What the fuck was wrong with people? It was like the anonymity of the Internet shrouded any sense of decency that people had.
I couldn’t spend any longer reading through the disgusting comments. I was torn between calling Macey to warn her about checking the comments and not wanting to bring them to her attention.
I just hoped that when she inevitably saw them, I’d be there to remind her they weren’t true.
16
MACEY
The Burrow Bitches
Kira: How is this your life?
Macey: Honestly, I’m asking myself the same question
Britney: fake dating sounds hot
Ariadne: It sounds like a terrible idea. I can’t wait.
The next few dates went as smooth as the first. I would use the word perfect if I didn’t think that might jinx the next one.
Every time I returned home, I had to remind myself that this was all fake. Not only that, but we were on a real deadline. The expiration date of our relationship lingered in the back of my mind, souring our sweetest moments.
I had willingly agreed to the deal, though, so I had noone to blame.
My feelings for Noah confused me. It was like one day I was content accepting that our relationship would never be more than fake dating turned friendship, but the next night I was dreaming about him. I wished emotions came with a manual.
Deep down, I recognized the signs that I already liked him as more than a friend. The way he listened to my problems and meanderings, the way his smiles planted butterflies in my stomach, and the unshakeable faith he had in me. He proved over and over again that he wasn’t who I once believed he was.
Our newfound ability to open up to each other only increased our mutual respect. That was something I craved in a relationship: respect for each other’s craft and respect for their decisions. While Noah might encourage me to make a different decision at times—from the toppings on my tacos to my 9-5 job—he always respected my final choice.
My heart fluttered knowing he liked my independence and my dreams.
Damn, why was it acting like that? The bar for men was so low nowadays.
The mascara smudged my bottom lashes when I swiped too hard. Kira and I were getting ready for a few drinks at Rose Buds to celebrate Britney’s internship offer. She’d be working this summer at George Mathers LLC, a well-known local law firm.
Summer was coming quicker than I thought possible, and Britney’s new job had me wondering what I’d be up to. Noah shared all of my articles on his social channels, and I hated to admit it, but that got lots of new eyes on them. My numbers were up so high even Victoria couldn’t chastise me.
But…a part of me still questionedwhat if? What if the blog I just started became successful? What if people were interested in me, outside of being aRoamer’s Digestwriter and a fake girlfriend?
What if I was honest with Noah and told him how I wasstarting to feel? I took an anvil and immediately squashed that what if.
“Is Noah coming tonight?” Kira asked innocently. She sat next to me in front of the full-sized mirror we leaned against a wall in our apartment.
“No,” I said. “Why would he?”
Despite the world seeing us as boyfriend and girlfriend, our close circles had never crossed.
Kira applied a mauve lip color and blotted off the excess. “Because Xavier is coming tonight. I thought it’d be a good time for everyone to meet.”
I nearly dropped the hair curler in my hands. “Who is Xavier?”
“I’m pretty sure I mentioned him…” Kira avoided my eyes, staring at herself in the mirror. “We’ve gone on a few dates.”
The words shocked me the moment they came across my ears. Kira had dated a few guys in the last few years, but it never turned into anything serious. I had always hoped she’d find someone great, but I suspected she still compared every guy to Landon, the boy who had broken her heart years ago.
“I think you might’ve mentioned him once or twice—in passing, super casual. You know, the kind of casual that doesn’t scream ‘we’re dating!’”
