Page 131 of Shy Girls Can't Fake Date

I slouch my shoulders. “Sorry.”

He smiles, running his hands down my back. “Don’t be. I’ll hold you as long as you need.”

I flinch. “Why?”

He tilts his head, looking into my eyes. “Because I...”

“Hey, it’s kinda hard to find ice around here,” Lewis says, jogging back to us.

Parker pulls his arms away from me, and I turn toward Lewis.

Lewis stands before me and lifts a paper cup of shaved ice. “But hopefully a snow cone will help.”

I smile at the adorable gesture.

He lifts the paper cup, pressing it against the side of eye. “May I?”

I rub my lips, look up at him, and nod.

Yvette rushes beside us with her hands cupped over her nose and mouth. She drops her hands, exhaling with relief. “Phew. The way everyone was talking, I thought there’d be tons of blood.”

Lewis lifts the paper cup. “Just a scratch.”

Yvette winces. “Oof. It’s really raised and red. Dang, Kylie, I didn’t mean to get you like that.”

“I know,” I reply, steadying my tone. “I just hated seeing you two fighting.”

Parker moves in beside Yvette. “Well, Tabby’s gone now and the four of us can get back to hanging out.”

Lewis steadies the cup against my eye. “How’s it feeling, Kylie? Are you up for more carnival fun?”

I chew my fingernail, giggling nervously from his attentive eye contact.

“She’s tough,” Parker answers. “Remember, she’s the daredevil.”

“That’s true,” Lewis says, running a thumb under my eye.

I clench my teeth. “Oops. Has my mascara run?”

“Don’t sweat it,” Lewis says, grinning. “You still look great.”

“Okay, I think Kylie can hold the cup herself,” Yvette blurts, curling her arm around Lewis’s bicep. “Especially if you boys think she’s so tough.”

Lewis pulls the cup away from my face and shoves it at Parker. “Sorry, dude. She’s your girl.”

Parker takes the cup. “It’s fine. I asked you to get ice.”

Yvette tugs on Lewis’s arm. “Come on. She’s fine. I wanna go on the tango-tango.”

Lewis relents and lets Yvette steal him away.

Parker gives me the paper cup. “Does it still sting?”

I lean the ice against the scratch. “Yes, but the ice is helping.”

“I suppose you’re not up for another ride.”

“Oh my gosh, I’m really not.”

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