That made her look at me again, something unreadable flickering across her face. “You really think that?”
“Yeah,” I said, meaning every word. “Anyone would be.”
That earned me a look—one I couldn’t quite name. It was softer than her usual teasing, something almost searching. We stood there, the air sharp with salt and wind, the world spinning a little slower. She was so close I could see the gold flecks in her eyes, could smell the faint sweetness of her perfume, could feel the heat radiating from her bare skin.
And then she smiled—soft, almost shy. “You’re staring again.”
I huffed out a laugh. “Can you blame me?”
Her lips parted slightly, like she might answer, but the sound of the doors opening behind us broke the spell. Someone laughed inside, a burst of noise spilling out and then fading again.
She sighed. “We should probably go back in.”
“Probably.”
But neither of us moved right away.
Instead, she turned her hand over and brushed her fingers against mine—casual, easy, but it lingered. “You make this whole fake-dating thing pretty believable, you know.”
“Yeah?”
“Yeah.” She smiled, faintly. “Maybe too believable.”
My heart kicked up a notch. “Guess we’re just that good at pretending.”
“Guess so,” she murmured. Then, almost like she hadn’t meant to say it: “You really are, you know.”
“What?”
“Good.”
I didn’t know what to say to that. She looked up at me again, eyes softer than I’d ever seen them, and for a second, I thought she might kiss me. Or maybe I was just hoping too hard.
But then her phone buzzed, sharp and bright in the quiet.
She blinked and looked down. “It’s Nina. They’re calling the cars.”
“Right.”
She sighed, slipping her shoes back on, wobbling a little before steadying herself on my arm. “Guess that’s our cue.”
“Guess so.”
We walked back inside together. The light felt too bright now, the noise too sharp. Someone shouted for Luca; someone else asked for a photo. Lilah smiled through it all, her fingers brushing mine like an accident—though I wasn’t sure either of us believed that anymore.
When the car pulled up out front, she slid into the seat beside me, exhaustion finally settling into her shoulders. By the time we hit the highway, she’d fallen asleep, her head drifting toward my shoulder, her hair brushing my sleeve.
I didn’t move. I didn’t even breathe. Because the truth was simple and terrifying and absolute: I was gone. Completely, stupidly, hopelessly gone.
And she still had no idea.
CHAPTER 26
lilah
By the timewe got back to the house, it was nearly two in the morning. The car ride had been loud and chaotic—Hudson trying to scream-sing to whatever song was still looping in his head despite the radio being on, Luca shouting over him, and Nina and Sloane giggling about something in the backseat. Everyone smelled like champagne and perfume and late-night laughter. I managed to nap on and off for parts of it, but mostly I just enjoyed being with all of them.
When the front door finally opened and we all stumbled inside, the warmth of the house hit me like a wall compared to the snowy outdoors.
