Page 76 of Faking It For Real

Ethan looked at me, a question in his eyes. I gave a small nod, granting permission for whatever display our fake relationship required.

What I didn't expect was for him to gently pull me onto his lap, one hand settling at my waist while the other brushed my hair behind my ear. His eyes never left mine as he leaned in, and for a heart-stopping moment, I thought he was going to kiss me in front of everyone.

Instead, he brought his lips to my ear, his breath warm against my skin as he whispered, "You look beautiful with snowflakes in your hair. Like something from a dream I didn't know I had."

The words sent a shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the temperature.

The spell was broken by wolf whistles and exaggerated swooning from the team. Ethan kept his arm around my waist as I slid back to my seat, the warmth of his touch lingering even after I moved away.

The rest of the game passed in a blur, my mind stuck on Ethan's whispered words and the sincerity in his eyes. By the time we all dispersed to our respective cabins, exhausted from a full day of activities, I was no closer to sorting out my confused feelings.

Which brought me to the moment I'd been both dreading and anticipating all day: bedtime.

As we entered our room, the single queen bed seemed to have grown larger and more intimidating in our absence. Ethan and I moved around each other awkwardly, taking turns in the bathroom, carefully avoiding eye contact and conversation.

I emerged from the bathroom in my pajamas—flannel pants and a long-sleeved thermal top—to find Ethan sitting on the edge of the bed, staring at his phone with unnatural intensity. He'd changed into pajama bottoms and a Wolves t-shirt that had seen better days.

"All yours," I said unnecessarily, gesturing to the bathroom.

"Thanks," he nodded, still not meeting my eyes as he took his turn.

Left alone, I stared at the bed, trying to decide which side to take. This shouldn't be so complicated, I told myself. Adults share beds all the time without it being a big deal. Friends, siblings, platonic road trip companions...

But Ethan and I weren't exactly friends, were we?

Sighing, I grabbed one of the decorative pillows from an armchair and placed it in the center of the bed. As Ethan returned, I added another, and another, until a veritable wall divided the mattress in half.

"The Demilitarized Zone," I announced with forced lightness. "Your territory, my territory, clearly defined borders."

Ethan stared at the pillow barrier, then at me, before a slow smile spread across his face. "Very diplomatic. Though I feel like I should be offended that you think I need a physical barrier to behave myself."

"It's not for you," I clarified, though we both knew that wasn't entirely true. "It's for my peace of mind. I'm a restless sleeper."

"Ah," he nodded solemnly. "Well, in that case..." He added another pillow to the top of the stack, making the barrier comically tall. "Can't be too careful."

The absurdity of the situation finally got to me, and I burst out laughing. Ethan joined in, the tension that had been building all day finally breaking as we laughed at our own ridiculousness.

"This is so stupid," I managed between giggles. "We're adults, not middle schoolers at their first co-ed sleepover."

"Speak for yourself," Ethan grinned, grabbing another pillow from a chair. "I'm taking no chances with your 'restless sleeping.'" He made exaggerated air quotes around the words.

"Oh my god, stop," I laughed, snatching the pillow from him and swatting his arm with it. "The hotel staff is going to think we're insane."

"Bold of you to assume they don't already think that, given the twenty-something hockey players taking over their resort."

Eventually, our laughter subsided, and we settled on our respective sides of the Great Pillow Wall of Awkwardness. Ethan turned off the lamp, plunging the room into darkness save for the moonlight filtering through the curtains and the faint glow of embers in the fireplace.

I lay rigid on my back, acutely aware of Ethan's presence just feet away, separated by nothing but a ridiculous pile of decorative pillows. The absurdity of our situation was almost too much to bear.

Just as I was convincing myself to relax and sleep, Ethan's voice came softly through the darkness.

"Mia? Are you still awake?"

"Yeah," I whispered back. "Can't sleep?"

"Not really. Mind's too busy."

I turned onto my side, facing the pillow wall though I couldn't see him. "What are you thinking about?"

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