only she knew. I put on a neutral smile. “Nothing much lately. I’ve been studying for midterms. You?”
“Got off early since I finished my assignment ahead of the deadline. So… I’ve been thinking of coming home for Thanksgiving in a couple of weeks. Will you be home?”
