He looked around, running his hand through his hair, his gaze going to the floor before looking at me again.
“Um,” he paused, swallowing. “Uh, I need a drink. Do you want anything?”
My brows creased. What? His words were so unexpected, I wasn’t sure how to respond. Was he using the ‘I need a drink’ excuse to get away from me? Yeah, I didn’t need him to get me anything, if that was the case.
Finally I found my voice. “Uh, no. I’m good, thanks.”
He nodded. “I’ll be right back.”
He left me standing there, watching his broad back disappear in the crowd as he made his way to the kitchen. I wasn’t sure what had just happened, but there was no way I was going to wait here until he came back. Considering how freaked-out he seemed to be, who knew if he even would come back?
Instead of standing here awkwardly waiting, I’d go find the girls, and maybe we could go dance or something. Walking back toward the living room, trying to avoid the attached kitchen, I scanned the open area. Spotting the two couples, they looked as busy as Slate and I had been. Wilder and Olivia were kissing like they had all the time in the world, relishing every touch. Where Rush and Scarlet looked like they were two seconds away from ripping each other’s clothes off.
Not wanting to bother the blissfully happy couples, I turned back around and headed back down the hall to the front door. I’d just Uber home and text them that I’d left early.
Pushing through the crowd, I eventually made my way through the door, the cool air hitting my face. I took in a deep breath, needing to ground myself.
At first, I’d been hurt by Slate’s quick departure after our kiss, but now I understood. Breathing in the crisp night air helped to clear my head. We’d taken things too far. We’d lost focus of why we were doing this fake-dating. We’d blurred the lines. And if we wanted to come out as friends at the end of this, we couldn’t have any more repeats like that. No matter how much we’d both enjoyed it.
I pulled out my phone and clicked on the Uber app.
“Isla?”
I turned to see Slate standing on the porch with two water bottles, one in each hand. “What are you doing?”
I held up my phone. “I’m getting an Uber to take me home.”
Confusion was plain on his face. “Why?”
I let out a heavy sigh, my shoulders dropping. There was no need for sugar-coating things. “Olivia and Scarlet are busy, I don’t have any other friends here, and you and I need a break.”
He stepped down off the porch, coming to stand in front of me. “I’m not going to deny that you and I need a few moments to cool off, but at least let me take you home.”
Looking down at my phone, the app showed it would take fifteen minutes for an Uber to arrive. Not wanting to wait that long, I gave Slate a nod. “Fine.”
He held out one of the water bottles. “Here. I got this for you.”
I tried not to think about how nice he had been to still get me a drink even though I’d said I didn’t need one. “Thank you.”
“My Jeep is parked down the road a little ways.”
We walked in silence, and once inside his Jeep, the silence continued all the way back to our apartment building and up the stairs to our floor.
So much for this fake relationship not messing things up with our friendship.
That thought had me stopping before we went into our separate apartments.
“Slate, wait.”
We stood facing each other in front of our doors, the width of the hallway separating us.
“Yes, we got a little carried away tonight, but we said we wouldn’t let all this stuff”—I motioned between us—“ruin our friendship. At the end of the day, this is all fake.”
Even if that kiss had felt anythingbutfake. It felt more real than anything I’d ever experienced. But I wasn’t about to voice that thought.
Slate’s expression stayed neutral. “Don’t worry. I haven’t forgotten that it’s all fake. We gave a performance that people will definitely remember.”
I don’t think he meant for his words to sound harsh, but each word felt like a sharp prick to my body. I was pretty sure he was referring to the people who had been watching us, but I felt included in that statement as well. I’d remember that kiss for a long time.
