Page 19 of Faking the Face Off

The laughter in his eyes almost makes me crumble, but I stay strong. Even as my gaze drops to Ollie’s lips—which happen to be a kissable bright red and looking smooth and perfect today—I keep it together.

“Sure, rule three can be some light hand-holding with occasional on-the-cheek kisses. And rule four…” I hesitate, feeling the weight of this one settle in my chest. “We stop if it starts to feel like too much. For either of us.”

For a moment, he doesn’t say anything, just studies me with those sharp, blue-gray eyes of his. Then he leans back again, his expression serious now. “Deal. But, Anna…”

I raise an eyebrow.

“I think we should add one more rule.”

“Which is?”

He pauses, his gaze dropping to the floor before returning to mine. “We promise to be honest with each other. About everything. No pretending when it’s just us. If we’re going to pull this off, we need to trust each other completely.”

The knot in my chest loosens slightly, and I manage a small smile. “I can agree to that.”

“Good.” He holds out his hand, and for a split second, mine dangles in the air. If there was ever a time to stop this, it’s now.Once we agree, there is no going back. This is it. The beginning of something that could either save my dad or leave Ollie, me, and my father in pieces.

Taking a breath, I place my hand in his, ignoring the spark that snakes its way up my arm. “Deal.”

Ollie’s hand lingers in mine for a moment longer than necessary, the warmth of his palm making it hard to ignore the very real risk we’re taking. When he finally lets go, I curl my fingers into a fist in my lap, like I’m able to hold onto the steadiness his touch had given me.

The sound of soft jazz crackles in the background, spilling from an old record player perched on a low table across the room. I hadn’t noticed it until now, but the low hum of the saxophone fills the quiet between us, giving the room an almost intimate glow.

“What’s playing?” I ask, tilting my head toward the music.

Ollie glances over his shoulder, a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his mouth. “Miles Davis.Kind of Blue.Classic.”

I nod, letting the smooth notes wash over me. “It’s nice. Didn’t peg you for a jazz guy, though.”

“I’m full of surprises.” He leans back in his chair again. “Mom gave it to me a few weeks ago when she left town.”

“Parting gift?” I tease.

“Something like that,” he says, rolling his eyes.

That earns him a smirk, but before I fire back, he clears his throat and shifts the conversation back to business. “Speaking of surprises...I’m out of here soon for a few away games. Should we, I don’t know, come out as a couple before I leave? Make it official for anyone who’s paying attention?”

I blink, processing his question. He’s not wrong—if we’re going to sell this, we need to make it believable from the start. No awkward fumbling or rushed explanations when someone inevitably notices us appearing together all the time, like a rash.

“Yeah.” I nod slowly as the plan begins to form in my head. “We should.”

His eyebrow arches, and I catch a hint of curiosity behind his cool exterior. “How?”

“Here’s what I’m thinking.” I exhale and lean forward. “Tomorrow, we’ll start small—maybe you post a photo of us on social media. Something casual, but enough to get people talking. I’ll drop a few hints, too, if anyone asks.”

He gives a small nod, his focus locked on me as I continue.

“Then, at the game this week here at home, we’ll ‘sneak out’ a back entrance holding hands…I’ll ask Sutton or Lara to make sure they tell the photographers to be there so we’re caught.”

He grins. “It’s like you’ve been thinking about this for some time now.”

“It’s amazing the deal with the devil you can be willing to take if someone you love is in trouble.” I pause for a moment on the wordlove, quickly tweaking my sentence. “And I love my dad.”

Ollie nods. “I get it. Sorry.”

“I just want this to be smooth.” I sit back again, staring into space and drumming my fingers on my thigh. “When you’re back from your away games, we’ll make sure to go out. As much as is reasonable. Somewhere public, but not too obvious. Just enough to let people put two and two together. Maybe grab coffee or lunch.”

“Subtle.” His lips curve into a faint smile at my rambling. “I like it.”

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