Leaning forward, he rests his elbows on his knees and givesme a pointed stare. “Maybe this whole ‘convince Lizzy to be your fake girlfriend’ thing isn’t such a bad idea after all. You know. Use it to your advantage.” He shrugs. “I can help.”
My heart leaps in shock. “You’d do that?”
“Sure.”
“In high school you warned me away from her. Now you want to help me convince her to be my fake girlfriend?”
“Yeah, well, we’re not teenagers anymore. Besides, I’ve spent years navigating between the both of you avoiding each other at whatever the cost. It’s exhausting. But if things go sideways and she gets hurt, I’ll kick your ass.”
I stare at him in disbelief. “So you’ll help me convince your sister—who, according to you, can barely stand to be in the same room as me—to pretend to be my girlfriend?”
“I didn’t say it would be easy,” he chuckles, pulling out his phone and checking the time. “But yeah, I’ll help. Plus, I’ve been thinking... maybe there’s more to the story than what either of you have been letting on.”
My heart skips. “What did she say?”
“That you were each other’s first kiss when you were kids. And how you two kissed at prom.” He gives me a pointed look. “But something tells me there’s a lot more to it.”
Guilt slams into me, but I manage to keep my expression neutral.
“You know...” He rises from the couch. “I’ve always felt like there was something she wasn’t telling me. She was sad when you left after graduation. Quiet. Kept more to herself that summer before she left for college. I regret not telling her you were leaving, by the way.”
I swallow hard, avoiding his gaze as I pace the room. “I’m sorry I asked you to do that.”
“Can’t change the past.” He narrows his gaze. “You sure you don’t have anything to tell me?”
Hoping to evade the question, I say, “She’s probably just upset about me ghosting her a second time.”
“Maybe.” His tone tells me he’s not convinced. “Anyway, I’ve gotta go. My shift starts in a couple of hours, and I need to stop by the gym first. Your rental car is getting dropped off soon, yeah?”
“Yeah,” I mumble, still trying to process everything that’s gone down over the last few minutes. Lizzy lives next door. My Sunshine girl is going to be right across the hall from me.
But she’s not mine. Not anymore.
Logan grabs his keys from the counter. “I’ll text you later. Maybe we can stop by The Brew tonight.”
After he leaves, I stand in the middle of the apartment in a daze. What are the odds this is where I’d end up? It’s like the universe is playing some sick cosmic joke.
I unpack my bags, hang my clothes in the closet and set up my laptop on the kitchen island. The whole time, I’m hyper-aware of the fact that Lizzy could be just a few feet away right now. Is she home? Is she at work? Does she know I’m moving in?
After I’m settled, I get a notification that my rental car has arrived. I grab my camera and notebook. Might as well use the day to scout more locations while I have the time. The crew arrives tomorrow, and things will get hectic fast.
Just as I’m about to head out, I hear a door open and close outside.
My heart stops.
Is that her?
Curiosity getting the better of me, I cross the room in three quick strides, and yank open the front door.
eighteen
The dreamI’m having has me waking up all hot and sweaty.
Fucking sex dreams.
Throwing the covers off in frustration, I sit up and run my hands through my tangled hair. I stayed up late last night painting and was too tired to put my hair in its usual nightly braid.
Over the past two months, I haven’t been able to stop thinking about Rowan. The fact he’ll be back in Lakeside any day now hasn’t helped my anxiety either.
