Page 54 of The Facade

She nodded. “I tried to tell them that Carter and Nash would watch out for me, and I think your mom knew what was going on, but it was smart of them to keep me back because I totally would have taken advantage of them. I was really good at keeping my purging quiet.”

“I remember you being really sad you couldn’t go,” I said. She’d come with her mom and dad when they dropped Carter and Nash off, and as she stood under the big tree by my house, tears were streaming down her cheeks.

I’d been confused as to why she’d cared so much about the trip, since she and I weren’t as close then as we were now. But now that I knew, I guess having to be watched by someone 24/7 to make sure she didn’t continue starving herself would feel pretty smothering.

“You seem to be doing a lot better now,” I said, noting the healthy glow in her cheeks.

“I’m a lot better than I was.” She nodded. “I mean, it’s something I’ll always need to watch out for, and I sometimes kick myself for eating too much dessert or compare myself to other girls and feel myself slipping again.” She looked at me through her lashes, the vulnerability in her expression making my heart squeeze. “But I’ve mostly made peace with that part of me.”

“I’m glad.” I wanted to reach over and take her hand in mine. Do what she’d done for me last night in the truck. But for some reason, I hesitated.

I hadn’t had a problem kissing her last night and letting my hands run along her back and in her hair. But right now, I just couldn’t seem to close the distance between us.

Maybe because I realized I was starting to like her now and if she pulled her hand away from mine, her rejection would actually have the ability to hurt me.

But that was crazy, right?

Because I didn’t actually have feelings for this girl, did I?

I couldn’t suddenly go from seeing her as nothing more than the girl next door, who was my friend and a keeper of my secrets, to wanting her to be the girl whose heart I got to share a piece of, too.

But when I met her gaze and looked into her blue eyes that reminded me of the ocean, I knew that I did see her as more than that.

And I was starting to fall for her.

I was falling for a girl who had plans to kiss another guy tonight.

I tightened my hand into a fist at my side when I imagined Ben kissing her the way I had kissed her last night—the way I wanted to kiss her again.

Was she still planning to kiss him again? And would she let his hands roam over her body, let his tongue taste her sweet cherry lip gloss like I had?

I hoped not.

I hoped that maybe she’d been thinking about that kiss as much as I had and that her plans might have changed.

But if they hadn’t changed, could I stand by and watch that happen? Could I sit back and watch her go after another guy when I was starting to want her for myself?

I didn’t know if I could stomach it now.

But then again, I didn’t know what her costume was for tonight, did I?

So maybe I wouldn’t see it happen at all.

“Anyway,” she said, breaking me away from my thoughts. “I hear not all guys like their girlfriends to be shaped like runway models and prima ballerinas, so I’ve also made peace with the fact that I got my mom’s genetics and will always have a bit of a booty.”

Did she just bring her butt into the conversation?

I wasn’t expecting that.

But since she seemed self-conscious of it and I was one of those guys who actually appreciated a bit of a booty, I said, “It sounds like you see that as a flaw, but um, some of us guys actually like having something to hold onto when we’re kissing a girl.”

For a moment, it looked like I’d stunned her speechless with my comment. But then she said, “Do you usually grab girls’ butts when you’re making out?” Her jaw dropped, and I worried I might have said the wrong thing until she added, “Does that mean I didn’t get the full ‘make-out with Mack’ experience yesterday then?”

I coughed and pounded on my chest. Soon my cheeks felt all hot and tight, and I knew I was blushing.

Blushing so hard my face was as red as a kid waiting in line at the ice cream truck during a heat wave.

And I never blushed. Usually,Iwas the one making Cambrielle blush.

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