Most of the time, I did a good job of keeping him in the friend zone, but every once in a while, he would say something that would have me wanting to tiptoe right past that line. And pretending to be a couple wasn’t going to help matters. Yes, he’d been thinking of me when he’d put us in this situation, but it was because we were friends. He was probably one of the most loyal friends I’d ever had, right up there with Amy.
I swallowed. “Thank you.”
“I’m sorry I made a mess of things.” His sincerity rang through his words. “I didn’t mean to make you upset or to complicate things. If we need to pretend to be together back at school, we can do that. I never intended to make things worse for you.”
It was nice of him to offer, but I still didn’t know if I wanted to do it, let alone if anyone would buy it. Could I really pretend to date him? Act like his girlfriend? Could he really turn down all the women who were constantly around him? There was a lot we needed to discuss and consider, and I wasn’t sure if it was too late for that.
“And,” he paused before continuing, “I’m not sure how much you are going to like this, but everyone is going to think you are the best sex I’ve ever had to get me to settle down.”
Of course he’d thought of that.
“Oh, well, that just makes all of this so much better,” I said with a straight face.
“I thought it deserved to be put on the pros list of fake-dating me.” He looked like he was trying not to smile.
My brows rose, and I tried not to laugh. “You already have a pros list for dating you?”
“It’s very extensive.”
I laughed, grateful he was lightening the mood. “I look forward to hearing about it on the drive home, but for now we’d better get back in there before we raise any suspicion.”
“They’ll probably just think we’re making out. Do you want me to ruffle your hair a little?” he teased as he reached out to touch my hair.
I swatted his hands away and laughed. “Don’t you dare.”
He laughed, and instead of touching my hair, he grabbed my hand. “Let’s go make Josh regret the day he ended things with you and give this town something to talk about.”
I smiled up at him, pushing away my worries, and followed him back inside. I could stress out about it after the wedding.
Our new situation wasn’t ideal, but I couldn’t help the warm feeling that rose at the thought of him being my partner in crime.
7
Slate
Don’t. Don’t say it. I already know I put myself in a mess. A mess so big I didn’t even know where to begin to start cleaning it up. I’m worried that things are going to get a hell of a lot messier before they can get better, before things can go back to normal.
But what was I supposed to do? Sit there and let that prick talk to Isla like that?
Okay, I probably didn’t have to say I was her boyfriend to stick up for her, but it had just come rushing out before I’d had a second to think it through. Now that it was out there, I couldn’t go back on it. I had to follow it through, whether I liked it or not. I wouldn’t put Isla in a bad situation, especially since I was the one who’d gotten us into this mess.
How I was going to pull this off, I had no idea. People wouldn’t accept it easily, since I’d made it my personal mission to let everyone know I would never commit to anyone. And there was no way I was going to be able to pull one over on Wilder. He’d know immediately that it was fake. And if Wilder knew, then Olivia would know. And if Olivia knew, then Scarlet would know, which meant Rush would know. The joys of close friendships. Maybe they could help, though—help me sell that I’d finally fallen for a girl.
Another problem was I’d never been someone’s boyfriend before. I didn’t know the first thing about being a boyfriend. I’d always thought it came naturally when you liked someone, but I didn’t like Isla like that, so I had to hope I could figure it out.
As I watched Isla dance with her friends out on the dance floor, I didn’t know if I should stay here and let her be with her friends, or if a good boyfriend would be out there with her. This was the kind of stuff I’d never wanted to have to think about.
I rubbed a hand down my face. I’d dived headfirst into a disaster of a deep end, and I was going to have to learn how to swim before I drowned.
Reaching over, I grabbed my glass of water and drank half of it, wishing for something stronger, but I needed to be sober to drive Isla and me back home.
Glancing up, my eyes landed on Isla as she broke free from her friends and started walking toward me. Her light pink dress hugged her in all of the right spots, and I didn’t even try to hide the fact that I was enjoying letting my eyes roam all over her body. The slit that ran up one side of her leg made me want to use my hand to follow the path from her small ankle all the way up her thigh.
Yes, she was just a friend, but she was a sexy friend.
The sexiest friend I’d ever had.
I may not want anything serious with her, but I couldn’t deny the fact that I wouldn’t mind spending a night with her.
