Daisy makes a gurgling sound. I look to find her holding back laughter, as if she can read my mind. She shakes her head and mouths, “I didn’t tell himthat.”
Brendan watches us in fascination.
“That sounds like a wild storm. I’m just thankful Daisy is okay,” Chase continues, and I realize he’s talking about the poolhouse. “Thanks for taking care of her. She said you carried her out of that building. I appreciate it, man. My little sis means the world to me. I don’t know what I’d do if she was hurt.”
I rub my shoulder, feeling lower than the lowest creep. He’s thanking me. And I fucked his sister.
“Oh my God, Chase,” Daisy interrupts my spiraling thoughts. “I’m fine, so stop being all dramatic and overprotective.”
“I worry, brat,” Chase says. “And speaking of worrying. My publicist updated me. She said that just like we warned, fans are turning on you, Daisy. They’re bored because the romantic story they’ve concocted in their heads hasn’t happened, so they’re coming up with scenarios to explain why you two haven’t gotten together. Scenarios that aren’t flattering.”
“Actually.” Brendan’s smile is wide. “I had a great idea. I thought I could—”
“We have our first date. Tomorrow.” I narrow my eyes and cut him off before he can mention his bullshit idea.
“You mean we have our firstfake-date, right, Ryder?” Daisy asks, looking confused.
I stare at her without answering. Even though I was the one who suggested we not tell Chase, when it comes down to it, I don’t want to lie to him. And I don’t want to pretend that what Daisy and I have is fake. I may not know how to define it. It may only be temporary. But whatever it is, it’s real. And she feels it as well. Hell, the other night, she made it quite obvious she felt it,multiple times. There’s also a viral video of her that proves it.
“Great. Good.” Chase takes my silence for agreement. “This should turn the gossip positive again. The world needs to be so busy sighing over bullshit romantic stories that they don’t have time to make up bullshit negative stories. So make the photos good. And then in a few weeks, you guys can just quietly break up. In the meantime, Julia and my publicist will get together to come up with properly complimentary and effusive statementsabout Daisy. They’ll be leaked toStarstruckmagazine from ‘sources close to the couple.’”
“Quietly break up?” Daisy asks with a frown.
“Yes,” Chase says. “Ryder, you’ll be at the Music Awards in a few weeks, right? That’s the perfect place to soft launch your breakup. You can be seen hanging all over a new woman.” A commotion sounds in the background. “Shit, I gotta go settle a fight between my two scriptwriters. I’ll talk to you guys soon.”
Daisy and I have barely started, and Chase is already talking about our fake breakup.I force myself to unclench my fists.
After we hang up, Brendan stands and clears his throat. “Sounds like you two kids better talk,” he says with a wink at Daisy.
She smiles at him. “See you, Bren.”
Great, now she’s giving my brother nicknames, and he’s winking at her.
“Well, we can check that off the list,” she says.
“Check what?”
“Talking to Chase.”
I nod.
She tilts her head. “So next up is figuring out where we’re going to go for our first date so the paps photograph us.”
“This isn’t just for the paparazzi. And for the record, I know I said that maybe we shouldn’t tell Chase. But I didn’t like it. It didn’t feel right.”
Her light eyes widen as she watches me. “I know. I didn’t like it either.”
We’re both quiet. She takes a breath. “So I thought for our date we could wander around Rockhaven’s Main Street. Play tourist together. It would make for some very cute photos.”
“That’s not a date.” I say, my voice serious. “You walk there every day with Archie. You’re worth making an effort for. Iwanted to take you somewhere special. We could go into Boston for a night on the town. Hell, I could fly you to Paris.”
She blushes. “This would be special. To me. I always see couples walking around town. They hold hands and laugh with each other. I saw this adorable older couple a few days ago. They were probably eighty. But he held her hand and called hermy dear. He carried her purse when she was eating ice cream. And when she got some on her nose, he wiped it away with a napkin. Anyway. Maybe it’s corny.” She shrugs and looks at her nails. “But I thought it would be fun.”
“You’re a romantic,” I tease.
“What do you think of the idea?”
“I’d take you to the moon if that’s truly what you want.”
