He looks at me with such innocence that, for a second, I start to wonder if he maybe thinks the cottage has some kind of secret extra wing or something that I’ve just kept very well hidden.
“No, of course not,” I mutter. “Of course we wouldn’t.”
“Aye, she would,” interjects Jimmy, who’s been following the conversation closely. “She’s a sly yin, that Lexie. She’ll be wantin’ to be on her ain wi’ her man there.”
“Now, Jimmy,” tuts Bella McGowan, whose hearing is remarkably sharp considering her age. “Leave them alone. It’s none of our business.”
“That’s right. Thanks, Bella,” I say, grateful for the unexpected support.
“And anyway,” Bella goes on, as if I haven’t spoken. “It’s not like Samantha will be in the same room as Alexandra and Jett here. She’ll have one room, and they’ll share the other. So they’ll have plenty of opportunity for ‘alone time,’ won’t they?”
Everyone in the room turns to look at me, as if this is a serious question, and the sleeping arrangements at the cottage are everyone’s business. Thankfully, Brenda chooses this moment to lumber back into the room and slap three plates of haggis and chips on the table in front of us, handily bringing the conversation to a close.
Bella words ring in my ears the entire time we’re eating, though, and I continue to think about them as we pay the bill, which Jett insists on picking up for everyone in the cafe, seeing as they all might as well have been there for us. “You’re a very decent young man,” Bella says approvingly, as she thanks him. “Not a patch on Harry Styles, looks wise, of course, but still: you’ve done well for yourself there, Alexandra.” She gives me a stern look, which I interpret as “Not that you deserve it”, then we’re out of the door, and back onto the street outside, which feels comparatively private after the restaurant we’ve just left.
We really need to find someone other than McTavish to work as security.
I continue thinking about the bedroom situation all the way home. Bella was right. If Mum’s going to be staying with us, Jett and I will have to share a room, or risk exposing the lie of our relationship altogether.
And I know what optionIprefer.
“Let’s just tell Mum the truth,” I say, pulling Jett aside as we enter the cottage. “It’ll be easier. Then we won’t have to sleep together. Which would be terrible. Obviously.”
“You think?” Jett waggles his eyebrows at me suggestively. “I bet it wouldn’t. I mean, none of the other women I’ve dated have complained, so—”
“Sleeptogether,” I hiss, my face burning. “Sleep, Jett. As in… well,sleeping. When you’re not awake?”
“Yeah, I know what sleep is, thanks, Lady M,” he grins, refusing to see the seriousness of the situation.
“Would you please just listen to me?” I plead, pulling him into the kitchen and pulling the door closed behind me. “Just putting the kettle on,” I shout through to Mum in the living room. “Be with you in a minute.”
I turn to Jett.
“We could just tell her the truth about us,” I suggest, speaking more calmly now. “That way she’ll go home, and we each get a bed for the night. We can trust her. She won’t tell anyone.”
Even as I say it, I know I’m not being honest. I’dliketo think I could trust Mum with the revelation that Jett and I are just pretending to be together. Whether I can or not, though, is a different story altogether.
“You sure about that?” Jett says, quietly. He leans against the kitchen counter, suddenly serious. “Because absolutely nothing you’ve said to me so far leads me to think I can trust your mother, Lexie. Quite the opposite, in fact. We’re talking about the same woman who called the local rag and told them she was dying, right?”
I’m so ashamed I can barely bring myself to nod. Looks like hehasn’tbeen totally taken in by Mum after all.
“We can’t tell her,” Jett says. He walks over and puts his hands on my shoulders, his eyes burning into mine. “We just can’t. Can you even imagine how it would look if people found out I’d hired someone to pretend to be my girlfriend? Seriously, can you?”
“It… it would be pretty bad,” I whisper. “Really bad. I get that.”
Jett stares at me, as if he’s trying to read my mind.
“I need to know I can trust you, Lexie,” he says slowly. “I need to know you’re not going to tell anyone about this. About us. And it’s not just because of the role. It’s because of you.”
I blink, surprised.
“Me? I don’t understand?”
“Look, I know I’ve only been here a couple of days,” he says, still holding me so I can’t step away from him. “But I can see how hard it’s been on you, being here. I can see how much you want these people to like you, or to forgive you, or whatever it is you’re looking for. And, whatever that is, I can see that you’re not going to get it if everyone finds out this was all just an act. Because, the thing is, Lexie, I’d get through it. It would be a few bad headlines, maybe some jokes at my expense at awards ceremonies, but that would be it. I’d go back to L.A., and I’d be fine. It’s not like I’ve ever cared that much what people think of me anyway. But you…”
He lowers his head until he’s looking me right in the eye.
“You care what people think about you,” he says softly. “I know you like to pretend not to, but I know you better than that. I know you do. And I know that this story would follow you around forever. Especially here, in a place where everyone knows everyone else. It would be much worse for you than whatever it was that happened at the Gala thing.”
