Page 36 of The Facade

“Oh, no.” She shook her head. “At least I don’t think so. He said his friends would be there and that all our friends could come too, so it’s probably just a friend thing.”

Why did that make me feel better?

She liked Ben and wanted him to like her back. Was I a bad friend for being relieved that it wasn’t a date?

“Wanna know something funny, though?” she asked.

“What?” I asked, turning to face her a little better.

“You’re not going to believe this,” she said, a hint of amusement in her bright blue eyes. “But Ben said a bunch of people at school think we’re secretly dating.”

“Think you and him are dating?” I furrowed my brow, wondering how anyone had come to that conclusion when I was pretty sure they hadn’t talked until today.

“Noooo.” She stretched out the word like I was missing something. “Not me and him. They thinkyouand I are secretly dating.”

“Us?” I pointed at her and then back to myself.

“Yeah.”

I scrunched up my face. “Why would they think that?”

“I guess because we’re friends and do homework together.” She shrugged, like she was as confused as I was about the assumptions. “I don’t know…he said something about everyone thinking we were sneaking around behind Carter’s back because he’s so protective.”

“What?” I pulled my head back.

“I know!” She laughed. Then, realizing we were supposed to be quiet so her brothers wouldn’t find me in her room, she lowered her voice to a whisper and said, “Crazy, right? Me and you actually dating?”

“Not that crazy,” I said. “I mean, you did have that crush on me in middle school.”

“Yeah, back when I didn’t know any better.” She laughed quietly.

I didn’t know why, but for some reason, Cambrielle laughing over the idea of ever having feelings for me burned a little.

Like, was the thought of dating me laughable to her now?

From the way she was reacting, I guess it was.

I decided to return to the trundle bed below, but I must have made a face before turning away or something because she stopped laughing. She touched my arm and asked, “Did I say something wrong?”

“No.” I shook my head, not looking at her. “Of course not.” I bent over to pull down the covers on the trundle bed.

But she must have sensed that she had in fact ruffled my feelings because she scooted across her bed and tugged on my bicep to stop me from slipping off her bed. “What did I say?”

“Nothing,” I tried to insist, but my voice didn’t come out nearly as believable as I wanted. Instead, I sounded more like a kicked puppy.

I turned back to her and didn’t realize how close she’d scooted up behind me until I was looking at her face from only six inches away.

My gaze darted down to her blue eyes that were so big and soft and full of concern that she’d done something wrong.

But really, she hadn’t done anything wrong at all, had she?

Just bruised the ego of a guy who apparently thought every girl who’d ever liked him in the past should continue to pine after him until the end of time.

“Are you frustrated Ben thought we were dating?”

“No.” I sighed, making my gaze meet hers even though I felt completely awkward with all these weird emotions coursing through me. “Of course not.”

Her eyes tightened with confusion. “Then what is it?”

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