Page 4 of Once Upon a Fake Date

Pivoting on my foot, I headed to the house, only to stop when a large frame blocked the path. I froze when he wrapped his arms around my waist.

My ex-boyfriend nuzzled his nose into my hair. “Aud. There you are, baby.” He was slurring his words a little. Was he already drunk?

I tried to push him off of me. “I’mnotyour baby.” Stepping back, Ella grabbed my hand, squeezing it tight.

“Course you are.” He frowned. “You love me.”

“No, Duke. We broke up, remember?” I shook my head. “You cheated on me.” Among other things. Really, our relationship wasn’t great to begin with. He’d never cared about me, only what I could do for him. I’d just been so infatuated with him that I hadn’t seen that until it was too late. Hewashandsome, with swoopy dark blonde hair and blue eyes I’d let myself get lost in. But his good looks couldn’t hide his horrible personality.

Tonight, he was dressed as a sexy cop.Vomit.Just thinking about sex with him made me want to throw up. He’d never even gone down on me. What had I been thinking?

“We have to go. Bye, Duke.” Tightening my grip on Ella’s hand, I started walking away, hoping he wouldn’t follow us.

“You’re going to regret this!” my ex shouted.

I rolled my eyes. “Seems unlikely!”

Without turning around or looking back, I navigated us onto the front porch of the Delta Sigma Iota fraternity house. Our friend Sutton was here with her boyfriend Forest, who was friends with the president, so I’d deemed it as safe.

“Are you okay?” Ella asked, squeezing my hand.

“Yeah.” I let out a breath. “He’s annoying, but he’s harmless.” This wasn’t the first time, and I was sure it wouldn’t be the last.

“Ro…” She frowned.

“Come on, let’s just go inside. Everything’s fine.”

Now if I could just get my heart to believe it too.

Going outside for some air,I leaned on the porch railing, looking up at the night sky. The party was already in full swing when we arrived, making it easy to disappear into the crowds. After a few drinks, I’d felt less off-kilter.

The stars twinkled above me, and I closed my eyes. It was so easy to fake a smile, to be that bubbly, outgoing girl everyone loved. But I was tired. All I wanted was one night where I didn’t have to pretend.

Where I could just beme.Though some days, I didn’t even know who that was.

I hummed to myself, looking up at the sky. Sometimes I wasn’t even aware I was singing to myself until someone else pointed it out.

The sliding door behind me opened and shut, and when the wood creaked, I turned to find a guy mirroring my position on the other side of the deck as he ran his hands through his hair.

“Oh.” I rested my hand over my heart.

“I’m sorry,” he said. “I didn’t mean to frighten you.”

“No.” I shook my head. “You didn’t. I just didn’t expect anyone else to be out here.”

He stepped out into the light.

I was frozen. There was no way. He simply couldn’t be…“Parker?”

He looked surprised as his eyes traced over me before settling on mine, his gaze softening. “Rosie? Is that you?”

It had been almost a decade since I’d seen him, but I knew who he was instantly. There was no mistaking his smile. That messy brown hair. He used to run his hands through it when he was nervous. Did he still do that?

I didn’t really know him anymore. But he’d been my friend. My best friend. The only person I’d ever been as close to as I was with Ella.

He looked the same, and yet completely different. Gone was the lanky boy I’d known, and in front of me was aman.Parker had filled out his frame, his biceps straining against his flannel shirt. Yep, it was official—my childhood best friend washandsome.

“Hi,” I whispered the word, frozen in place. What was he doing here? There was no way we’d been going to the same school for the last two years and had never bumped into each other, right? “I can’t believe you’re here.”

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