Page 28 of Always Been You

She was happy to see Ali being her goofy self again. After Patrick died, Jess had been worried that Ali would always be a shell of herself. But Kade didn't just bring himself back when he returned to town. He brought Ali as well.

"So, what's the deal, banana peel?" Ali posed her question playfully.

Jess wasn't prepared to answer questions about Ethan yet. They'd agreed not to start their "relationship' until after her parents’ anniversary party. Jess hadn't wanted to take any of the attention off of her mom and dad's day. At least that's what she'd told Ethan. Honestly though, she'd just been nervous and needed some time to prepare.

Was it ridiculous that she’d broken out in hives over a relationship that wasn't even real? Yep. But there wasn't a whole lot she could do about that.

They'd also decided not to let anyone in on the fact that it wasn't real. That discussion started when she said that she'd have to tell her parents and Ali. Ethan then pointed out that if Ali knew then she'd have to tell Kade, and if the twins overheard it they might let Ryder in on it, who would most likely say something to Brynn.

Her solution was simple. She’d tell her parents, Ali, Kade, and Brynn. His response had been a stare that told her what she already knew. If all those people knew, the chances of them all being able to keep the secret were slim to none. And if everyone knew that it was a fake relationship, what was the point in doing it?

So, it wasn't just that she was stressed about what being in a relationship, fake or not, would be like. She was also stressed about lying to her friends and family.

"It's complicated." That was true, so technically she wasn't lying. Yet.

When she turned her attention back to her friends, she saw that they were both staring at her with their mouths hanging wide open.

"What?" she looked back over her shoulder, convinced they were reacting to something behind her.

"You just said it's complicated," Ali emphasized.

"So?" Jess felt her eyebrows scrunch together.

Brynn and Ali both gave each other a look.

Ali turned back to Jess. "You're finally admitting that something is going on between you two?"

Wow. If this was the reaction that her friends had when all she did was say that something was complicated, she couldn't imagine what they were going to do when she and Ethan started their fake romance.

This was a bad idea. All week she'd been on a seesaw, unable to decide if this was the best idea ever or the worst plan in history. But being around the entire town today made that decision as clear as the crystal her mom kept in her hutch.

Worst plan in history.

"It's not complicated. It's nothing." Jess glanced over her shoulder again, feeling Ethan's intense stare boring into the back of her neck.

"The looks you two have been exchanging all day are so hot I'm surprised that you both haven't gone up in flames," Ali observed.

"You two have more sparks than a welding machine," Brynn added.

"No. We don't," Jess firmly stated.

Since agreeing to the plan, Jess was feeling even more defensive about her feelings for the man than she ever had before. She barely managed to keep what she felt hidden when she’d professed that she didn't like him. How in the world was she going to accomplish the same thing when she was supposed to like him? People would see, he would see that it was real.

As the panic rose in her, she made a command decision. She wasn’t going to go through with the plan. She was aborting the mission.

"So you're not attracted to him?" Ali's tone implied she already knew the answer.

"No. I'm not." Jess lied through her teeth, but felt a sense of calm that she was regaining control.

Ali and Brynn looked unconvinced. Which was fair. She wasn’t totally selling it.

"Is he attractive? Sure. But he's not my type." That probably didn’t help her case.

Her statement caused Ali's eyes to widen and Brynn’s lips to flatten in a tight line.

She kept going, attempting to make her case. "What? He's not. I am not attracted to Ethan Steele."

"Hey, Ethan," Brynn chirped brightly.

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