Try again, his rabbit said encouragingly.I'm sure you can get it right this time. You're a quick learner. Smart. Handsome. Her fated mate. It'll all work out! Go Luke go!
Fake boyfriend,he reminded the rabbit.Can't just go kissing her whenever I want to. It's got to be pre-arranged.
But she's our fated mate! The light of our life! The person you've been waiting for! You can't mess this up!
Luke, trying hard to ignore the rabbit, said, "Everything okay?" as carefully as he could.
Sabrina gave him a surprised, soft smile as the Ferris wheel circled around toward the bottom, stopping every minute or soto let people on and off. "Everything's fine. I'm surprised at how cute and normal we look?"
"Would it help if I said I wasn't normal at all?" That was, after all, true. Most people couldn't turn into gigantic bunny rabbits. Or any other animals, for that matter.
She laughed and tilted her head toward him like she might nestle up. It took all of his willpower to not hug her close, protectively, with a promise that he'd never let anything hurt her. That, like more kisses, was outside the parameters of Fake Boyfriending, and Luke didn't want to blow it.
"Yeah, you're right. You're really not normal."
Despite having just said that himself, Luke straightened up, kind of offended. "I'm not?"
She smiled and shook her head. "No. You're too nice to be normal. So never be normal, okay? You're great."
Aaaaaaand we're back in the game!his rabbit crowed.
Again, we weren't out of it! Now hush!Luke gave Sabrina a relieved smile and, as they reached the bottom of the wheel, hopped out to offer her a hand. "I'll do my best to continue not being normal, then. You want to do a couple more of the rides, or go see the pigs or something?"
"Pigs," Sabrina said in a strangled laugh. "Yeah, let's do that. The Girls will think I've totally lost my mind. Well," she added, glancing at him, "no, they won't."
"…not sure how I'm supposed to read that one…"
"Nobody would doubt why I'd go look at pigs, if it meant being aroundyou. But you bought all those tickets for the rides, so if you want to do that, that's fine!"
"The fair's still open next week. We can come back and use them. As friends," he said, though the idea made his heart ache. "Since you won't need a fake boyfriend anymore at that point."
"Oh, come on," Sabrina said lightly. "I know we discussed the messy breakup happening around those early-morning gym sessions, but we don't have to break uprightaway."
See? SEE? She LOVES us! How could she not love you? Look at you! You're hot! You're huge! You're handsome! You're h?—
Since the only H-word Luke could think of next was 'horny' and he didn't want to hear if the rabbit was going the same direction, he said, "That'd be great!" a little too loudly, or too enthusiastically. Both. And felt himself starting one of his terrible blushes again. "I'm making it weird again. I just meant, whatever works for you. Oh, God. Let's go visit the pigs."
Sabrina laughed as they headed across the fairgrounds. "I'm not sure it's possible to make it un-weird. Fake dating is ridiculous. I can't believe I got myself into it. I can't believe you're willing to do it. Why on earthareyou?"
"I've never been to Vegas," Luke said, which was true. "And Emmy, who has excellent taste in people, likes you. And…"
'You're my fated mate,'his rabbit prompted.Go on! You can say it! Go Luke go!
"…and besides, how many chances does a guy get to play the lead role in an actual romcom setup? And if I know my romcoms, if I'm there, that'll mean you'll meet the real man of your dreams and have to make a terrible choice, right?"
His rabbit stared at him in abject horror.You're the real man of her dreams! What are you talking about? This is a terrible plan! Quick! DIE OR SOMETHING SO SHE CAN'T LEAVE YOU.It did its best to clutch at its heart, spin on a back foot like a cartoon, and collapse onto the floor of his mind, its tongue lolling out dramatically.
"I'm pretty sure in those setups I realize you actuallyarethe man of my dreams," Sabrina said thoughtfully.
Luke's rabbit leaped up again, relieved.She understands after all! Whew! No dying! Move on! Get back to the kissing!
Please, please be quiet,Luke said helplessly, while Sabrina, still thoughtful, went on with, "Of course, I'd usually realize that after doing something stupid and or mean that breaks your heart, and then I have to come crawling back to you and do something really embarrassing to prove that no, it's really you I loved all along. Who knew fake dating was so complicated?"
"Oh, I did," Luke said as they got to the pigs and started taking pictures of each other, the pigs, and themselves with the pigs. "It became clear it was incredibly complicated as soon as we started. Okay, we're definitely going to have to come back to the fair next week, because if we spend any more time here we won't be able to go up to the hills to get hiking pictures. I should've taken a picture of you at the gym this morning, dang it."
"We hadn't committed to the bit yet."
That was only partially true. Luke had committed to everything the moment he'd laid eyes on her. It was just a little awkward to say as much, so he nodded, took another picture, and tilted his head toward the distant gates. They headed out, exchanging more backstory—she'd grown up in eastern Washington and gotten out of town, heading for college as soon as she could; he'd grown up in Virtue and didn't leave all that often, as the rest of his family didn't—and enjoying the late summer afternoon.
