Page 21 of The Love Trick

Chapter Eight

Blaze

WhydidIagreeto do this?

I stare at Addy. She’s sitting across from me at the small, wrought iron table. We’re at our favorite breakfast spot—a charming little cafe with a patio that overlooks the bustling city streets below—but this isnotour typical breakfast.

“Okay, well,” Addy begins, pulling a notebook out of her purse, “I think we already have a pretty good handle on what’s going to be acceptable and what’s not.”

“Yeah, but I think it’s important that we explicitly define our boundaries. I don’t want anything to ruin—”

“Our friendship,” she cuts me off. “I get it. You’ve made that super clear. Nothing is going to ruin it. I’d never let that happen.”

I grunt, folding my arms across my chest. “You say that now, but if something goes haywire with this fake relationship, well … I’ve seen the movies—and the celebrities who fake a relationship as some kind of PR stunt. It rarely works out the way they want it to.”

I take in the steaming cups of freshly brewed coffee and warm banana walnut muffins between us, a momentary distraction from the nerves coiling in my stomach.

“That’s because you only hear about the ones that don’t,” Addy reasons. “I’m sure plenty of fake relationships have turned out just fine.” She shrugs like this isn’t a big deal to her before picking up her latte and taking a sip. “Okay, so rule number one…” She laughs, meeting my gaze. “No kissing.”

“No kissing, how?” I ask, my heart thumping strangely in my chest. “Because it’s gonna seem kinda weird to your family if I don’t at least greet you with a kiss on the cheek, don’t you think?”

Addy frowns, clicking her purple pen in her hand. “I guess I didn’t really think about that. Okay. No kissing on the mouth.”

I blow out a sharp breath, my mind going rampant with the ways that rule could be bent. I’ll have to be careful… Or better yet… “How about we just agree to cheek and forehead kisses only?”

She makes a face. “Wait, where wasyourhead at? The gutter?”

I chuckle. “I think it’s just better to spell out the rules in detail. The clearer they are, the easier they’ll be to follow.”

“Okay, what about holding hands?” Addy asks, doodling on the corner of the paper.

“I think holding hands is a great way to show affection without crossing any hard lines. I’ve held your hand plenty of times before.” I bring my coffee cup to my lips, my mouth feeling dry at the way Addy responds to my comment, tilting her head and looking at me with curiosity.

“What do you mean? I can’t remember a single time you’ve held my hand.”

“Um, if I need to get your attention, show you something, guide you when you’re blindfolded—like at your surprise twenty-fifth birthday party…” I start to feel heat creep up my neck at the memory of her fingers intertwined in mine, but thankfully, Addy returns her gaze to the paper and writes something down.

“Okay, so unlimited hand holding. I’d say hugs, arms around each other, and anything else like that is fair game too.” She continues to write.

“As long as it’s middle-school-dance-level appropriate,” I clarify.

“I’m not gonna touch your butt, Blaze.” Addy bursts into laughter, shaking her head. “You seem so worried about this—like I’m going to push the boundaries or something.”

I shrug, keeping my own fears and insecurities under lock and key. Addy has no idea how crazy I was about her in college, too terrified to make a move because of how broke I was at the time. I knew her wealthy family would never approve of me. But I don’t look at her romantically anymore. I buried those feelings so deep down that I often forget they exist.

Regardless, she’s obviously stillveryattractive…

And the thought of my hands on her makes me sweat.

“Okay, so I feel like our physical boundaries are figured out.” Addy sighs in relief. “Is there anything else we should discuss?”

“Pet names? Sleeping arrangements? And what’s our story for why we suddenly became more than friends?”

“You can call me whatever you want. And you’ll have your own room. As for the story…” She bites down on her lower lip, looking up at me. “I don’t know. What do you think?”

“Well, um,” I hesitate, trying to come up with something remotely believable. “Maybe I took you home from a party, you were a little tipsy, and you kissed me. And it was at that moment, we both realized we were more than friends.”

She doesnotlook happy with my answer. “That makes me sound desperate.”

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