Page 63 of Faking It with Mr. Uptight

"Yes," I answered. "She was tired."

Hailey looked unimpressed; her mouth pursed into an amused smile. "Sure."

Molly grinned. "He's telling the truth. I was wiped."

"Well, I'm glad you're here. You are much better company than my dad."

I gasped, feigning offense. "Rude."

We all laughed, the mood light and happy. As we ate, Molly and Hailey chatted about the dance last night, and Hailey even going as far as doing her own rendition of my sprinkler, which, if her reproduction was to be believed, didn’t look as cool as it had felt last night. I laughed at the sight. The anxiety in my stomach melted away.

After breakfast, I cleared the table, and Hailey excused herself to get ready for Natasha’s visit. I think out of everyone in this house, I was the one feeling the least prepared.

"How are you feeling?" Molly asked, placing a hand on my arm.

I let out a shaky breath. "Nervous."

She smiled reassuringly. "It'll be okay. Whatever happens, I'm here."

I placed a hand over hers, a feeling of warmth washing over me. "I know."

I kissed her, relishing the taste of her lips. When we parted, I gazed at her, taking in her beautiful face and slight smile. She had become such an important part of my life, and yet the timing couldn't have felt worse.

I still had no idea who was behind the dating profiles though since Molly and I started dating for fake and for real, no more complaints had come in. But the unresolved threat didn't sit well with me. And now with Natasha showing up, it felt like a lot. I couldn't forget about Valerie Reed, either. There seemed to be several ticking time bombs in my life, and I wondered which, if any, would be the one to go off and ruin the happiness I had finally found.

A knock at the door pulled me from my thoughts.

"That must be Natasha."

"Do you want me to leave?" Molly asked.

"No." It was the only thing I was sure of.

Molly expressed everything I needed to hear with a gentle smile as she squeezed my hand.

With a deep breath, I walked to the door and pulled it open. There, standing on the front porch, was Natasha. She was dressed casually in jeans and a t-shirt, her dark hair falling around her shoulders. She was as beautiful as ever, though her charm was long since lost on me. Now when I look at her, I see Hailey and all the things Natasha missed.

"Hi," she said, her voice tentative.

"Hi," I replied, trying to keep the bitterness out of my tone. "Come in. Hailey is in the living room."

I stepped aside, and she entered the house she once called home. She chuckled uneasily. "Wow, this place hasn't changed." she said as she passed down the hall and into the living room. Hailey stood by the couch, her posture rigid and her expression impossible to decipher.

"Hi, Hailey," Natasha said, her voice soft.

Hailey gave her a curt nod. "Hello."

There was an awkward pause as Molly came into the room with a tray of cookies, coffee and lemonade. She placed it on the coffee table, smiling politely at Natasha.

"Natasha, this is Molly, my girlfriend."

"Oh," Natasha said, her eyes widening slightly. "I believe we met the other night."

Molly nodded, her smile never wavering. "That's right. How are you?"

"Fine, thank you."

An awkward silence descended upon the room; the air thick with tension. No one knew what to say. The situation was so fraught with emotion and years of history.

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