Since I hadn’t seen Josh in a few days and wasn’t looking for him, I’d been hanging out with Sierra and Beau. It wasjustSierra, but Beau is obsessed with her again, which is a regular occurrence at least twice yearly. To make a long story short, they slept together when we were eighteen. Sierra swears it was a drunken mistake, yet she talks about him like they’re married, and they taunt each other like crazed children. Now, she’s decided to be in her bisexual phase, which I respect, but I know she isn’t committed. Life should be about experiences, though, so I know I have to let her shine, just this once.
Sierra and I both sat at my kitchen island with multiple bowls of blueberries, flour, powdered sugar, and other ingredients to make blueberry scones. I’d got her alone today. Every year, our city has a fair that raises money to keep the small businesses in our town up and running. Everyone who has a business usually puts up their own tent to sell their products or does anything that helps raise money.
Since this year Rich has been campaigning for mayor, I figured I could make my grandmother’s recipe. It was always my favorite, but it was also Josh’s favorite. He can’t say no to it.
“Dude, there should be laws against sconesthisgood. I usually hate them, but you just won me over.” Sierra laughs, taking another bite of her piece.
“Gam’s recipe, not mine,” I add to her laughter, wiping my hands with a hand towel.
“Your Gam is a God,” she says, ogling the pastry.
I laugh more, beginning to mix more of the ingredients.
“So, um, have you spoken to Josh at all?” she says, tearing 75
FAKING FOREVER
a small piece of the scone with her fingers.
“No, why?” I ask, staring into the bowl of smashed blueberries and flour.
“Paisley, everybody seen you two kiss. I tried to ignore it, but you haven’t said anything about it. Spill.” she says, grabbing the spoon in my hand to stop me.
“Sierra, I haven’t said anything because it meant nothing.
It was me being dumb, trying to make Darcy jealous. Just a kiss. That’s all.” I admit, slowly beginning to mix again.
She stares at me, a loose smile forming.
“Justa kiss?”
I exhale through my nose and glare at her, knowing she isn’t going to leave me alone about it.
“Okay…” I breathe, “I want to tell you something, but you can’t laugh. Don’t make one of your slick comments, either.”
I drop the spoon, pointing at her instead.
“Well, when you tell menotto laugh—” she begins.
“Sierra,” I say sternly, interrupting her.
Instantly, she shuts up, pursing her lips as she looks at me, waiting for me to speak again. I take a deep breath before letting all my words fall out.
“Josh and I are fake dating until his dad’s campaign is over.”
Crickets could be present if there were any. Sierra stares before batting her eyes.
“Excuse me? What happened to itonlybeing a kiss?”
“It was, I swear, but my stupid brain made me make this situation way bigger, and now I’m stuck.”
I groan, burying my face in my hands. It truly was a disaster in the making after saying it out loud.
“I knew it. You can’t tell me you don’t have feelings after that,” she smirks.
76
BAD IDEA
