Page 14 of It's Complicated

But where? The back of the couch wouldn’t be safe from one or more of the cats taking a nap on it, leaving behind copious shedding. Not an option. I consider the other hook-y surfaces in the house and settle for hanging the coat on the corner of a tall bookshelf.

Jace tracks my movements but abstains from commenting.

When we sit at the large, round kitchen table, Leia, Ben, Chewie, and Han Solo each claim one of the four empty chairs.

The cats sit, immobile, Egyptian-statue-like, and observe us.

Jace is at the end of his quirkiness rope.

“Do they always act like that?” he asks.

“Yep, they’re passively-aggressively pressuring you into sharing your food with them. They’ve stopped with me, but since you’re new, they’re testing you. Don’t budge.”

I seldom invite people over to my place, even my closest friends—for obvious reasons. When we hang out in myneighborhood we eat out, but I didn’t want to discuss secret, fake-relationship stuff in a crowded restaurant where anyone could hear us.

Jace gives me the first half-smile of the night. Lopsided, teasing, his eyes crinkling at the corners. “Did they stop asking because you’re such an accomplished cat trainer, or since you’ve gone vegetarian and stopped eating anything they might like?”

My expression is outraged. “I’m not dignifying that question with a response.”

I open the delivery bag and hand Jace his fajitas, then unpack my cheese quesadillas and cauliflower tacos.

We eat a few bites in silence until Jace says, “Aiden came to see me today.”

My pulse immediately picks up. “And?”

“You might’ve been right. He acted a little territorial, which I wouldn’t have guessed, to be honest—”

“That’s amazing. You think my plan will work?”

“No, your plan is the dumbest idea ever.”

“But you said he was jealous!”

“Even if he were, he’s never going to act on it. Aiden is more loyal than a Labrador. He would never leave Kirsten at the altar, especially not to steal a woman from his best friend. You basically dug yourself into the only position worse than him being engaged: Aiden still being engaged and you becoming 200 per cent off-limits.”

My cheeks heat. “Whatever you say,” I mutter, taking a few small bites of my food.

Jace regards me for a moment. I’m sure he’s about to lecture me about my selfishness again, but he says, “Plus, I don’t want to lie to him. I already felt awful today.”

“What are you suggesting? That we tell him we broke up one day after confessing we’re together? Because I’m not going with the truth.”

“What’s the alternative?”

“You fake date me until the wedding for moral support. I don’t want to go single.”

Jace finishes chewing before saying, “You know you’d technically still be single.”

“But I’d feel a tiny bit less pathetic.” I take a bite of a quesadilla and add, “Should we set down a few basic rules?”

“I haven’t agreed to anything yet.”

“Okay, but you can either pretend-dump me or pretend-date me because I’m not telling Aiden I made everything up, period.”

“Why can’tyoupretend-dumpme?”

“Because you’re not the getting-dumped kind of guy, while I get dumped all the time.”

“That’s ridiculous. You have to dump me.”

---