Page 78 of Hard to Fake

“I’m glad she talked about that and not the pranks we pulled.”

“Oh yeah? Let’s hear it.”

They swap stories, and I bite my cheek as I listen to them. I didn’t expect Miles and Ruby to hit it off, but his easygoing vibe and her professional veneer work together. I’m actually having a good time until Caroline sits on her other side… with my ex.

Seeing Kevin right across the table is worse than seeing him at my mom’s event. At least there, I could sprint the other way.

You put them here? Ruby mouths.

I shake my head and glance at the table cards. Someone moved them around.

I’m willing to bet that someone was Caroline.

"Small world," Kevin says.

His attention flicks to Miles, his smile faltering, replaced by coolness.

It used to take a lot for Kevin to be intimidated. It feels good that Miles sets him on edge.

“I thought Hannah was sitting here,” I say with a smile. I’d put her and Matt at our table after we ran into them, remembering how much I enjoyed her.

Caroline waves a hand. “She’s not coming. It’s better this way.”

I frown. “Better how? You were inseparable.”

“You’re obviously misremembering. She never had her priorities in order. I don’t know why we accepted her into Kappa in the first place.”

I pull out my phone and find Hannah’s contact and send off a quick message.

When I tuck the phone away, Kevin is flirting shamelessly with Caroline. He plays with a piece of her hair, grinning at her.

We’re long over, but it still messes with my insecurities that she’s better than me in some way I can’t fix.

Out of nowhere, Miles’s hand brushes against mine under the table. I glance over, and he gives me a reassuring smile. It's as if he knows what I'm thinking, knows how I’m feeling. I’m grateful for him yet again.

“Brooke, you must be happy to find a guy taller than you,” Caroline starts. “You were always so statuesque.”

“It is a relief,” I say, playing along.

One of the other girls at our table leans in. “I bet he barely fits in your bed.”

Without missing a beat, Miles presses a kiss to my forehead. “We don’t need a bed, do we, Princess?”

I’m too surprised to respond, but Ruby laughs into her drink. Caroline’s eyes narrow so dramatically she could be asleep if it wasn’t for the tight lines around her lips.

The lights are dimmed, and a hush falls over the room.

My phone buzzes with a message. I discreetly check it to find a response.

Hannah: Hey! Thanks for checking in. I felt so bad for canceling, but the baby’s been sick the last two days. I said I might be able to come for the second day, but Caroline said it would mess up the numbers. Have the best time!

I tuck the phone back into my bag, staring at Caroline’s profile in the dark.

"Welcome to the Kappa reunion," a voice booms through the speakers. "Tonight, we celebrate sisterhood, friendship, and love. Now, I’d like to welcome our alumni chapter president to say a few words.”

Elise goes up to the microphone to warm applause.

“College is a time when we strike out on our own, leaving our parents and siblings behind as we forge new identities for ourselves. It’s when we form new connections. It’s when we choose our families.”

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