Page 68 of Shy Girls Can't Fake Date

“I wouldn’t have needed to say anything.”

“How do you figure? Your friends were clearly annoyed at how she spoke to Tabitha and Jamie.”

“She wouldn’t have said it if she were with me.”

“Don’t tell me something stupid like you’d kiss her so much she couldn’t talk.”

Parker laughs. “No. I mean, at the moment, she sounds super insecure. If she were with me, I’d make sure she has confidence.”

“That’s a nice sentiment, but I think Yvie has a long road to go. Insults fall too easily out of her mouth.”

“But she always backtracks,” Parker defends. “I don’t think she says anything mean on purpose. I think it’s a nervous tick.”

Bless this boy and his rose-colored glasses.

Back at the lake’s edge, Kai backflips off a rock formation and splashes into the water. Jamie follows soon after, cheering about how Kai barely made any air.

“Oof.” Parker wades by my side. “Here comes the competition rounds.”

“Just between those two? Or do you all get involved?”

“Well, Jamie and Kai are always trying to one-up each other. We all get involved, but they’re usually the two left standing. They just can’t let the other one win.”

“So they’ll be too wrapped up in their own competitiveness to try to get me involved in anything?”

Parker wiggles his eyebrows, which I now know as a sign of no good. “Don’t you want to impress Lewis?”

My jaw clenches. “Will Yvie do it?”

“If she did, it would be hot.”

I glimpse her in her hot pink bikini. I shudder as she giggles and splashes water at Lewis.

“I bet you can make him say, ‘Yvette who?’” Parker says.

I laugh and splash a handful of water at him. “No way.”

He laughs and splashes me back. “I’m serious.”

I glance over my shoulder. “Should we join them? Isn’t the whole reason I’m here to get between them?”

“Yeah, we can head over.”

Parker leads the way, and he crash-tackles into Lewis. Yvette shrieks, flailing in the water to avoid any wayward elbows.

“Yvie, calm down,” I say flatly. “They’re nowhere near you.”

“Oh my gosh,” she says, swimming toward me. “Like, I know my hair is already wet, but it’s just a natural reaction to scream when water flies at it.”

“Mmm. Sure.”

“So, you and Parker keep stealing the show.”

“The show?”

Her eyes light up. “Those kisses.”

“Oh yeah.” I steal my courage to say something in the same tone she uses. “I almost feel bad. Like, I see other girls kissing their boyfriends and it’s like they’re toes don’t even curl.”

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