Page 10 of Fumbled Into Love

You said yes right?

I said no. But then I caved and said yes.

She’s off the market, people.

I hate you.

No you don’t. You love me.

Best friends warn each other when their teammate plans on asking them to be their fake girlfriend.

I don’t remember that in the handbook.

The whole ordeal will likely crash and burn but maybe I can use this as a trial run of sorts. A trial relationship with no strings attached. It would help with my confidence. A few fizzled situationships who don’t acknowledge me in public have left me hopeless.

I’ve never been on a real date and the fear of the uncomfortable small talk is holding me back. Hooking up with men is different than going on a date. I begin to pace around my room, digging into the logistics. A few dates. A couple of photos. An event to raise money for cancer research. We can do it.

I can do it.

What I don’t know how to do is tell my family I’m fake dating someone.

CHAPTER 3

“You’ve got me nervous to speak”

Nervous – The Neighbourhood

Deon

“Are you preparing for an apocalypse?”

I spin to find Addie leaning against the counter, a confused smile on her lips. The reusable bag in my grip overflows with snacks. Granola bars. Chips. Crackers. Fruit. Cheese sticks. I don’t know what to bring to meet Nathalie, but I can’t show up empty-handed.

I did that at her apartment, and she shot me down. I need snacks on my side for this to go smoothly.

Addie raises an auburn brow.

“I’m hungry.” I shrug, snagging a few apples and adding them to my hoard.

“You hate grapes.”

Yeah,but Nathalie loves them. Ate them nearly every morning on our trip to Michigan. Which I noticed because I hate them and not because my eyes found her in every room.

“They’re for my…girlfriend,” I fumble out the last word, the feeling of it foreign on my tongue. “I’m meeting her at work, and I thought she would be hungry.”

“Oh, how nice of you,” Addie beams. “What a good boyfriend you are.”

That's me. Your average good boyfriend.Fakeboyfriend.

I give Addie an awkward nod and scurry away. I don’t need to drag the conversation out and accidentally say something to incriminate myself likeactually, it’s all pretend, but I haven’t stopped thinking about her since I left her apartment. As I walk toward the parking lot, a voice echoes from the end of the hallway. I walk faster, recognizing the voice and wanting to avoid him at all costs.

“Deon!” Declan yells as he jogs down the hallway. I speed up. “Slow down for a second.”

I’ve avoided my friends all morning in fear they’ll see what’s written all over my face; I have spent the last few nights thinking about Nathalie in not-so-friendly scenarios, and I need to shut those depraved thoughts down before they consume me entirely.

Worse, I’m terrified someone will bring up my engagement and drag the past back into my life. They haven’t asked any questions yet, but I fear that courtesy won’t last forever.

“You’ll need this,” he says, extending a family-size bag of gummy bears.

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