Page 58 of Once Upon a Fake Date

Everyone was staring across the room as a brunette with a now soaked white shirt and a red face got into Adam’s face. She looked familiar, though I wasn’t friends with her, I was pretty friendly with most people I met across campus. “You…” She scowled. Adam’s empty beer cup was still in his hand, and he looked a little sheepish. “You asshole!” The words could be heard above everything else, and I winced.

“Sorry, beautiful.” Adam clearly chose the wrong thing to say, his playful smirk making her even angrier. “Can I help you clean up?”

Her face just got redder. Like she was imagining what exactly those words could mean. It wasn’t a secret that Adam was a bit of a player on campus, ever the flirt.

“No!” The brunette threw her hands up in the air like she couldn’t believe what she was hearing, turning and storming out the front door. I was in her path, so I heard a muttered, “Prince, huh? More like aBeast,” under her breath.

I did my best not to giggle.

Cam went over to Adam, who did his best to look remorseful. “It was an accident.”

“Was it?”

“What, you don’t believe me either?”

My sister’s boyfriend just shook his head. “Just take the L, dude. That girl probably hates you now.”

A sigh escaped Adam’s lips as he looked toward the door—where she had escaped. “Yeah. Probably.” He looked disappointed, and I couldn’t help but notice a lingering attraction there. But maybe I was just reading too deeply into it. It was the hopeless romantic in me, after all.

“Come on, big guy,” Cam said, looping an arm around Adam’s neck. “Let’s go get you some water.”

“I’m not even drunk,” his friend muttered under his breath, but I also noticed he didn’t put up a fight with Cam either.

Sutton wandered over to my twin, the two of them chatting, as I pulled out my phone, looking over my text thread with Parker.

Parker

Miss me yet?

Audrey

Ha. You wish.

Yeah, Rosie Girl. I do.

You all ready for the game?

Yeah. They’re a good team, but hopefully our offense can beat their defense.

I’m sure you’ll be great. Good luck tonight.

Even if I’m not on the sidelines, I’m cheering for you.

Thanks, sunshine.

What are best friends for?

I stashed my phone away. He’d never responded to my last message, so I figured he’d been busy getting ready for the game. Hopefully I’d hear from him later tonight once they were back at the hotel.

Finding Ella, I went to stand next to her as Cam walked away, leaving her with blushed cheeks. Cam went to find Forest, leaving the three of us alone.

Her eyes never left her boyfriend, even as he laughed, talking to Forest in the next room.

“You love him,” I observed. Honestly, it was obvious to anyone who watched how they interacted. I’d watched her grow closer and closer to him all year. Even if she thought they were hiding it, there was no denying the hearts in her eyes.

She startled. “What?” Ella froze, the drink Cam had made her cupped in her hand.

“He’s in love with you too, you know,” Sutton added nonchalantly.

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