Page 37 of Nothing Like the Movies

As he turned and headed for the door without waiting for me, obviously forgetting I was his fake girlfriend, I made the mistake of glancing at Wes.

Who was looking at me with awow, nice boyfriendhalf smile on his face that made me want to elbow him.

“I can’t believe you’re getting the truck so I don’t have to walk through the rain, hon,” I said in a sweet voice, trying to imply that my boyfriend did thoughtful things like this for me all the time. “Thank you.”

I swear to God I heard Wes mockingly mutter “hon” just before Clark stopped and turned around. He was the worst actor, because I watched confusion cross his face—ugh—before a bell went off in his brain and he nodded. “Of course,baby girl.”

Baby girl. Ewwwww.Such a gross pet name, one I was positive Wes would be laughing at if I were to look at him.

Don’t look at him.

I inhaled through my nose and calmly said, “I love the way you’re so thoughtful. I’ll just wait at the door while you go get the truck.”

“Yeah, me too,” Wes said.

That made my head whip toward him in shock.“What?”

He shrugged and looked positively pleased with himself. “I forgot my umbrella.”

“You’re good, Bennett. No need for more than one person to get drenched,” Clark said, pushing open the door. “I’ll be right back, guys.”

I clutched the shoulder strap of my backpack and stared straight ahead, looking out at the rain while wishing the guy to my right would disappear. This is unbelievable.What were the odds he wouldn’t talk? Was there a shot that he’d just stand there and look at his phone like a normal human whose presence wasn’t welcome?

“So does he know about us?”

Yeah, I didn’t think so.I sighed and tilted my head, trying to crack my very tense neck. I didn’t want to look at him, so I kept my eyes on the door when I said, “What?”

“The big guy from your ‘love life’ out there,” he said with mockery in his voice. “Does he know about our past?”

Ididlook at him then, and I don’t know what I expected, but it wasn’t sincerity.

Yet there he stood, in those damn glasses and his blue Bruins Baseball cap, looking at me like he was genuinely curious as to whether or not Clark knew about our relationship.

“Of coursehe does,” I said breezily, not really knowing what Iwas going for when I added, “I tell him everything. He absolutely knows that we dated for a few months in high school.”

His face lost its softness, his mouth flattening into a serious line as his jaw flexed. “Is that seriously how you think of it?”

For a second, it all came back. I stared at his face and felt faint as everything that had ever happened between us rushed at me. Ketchup hearts and raindrop kisses, Gracie Abrams and tear-soaked goodbyes.

Noah Kahan on repeat for months.

My breath was stuck in my chest as the past hit me like a wave.

“Idon’tthink of it,” I said, shrugging and doing an incredible job of sounding absolutely unaffected.

Because I wasn’t affected.Dammit.I said, “It’s ancient history.”

His jaw flexed again, but his demeanor changed. Like he had an idea, God help me. His eyes got a teasing glint and he said, “So it’s totally water under the bridge now?”

I saw the truck pulling up and said, “Why wouldn’t it be? It’s been years.”

“Well, that is excellent news,” I heard him say as I pushed open the door.

I took a step outside, ready to be drenched by the rain, but the second I exited the building, Wes’s backpack was over my head. I looked to my right, and he was holding it over my hair with one hand, his eyes in front of him like he wasn’t even thinking about it.

He was keeping me dry on autopilot.

“Don’t overthink it, Buxbaum,” he said, still not looking at me while reading my mind. “I’d do it for anyone.”

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