Page 22 of The Love Trick

I raise my brows. “Coming from the person who needs a fake boyfriend.”

“Seriously?” She glares at me, slamming her notebook shut. “Ijust want to have a good time in Hawaii without having to worry about what my family thinks about me being forever alone. C’mon Blaze. You’re my best friend. I know we’ll have a good time—we always do. We just need to come up with a more believable story.”

I purse my lips, using my coffee as a diversion from the nerves I’m feeling about going to Hawaii as herboyfriend.

Well,fakeboyfriend.

“What if we went for a walk?” Addy offers. “And you told me you loved me, but you realized it was more than just friend love. That would besoromantic.”

“And unrealistic,” I snort, finally setting the cup down. “Like why would I just suddenlythink of you as more than a friend? That’s all we’ve been for a decade, Addy. I’m pretty sure I know how I feel about you.” Something flashes in her eyes that’s got me feeling the need to backtrack. “But I guess maybe it could happen.”

Addy’s gaze drops to the table. “Alright. Well, since we can’t seem to agree, we can just wing it, then. One of us will answer it when the time comes—if anyone even asks. I don’t think they will. They’re probably not going to take me seriously, regardless of what I do.”

“You’re being a Debbie Downer,” I grunt.

“Yeah, and you’re just abucketof sunshine,” she shoots back at me, crinkling her nose up in that adorable way she does. “I’m trying to navigate how to survive this wedding, and you’re just worried about me touching your butt.”

I nearly spit out my coffee, choking back laughter. “I’mnotworried about unsolicited butt touches.”

“Good. Now, how long have we been dating?” She folds her arms across her chest, and for a moment, I take her in. Her messy bun. Her T-shirt covered in dog hair from her early morning walks. And her natural, free-of-makeup face. Honestly, Idon’tunderstand how she doesn’t have a boyfriend. I don’t know how anyone could see and meet Addy andnotwant to be with her.

I clear my throat. “Maybe a month? I don’t think it should be too long, because if so, you would’ve added me as a plus one when they first started asking a few months ago.”

“True,” she hums. “A month is fine. We’ve known each other so long, it would make sense for it to get serious fast.”

“I agree.” I shift in my chair. I don’t know why this conversation is so uncomfortable, but it is. “Anything else?”

She hesitates. “Be nice to me.”

Okay, that’s confusing. “I’m always nice to you.”

“No, I mean, be nice to me in the same way you were the day you dropped everything to bring me a change of clothes—that kind of nice. Most boyfriends don’t even do that.”

“They’re not very good boyfriends.”

“No, maybe not.” Her eyes drop. “You set the bar pretty high.”

“Not really,” I blurt, dang near squirming in the seat. We’ve never talked like this before, and it’s making my heart race and my palms sweat—in a weird, warm kind of way. “I haven’t even been able to keep a girlfriend.”

“You haven’t even had a girlfriend since we became friends,” Addy snorts, then frowns. “You rarely even go out with anyone. And when you do, you’ll take her on like three dates and then give up.”

“No,” I counter. “I don’t give up. I just… they’re never the right person for me.” I shrug, trying not to let on that being alone bothers me sometimes.

I don’t knowwhyI can’t find someone.

Maybe Addy is setting the bar too high, too. I mean, she’s sweet, attentive, and has a way of making mefeel like I’m a real-life superhero. No one else has ever done that—which is why I have to protect what we have at all costs. And I’ll dowhateverit takes to keep our friendship intact.

“Okay. Well, I think we’re done here,” Addy says. “This trip should be fun, though. I mean, we don’t have to spend the entire time with my family. So, I think we’ll get plenty of time for normalcy.”

“Right, totally,” I agree. Although my anxiety is telling me to run for the hills. “It’ll be fine.”

“It’ll be fun.” Addy grins, reaching across the table and squeezing my hand.

A burst of heat comes from the minor gesture, but I brush it off.

She’s done that before, right?

Surely, she has. So why is this suddenly such a big deal? Am I already getting in my head about it?

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