Page 23 of Fallen Stars

“Like me,” he continues, “she doesn’t want this. Her family doesn’t know about the guy she’s dating because they wouldn’t approve of him.”

At this, my heart breaks for Abigail Calhoun. No one should have to hide who they love.

But who am I to think as much? I’ve hidden my love for Levi for years.

“I came up with this crazy idea. Then we walked the gardens for a bit and shared our sides of this whole ordeal.”

The reprieve I felt a moment ago vanishes.

I shift my gaze from his as my eyes lose focus. The world wobbles beneath me and I close my eyes. Suddenly, I’m teetering on a rocky cliff near the bay. Curiosity has me eager for moredetails, while anxiety begs me to plug my ears and ignore what he says next.

“To get our parents off our backs, Abigail and I made a pact. We agreed to pretend we’re dating.”

Bile crawls up my throat as sweat coats my skin.

“It’s not real.” His voice blends with the white noise in my ears.

I’m going to be sick.

It shouldn’t bother me this much. Since I’ve known Levi, his parents have been trying to marry him off. He has been on several dates with women over the years. He never bragged about them or shared much of what happened. Thank goodness.

Each and every one of those dates and dinners with his family made me ill—physically, mentally, emotionally. But a piece of me always knew the dates and dinners were solely at his parents’ insistence.

This… feels different. Irreversible.

“Ollie.” My name is a whisper on his lips. Soft. Distant.

My fingers twitch in my lap as I process his news over and over.

I want to twist in my seat, grab him by the shoulders, and shake this ridiculous idea out of his head. I want to cup his cheeks, haul him forward, and press my lips to his. Tell him how much I care about him. What he means to me. That I love him.

But I can’t.

Doing those things—saying those words—will ruin us.

Warmth grazes my forearm from my elbow to my wrist and I suck in a sharp breath.

He’s touching me. Really touching me.

“Ollie, please look at me.”

Fire ignites under my skin as his finger slowly trails up and down my forearm.

“Please,” he says, a breath above a whisper.

Nervous energy swirls beneath my diaphragm as I face him without hurry. Our eyes connect and I see so many conflicting messages.

I don’t know what to believe.

“It’s. Not. Real.” His knuckles brush my skin. “I swear.”

Damn, I want it to be true. I want this farce he and Abigail set in motion to be a hoax.

His hand falls away. “All I ask is for you to remember that, no matter what happens.”

My brows pinch together. “What does that mean?” The words come out scratchy and accusatory.

“If our families think we’re dating, we have to act like we’re dating.”

---