Henrik shook his head, a grin growing. “It’s weird, I know.”
It was, but so was our relationship.
“It’s cute,” I corrected. “So now we have to break up?”
“I guess so.”
“Should we make it dramatic?” I smiled, trying to chase away the disappointment.
“I bet I can play a fantastic scorned lover,” he joked back, holding his hand to his chest. “But I figure low key would be better.”
I nodded in agreement. The last thing I needed was more drama.
“Well, you were an excellent boyfriend of convenience. I’m sure you’ll do well at the real thing.”
“Thank you, pretend girlfriend.” Henrik grinned at me, and I found myself struck by the loss of him for a moment. But I’d always known this would happen. We’d always promised, above everything else, we’d be truthful with each other.
But he’d also been a good friend, and if I’m honest, a security blanket. Enabling me to go and live a little, my vastly overprotective parents reassured, without having to use my brother as a babysitter. Now that was gone, and it was up to me to figure out how to carry on without him.
“Can we go downstairs now?” he asked. “You deserve to have more friends.”
I grumbled but nonetheless pushed myself up and straightened my crumpled clothes. “Fine, but if something suspicious happens to me over this weekend, the cops are going to have a real line of suspects on their hands.”
“At least I know I’ll be safe.”
I laughed. “Ex-lover, another woman on the cards? You’d be at the top of their list.”
“I didn’t think about it that way.” Henrik’s face fell. “Better keep you safe then.” He got up, readying to venture back downstairs. The best I could hope for was that everyone else had taken some time to calm down.
I scanned around the room one last time.
“That reminds me.” I rounded, waving a finger. “Where are you going to be sleeping?”
His brows pushed together. “Huh?”
“Now that you’re a taken man,” I pointed out. “Takenfor real.”
Henrik’s gaze followed my finger, looking around the room, the realization breaking across his features. His hand went through his blonde locks. “I didn’t think about that.”
“Guess you’ll be lying on the floor with Wilson.”
He looked at me. “You’re joking, right?”
“Yeah, now that I think about it,” I said with a laugh, opening the door to the bedroom. “I’d never make Wilson sleep on the floor.”
7
Inés
He’ll Never Love You (HNLY)—Hayley Kiyoko
“So, never have I ever...” Scottie grinned, twisting a lock of sunshine-blonde hair around her finger, engagement ring sparkling in the light from the firepit we were all sitting comfortably around.
“Broken a racketduringa match.”
Almost the entire group broke out in another groan, everyone around the fire taking another drink. Everyone except me and Scottie.
I beamed at her, both of us raising our glasses towards each other in acknowledgement.
