Page 18 of Perfect Score

My sister's voice chirps through the phone pulling me back to reality. I quickly dart my eyes away from Brent's body, realizingthat I've been unconsciously admiring it. “Are you off the airplane? I didn’t hear what happened between you and Brent. I can’t believe you ended up seated next to him. That’s a total sign. Did you ask him to be your boyfriend for the weekend?” she asks.

I can hear the excitement in her voice.

“Fake boyfriend,” I clarify.

Phoebe lets out a dismissive sound. “Stupid details, whatever… Did you ask?”

“I didn’t have to. He asked me. It turns out that he needs to bring someone to his grandmother’s birthday party this weekend, so we’re swapping favors,” I tell her.

Out of the corner of my eye, I glance at the back of Brent's head trying to determine if he's listening in on my conversation with my sister. I'm not exactly whispering but it's all stuff he already knows so I don't care if he is.

Phoebe knows Gran—she’s even invited to the wedding. David added her to his family’s guest list, that’s how close he and Brent were in high school. Originally, David asked Brent to be his best man, but with Brent’s unpredictable Hawkeyes schedule, he wasn’t sure he’d make it. Honestly, though, anyone who went to our high school’s hockey games knows Brent’s Gran. She was impossible to miss, ringing her cowbell after every goal and bringing her famous brownies for the team. She’s loved by everyone.

Though Phoebe and Liam were a grade above us, and she and David didn't date until college, she used to come with me to most of the games.

Phoebe squeals with delight. “This is going to be so good. Please promise me that I get to witness the moment that Liam sees you two together. I can’t wait to see his sorry ass weep.”

I don’t want him to weep. I just want him to want me back.

“I have no idea when Liam will see us together, so I can’t promise that you’ll get a front-row seat.”

Brent still doesn’t look back or acknowledge that he can hear me but then again.

“Are you going to kiss him?” she asks.

“Kiss him?” Why on earth would she think I would walk up to Liam and kiss him when he has a fiancée?

Sure, I hope he’s jealous enough to end things with Shelby, but I’d never kiss another man who is currently in a relationship with someone else.

Shelby is the boyfriend thief, not me.

“Are you going to kiss Brent in front of Liam?”

Oh.

I’d never considered even touching Brent this entire weekend, let alonekissinghim.

“No, Brent and I aren’t kissing this weekend!” The words burst out of me louder than I mean them to.

Brent looks back over his shoulder, catching my wide-eyed, caught-off-guard expression and then turns back around.

I didn't mean for him to hear that.

The thought of participating in any PDA with Brent at this wedding hadn't crossed my mind until now. That's a boundary that we need to discuss.

“How is anyone supposed to buy the story that you two are together if you don’t even touch the man?”

“People will just assume that we’re private about that sort of stuff," I say.

Phoebe scoffs. “Are we talking about the same Brent Tomlin? The man is sex on hockey skates. Do you truly think that anyone will believe you're not riding that man's hockey stick every chance you get? Let alone having the willpower to keep your hands off of him in public? I don’t think so sis. You’re going tohave to put your hands on him, and I have a feeling it won't be as painful as you think.”

I see the girl's bathroom, and I am dying to change. I dressed too warm for southern California, and bonus, this is a good excuse to get my sister off the phone.

"I have to pee; I'll see you soon, okay?" I tell her.

She knows my tactic and gives a disappointed huff but relents. "We’ll see you at cocktail hour, right?”

“We should make it still unless something goes wrong. And also, I don’t want to tell anyone else about Brent and I faking it. If this gets out—”

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