Page 82 of Fake Dating My Best Friend

I refuse to fall back on the safe choice. It hurt when she pulled away, and yeah, it still scares me—what I could lose. But giving up isn’t an option.

Call it stubborn. Call it hopeless.

Doesn’t matter.

Not when I see the way she melts into my touch. Not when I’ve loved every version of her. I just need a chance. A gentler approach. Something that won’t send her running.

“Breathe.” I grab the lavender-chamomile tea I brought her, knowing she’d need it today. I press the bottle into her hands..

She takes it and downs it all in one go.

Huh. Should’ve gone for whiskey.

“Look,” I say, setting her now-empty bottle back on the desk as I perch on the edge. “This could be good for both of us. Your business needs a boost, right?”

Isla nods, her fingers fidgeting with the charm bracelet I gave her for her fifteenth birthday.

“And what better way to prove your matchmaking skills than by being in a seemingly perfect relationship yourself?” I lean against her desk. “Plus, people already believe it.”

She bites her lip, drawing my eyes like a magnet.

“But isn’t it . . . wrong?” She looks down at the floor. “I can’t lie to them. What kind of matchmaker does that make me?”

“The kind who cares enough about her clients,” I say softly, wanting to pull her close. “And this could save your business. Especially after Kyle deliberately tried to destroy it. He’s got enough power to twist the truth. It might not be a perfect plan, but it’s a rare chance.”

She starts pacing again, her steps quick and uneven, like her thoughts are moving faster than her feet. On the third pass, the toe of her shoe catches on the rug, making her stumble.

I step in fast, catching her before she goes down. “It’s not just about your business. This gives you a shot to fight for pricing that more people can afford. Keep matchmaking open to everyone.”

I tighten my grip just a little, enough to keep her grounded. Enough to keep her here with me. “That’s worth fighting for, isn’t it?”

Her eyes lift to mine, brows pulling together. I know exactly what’s on her mind. Growing up together gave us this almost-telepathic ability to read each other.

Well, most of the time.

“I trust your skill. It worked perfectly before you started to change it. Remember back in college when you set up Emma and James? Or Rachel and Mike from last year? Nobody thought that would work, except you.”

A faint smile tugs at her lips, her brows easing slightly.

“But Bethany and—”

“It failed because you stopped trusting yourself. Because you let Kyle—or anyone else—get in your head and make you doubt what you do best.” I take her hand, pressing it lightly against mine. Her gaze drops to our hands, but she doesn’t pull away.

“You see people. Really see them. Don’t let Kyle or Diane take that from you.”

“And you’re okay with this?” She looks up, her hazel eyes searching mine. “Using our friendship like this?”

I swallow hard, biting back the urge to tell her the truth—that I’m not just okay with this.

I want it. All of it.

Pushing too hard will only send her running. I know that all too well by now. But fake dating? It’s a great chance. A way to show her how good we could be. Let her feel it before she talks herself out of it. Before the fear wins.

This might not be the best play, but it’s the only shot I’ve got. And I’m not about to waste it.

I shrug, aiming for casual. “Someone’s got to have your back, right?”

Her eyes shift around the room, landing on everything except me. Once. Twice. Three times, she starts to speak, but each time, she stops, pressing her lips together like she’s still figuring out what to say.

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