Page 16 of Fake Dating My Valentine

“She’s absolutely correct. The guy’s a godsend out in the field,” Ryan added with a laugh.

In the end, it wasn’t enough.

“Well, folks, that was an exciting start to our Valentine’s celebration, don’t you think?” The mayor grinned as sheannounced the first-place finishers—not us. “Perhaps Ryan needs to spend a little more time here in Holiday Grove before he and Torey forget everything about each other.”

The crowd chuckled, and I suppressed the urge to roll my eyes. Still, I was grateful to Mayor Stevens. Her words were the reminder I needed—not that Ryan’sthis was a mistakespeech wasn’t enough—to remember this wasn’t real. It was fake.

Even the sex, the really amazing sex, was fake.

Faker than a night in with me and my vibrator.

The mayor finished her remarks, and I maintained my bland smile as I congratulated the winners, who received a gift certificate to Mistletoe Pizza.

I loved that place. Dammit, it would have been nice if we had won that gift card.

With the prize handed out, there was nothing else to do but get the hell out of dodge before I broke down—or worse, snapped. My legs moved quickly, but I felt him behind me, his presence big and hovering, his long strides easily keeping pace.

“Torey.”

I shook my head and walked faster, though I knew I couldn’t outrun him. His legs were longer, stronger. Still, I tried.

“Torey,” he called again, this time punctuating the request by placing a firm hand on my shoulder.

I shook off his touch and turned to face him, my expression carefully blank. “Yes?”

His shoulders sagged. “Can we go somewhere?”

I opened my mouth to tell him absolutely not, but we were interrupted by my best friend and her new love. “Hey, guys!” Nix practically bounced on her toes. “Are you going out for drinks with the other couples?” Hope swam in her eyes, but this time, it had no sway over me.

“No,” I answered easily.

“Yep,” Ryan said at the same time.

Nix frowned. Lee smirked.

“You guys go ahead, I have some work to do.” It wasn’t exactly a lie—there was always something that needed doing.

Ryan wrapped an arm around me, and my body betrayed me by leaning into his warmth. “Come on, babe. One drink, and I’ll make sure you’re tucked into bed afterward.”

“Whatever.” I shook off his touch again and stalked toward Ol’ St. Nick’s Pub.

Ryan caught up quickly. “Can we talk afterwards?”

“There’s nothing to talk about,” I said, my voice falsely bright. “Let’s get this over with.”

Chapter 10

Ryan

Iwas a fucking idiot. First, for telling Torey that the most mind-blowing sex of my life was a mistake. And second, for saying it while we were both still naked and catching our breath. I made so many mistakes in that single moment—mistakes I couldn’t undo, no matter how much I wanted to.

Torey was visibly pissed at me, and anyone watching would know we weren’t a real couple. She hadn’t said a word since we left the park, and now we were sitting in a booth at the back of Ol’ St. Nick’s Pub. She barely acknowledged I existed.

“Are you okay, Torey?” Nix asked, her concern obvious as she turned to her best friend. Then, she shot me a glare so sharp it could’ve cut steel. Whatever she thought I’d done, I’d be paying for it.

“I’m fine,” Torey grumbled. “I’ll have a gin and tonic. Thanks.” She managed a brief smile for the waitress, but it vanished the moment the woman walked away.

I sat stiffly beside her, one arm draped casually along the back of the booth, hoping anyone watching would see the illusion of affection between us. But Torey didn’t give an inch. For the first time, I realized I’d never truly seen her sad orangry before. Those smiles she’d sent my way over the years—thousands of them—had been my anchor. Without them, the world felt dim, like a sky perpetually stuck in twilight.

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