Page 53 of Once Upon a Fake Date

Just like we needed every member of our team to make plays and passes.

I was grateful for my ability to memorize things quickly. It had come in handy with lacrosse plays, and it was here, too. Both with the script and the songs.

There was also something extremely… freeing about it. Because, for once, I didn’t have to worry about anything else. Like I could shut out the outside world and fully immerse myself in this one.

The one where I was the prince who got the girl.

Audrey slipped her arm through mine, her other hand holding her skirt—just like she would once she wore her actual costume. “Let’s go, my Prince.”

God, and wasn’t I just such a sucker that my heart sped up at those words?

Here, with her at my side, it was like I could pretend nothing else was wrong.

“Alright.”

“Don’t step on my foot this time,” Audrey winked.

“One time,” I muttered. “I accidentally stepped on your footonetime.”

Her laugh filled the entire space, lighting me up from the inside out. Then we stepped out onto the stage, gliding effortlessly into our first steps.

At first, I’d struggled to stay on rhythm. Learning the choreography for the entire musical had been a lot, especially when it was all new to me. But practicing had helped, and I was grateful that the weight room for student athletes was empty late at night since had ample open space for me to practice alone.

If anyone ever caught me, I’d deny it, but it was making me better. I felt more confident in my plays during lacrosse practices, too. Maybe because dancing was improving my balance, making me more surefooted.

Whatever the reason, I was having fun.

I spun Audrey, my eyes not leaving her form as she twirled in a perfect circle with her hand in mine before I brought her back into my arms and dipped her.

And then we’d seal it all with a kiss.

True love’s kiss, granting the leads theirhappily ever after.That was what this musical was all about. The happy ending between the long-lost Princess and the Prince who risked everything to save her and bring her home. They’d met again by chance, but despite all the obstacles, every threat to them being together, they persevered.

I got a sudden flashback to when we were younger, Audrey sitting on the couch next to me in my childhood home. We’d just finished eating quesadillas and watchingA Pup Named Scooby Doo,and my mom had asked if we wanted to watch something else before we headed outside to play. Audrey had requested a princess movie.

“But we always watch those girly movies,”I’d groaned.“I want to watch something else.”

“This one has a dragon, Buddy,”my mom said, pointing to the cover.“The prince even has a sword. What do you think about that?”

Scrunching up my nose, I’d finally agreed.“Okay… But only because he has a sword.”

Even back then, I’d loved dragons, elves, and warriors. Princes, too, some of the time. At least the cool ones who would do anything to save the day. Jumping through fire, fighting off the evil villains, and at the end of the story, they’d always save the princess.

I wanted to be like that, too. To always save the princess from harm.

When I looked at Audrey, she was beaming. She was wearing a little pink romper with ruffles. Though it had strawberry stains from an earlier snack, she didn’t seem to care.“Yay!”

And even though I’d been young, I’d known that I’d agree to whatever dumb princess movie she wanted me to watch because it made her happy.

I ignored all the ways this musical seemed to mirror our own story because no matter what was going on between us, it was fake.

Thankfully, no one around us knew that. So I kissed her like I would if I were her boyfriend. If I was the prince who’d just saved her from an evil dragon.

It was a kiss I was all too happy to take, keeping her lips against mine, coaxing her mouth open with slow, lazy kisses, though all I wanted to do was deepen it for real.

Everyone else reset, except all I could focus on was the violet-eyed beauty in front of me. “Audrey—” I murmured, still holding her close, even when we broke apart. Her lips were pink, shiny, and I wanted to touch them. To run my thumb over her bottom lip.

She giggled. “Parker, you can let go of me now,” she whispered. “We’re all done. No need to keep acting.”

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