Off-screen, Oliver started talking, his voice a series of low grunts and mumbles.
‘What’s so hard about getting a heated pool and a sauna?’
‘Everything!’My voice rose. Fallon turned the screen to fit in Oliver, who looked startled momentarily before his manner shifted from irritation to accusation. He waggled a finger at me, forehead creased.
‘Have you seen my brother lately?’
I kept my expression neutral. ‘Should I have?’
Examining my features, he exhaled a weighty breath. ‘I’ve not seen him in over two weeks.
Fallon’s eyes widened out of the corner of the screen for a second before she grimaced. Now that expression I could decipher. My gaze flitted from hers to Oliver’s, who was staring at me with blistering intensity.
Shit.He didn’t know about the date… the fake dating.God, it was beginning to get fuzzy in my head.
Fallon hadn’t told him. Neither had George. The latter intrigued me.
The two brothers were close. Closer than most families I knew, close enough that it wouldn’t have been out of the ordinary for George to tell Oliver this. Fallon shook her head imperceptibly, steeling me with a pleading gaze.
‘Well, I’ve not heard from him recently.’ It wasn’t a lie. If you stretched your interpretation of the wordrecently.I hadn’t heard a peep in the past seven days, so it wasn’t a lie. Fallon’s lips thinned, casting me a look I knew all too well. Her scolding expression didn’t come out often, but when it did, she looked like a school teacher who knew you could do better.
Oliver sank back in the seat, eyes still narrowed on me. I got the distinct impression that he hadn’t quite forgiven mefor worrying Fallon that night. Hearing that I was practice-dating his brother wouldn’t endear me to him.
My head was too much of a cluster fuck to worry about Oliver right now. Flicking my gaze back to Fallon, I gave her a half smile. ‘I’ll call you later, babe.’
She nodded. ‘Love you.’
‘You too.’
I sank back into the duvet. Roxy lifted her head, flopping it back to rest on my thigh and giving me a longing stare. My fingers threaded into her fur, scratching her behind the ears.
‘I don’t want to be the first one to call,’ I muttered glumly.
It was petty. I wasn’t used to being left hanging, wondering what the other person was thinking. Ugh, this is why dating sucked.And why, once I’ve won this bet, I shan’t ever put myself through this again.
That thought should have calmed the noise in my head.
I placed a hand on my chest, squeezing my eyes shut. The feeling of drowning in my own thoughts and unravelling emotions crashed over me in a wave. Sensing something was wrong, Roxy stood up and stepped onto my chest, her paws pressing down, easing the tightness slightly. She flopped down, giving me all her weight. Her tongue darted out to lick my face, and I let out a breathy chuckle.
Wrapping my arms around her, I snuggled her closer, burrowing my face into her fur. She took that as a sign that I was better and licked my face with renewed enthusiasm before rolling off my stomach onto her back, demanding belly scratches. I obliged.
Feeling moderately better, I picked up my phone and, without thinking too hard, started typing out a message.
Rosie: Why didn’t you tell Oliver we’re?—
I paused, no idea how to finish that sentence. I deleted it, starting over.
Rosie: Did you forget we’re going away in two weeks with F+O?
Scanning the message for a fourth time, I gave up and sent it. Considering I hadn’t heard from him all week, I wasn’t expecting him to reply anytime soon. My heart did a stupid flutter when I saw three dots appear at the bottom of the screen.
George: I hadn’t. Had you?
Rosie: Yes. I’ve been a little distracted lately.
George: With what?
Not wanting to give him the satisfaction, I responded,
