Page 11 of Caught in the Middle

“You dragged me into it.” He let out a sigh, trying to remain calm. That was his boss up there.

“It’s just one dinner,” she said. Emma’s hands landed on his shoulders, her voice begging. “Just this dinner then I’ll be gone and you’ll never have to see me.”

“I work with them, Emma. That’s my boss, and Lulu and I are colleagues.” He shook his head. “It’s not that easy.”

She squeezed his arms for emphasis, acutely becoming aware of the solid rock beneath her hands and dropped them. “I know, I know. I had no clue you knew them and I didn’t mean to bring you into it. I’ll tell them I dumped you and spin it so I sound like the horrible one.”

That honestly didn’t make him feel any better. He didn’t need people she loved to think less of her. He pinched the bridge of his nose in frustration and to think when he felt her swat his arm down.

“Don’t do that. They might see. We need to look like a happy couple.” She was pretty sure that what sounded from the back of Cam’s throat was an angry grunt. She didn’t give herself time to think about it. “Please,” she tried.

Cam stared at her, his eyes searching hers for answers, but to what questions he didn’t know. “Why?”

“Why what?”

He sighed. “Why’d you lie?”

Emma paused. She couldn’t believe she claimed Cam was her boyfriend in that moment of desperation, but she had. Her mouth was speaking before logic could enter her brain. She met his gaze and answered. “I’ve spent my entire life being pitied. My parents died when I was young, and then I moved in with my aunt who was nothing but brightness and love, but it never stopped the look that entered people’s eyes when they realized.” She swallowed. “I saw that look in their eyes when they saw me. I don’t know how to put it into words but I guess I don’t want them thinking that I think my self-worth is less just because my ex-boyfriend chose Lauren.”

She hadn’t admitted that out loud before. It was a complicated mess of emotions that she felt regarding this situation, but it was the best way she could put it so quickly.

She was happy that two people she cared about found happiness, but it didn’t stop the sting that they found it together and now here she was feeling like the outsider around people who she used to bring her ex around.

Emma looked up at Cam with a startled expression whenever he wrapped an arm around her waist and began after the group. “What are you doing?”

“Making it believable,” he replied.

Emma didn’t want to admit to herself how thankful she was for this man she’d only met the day before.

But when he quietly said so that only she could hear, “He only chose her after his first choice said no,” she felt a whirlwind of emotions wrap around her spine and then her chest.

Chapter 6

“How’d the two of you meet?” Lauren asked after everyone settled in around the table.

Lying had never been Cam’s strong suit. Sure, he told a white lie now and again like the next person, but nothing so intricate as pretending to date a stranger while his boss sat across from him.

“Through social media, actually,” Emma said, trying to rack her brain for any details Cam had mentioned last night.

He cringed inwardly. Social media? He’d never been the type to slide into someone’s DMs. “At first, I ignored her messages, thinking she was probably a spam account or hitting everyone up.” He stifled his grunt when she stomped his foot under the table.

“What?” Lauren’s brows rose as she eyed Emma with a look that said she was impressed. “You made the first move? You’ve always been more of the ‘let them chase you’ kind of girl.”

Emma laughed at that and turned toward Cam. “Back in high school, anytime Lauren had a crush and asked us for advice, we always told her to just ignore them. They’d come running.”

“And they always did,” Lulu chimed in, her smile bright at the memory.

“I’ll be right back. I’m going to use the restroom real quick.” Emma stood from the table, ignoring the look of panic that Cam shot her before turning back around.

“When you get back, you have to finish telling us how you met,” Lauren shouted after her.

Emma let out a sigh, hoping Cam could manage the next few minutes without her. She was sure Lulu would jump in to help him if need be. Jeez, what did she get herself into?

Of course, they’d want to know how they met. She hadn’t mentioned a boyfriend these past few weeks, so it’d make the perfect topic to catch up on.

She entered the bathroom, found an empty stall, and pulled out her phone. She had absolutely no clue what Cam’s username would be on social media, or even his last name for that matter, but maybe a little digging could help.

After a failed attempt at seeing if Lulu might be friends with him online, it took several more minutes of typing in his name along with his company to find a professional photo of him with his last name included. A quick scroll at profile photos and she finally found the one she was after and thanked whoever was looking out for her when she saw his settings weren’t on private.

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