Page 65 of Friends Don't Kiss

Not even jealous, not even aWho is this guy?It makes me a little sad that he’s already given up on me (I know, right? What am I thinking?) but mostly confirms I was right not wanting to date him.

I want fun and temporary. Just not with Colton. But clearly, he’s already moved on, and that’s okay.

I set my snowboard in the outdoor rack and walk into the lodge, helmet under my arm. There’s a massive fire roaring in the stone fireplace to my left. Across from me, the back of the lodge is all glass, opening the view to the slopes, yellowish under the night lights.

I get a tingle of anticipation at the idea of the first run of the season, but a quick scan of the place and my temper rises.

Standing between the near-empty bar area and the ticketing booth? Colton.

Colton!

Seriously?

I take another quick sweep of the place under his hot gaze. No sign of Nigel—the guy from the app. Did Colton actually meet him and pack him off? That is so… I don’t even have the words.

I march to him. He’s standing, arms crossed, a small smile on his lips, his gaze up and down my body in a way he has no business making so hot. I’m on a date with someone else. My lady parts shouldn’t be allowed to react to him, but they clearly didn’t get the memo.

“The fuck did you do?” I ask. I know what he did—Iknow.He came here before me, found Nigel, and scared him away.Fuck that. “You had no right. What did you tell him?”

“Who? Nigel?” His mouth twitches like he’s making fun of him.

“I sent you his information as an extra precaution. As afriend. Not as—”

“Sweets, relax. There is no Nigel.”

“What do you mean?” I look around, like Nigel is going to show up at any moment, prove him wrong. But something heavy settles in the pit of my stomach.

Colton’s eyes shut for a bit, and he groans. “Shit. I knew this was a bad idea,” he mutters to himself, like I’m not even standing in front of him, fuming. “Look. I did a thing, and I’m not proud of it, but I… Please don’t hate me.” His gaze is pleading, and for a bit I feel sorry for him.

If only I knew what he was talking about. “D’you kill him?” I semi-joke.

He nods. “Worse.”

I tilt my head. Worse?

“I made him up. There is no Nigel. It was me all along.”

Nice try. “I spoke with him. What did you do, Colton?”

While he pulls his phone out, he says, “You spoke with Luke, who just moved into town.” He shows me the dating app on his phone, with his profile, and the damn picture. Next to it, the edit button proves Colton controls the profile.

Understanding washes over me like a cold and hot shower. I feel stupid, played, useless. Tears prickle my eyes. “Why would you do that?”

He shuts his eyes briefly, seeming as hurt as I am. “I wanted… this. You and me. Give me a chance, Kiara. Please.”

I don’t wanta chance. I don’t do tryouts, not with Colton. I want Colton in my life, for sure and forever. There’s a statistically much, much better chance to have him in my life as a friend than as a… romantic partner.

I want this whole situation to not be true. “I spoke with him,” I say, denying what I know the truth to be. “We had like, a whole conversation.”

“Shit, I’m sorry.”

Doubt seeps into my brain. Does Colton not know that? What is he doing? I frown at him.

“It… I was telling him what to say,” Colton explains.

“Who? Nigel?”

“Not Nigel. There is no Nigel. Luke.’

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