Page 28 of Fumbled Into Love

Jack and I trade places, and he slides extra weight on each side of the bar.

“Showoff,” I mutter. Jack gives me a cocky grin before squatting the three-hundred fifty pounds like it’s nothing more than a bag of flour.

“How was your date with Nathalie?” he asks, lowering himself toward the floor. I spot him, though he’s comfortable with the weight.

“Fine.”

I’m not in the mood to share how a single kiss has consumed my every thought, and my life is off-kilter since I made the poor decision of announcing a girlfriend to the world and allowing my friends to convince me to ask Nathalie to assume the role.

I am far too easily peer-pressured. I put up my best fight, but Ialwayscave, especially to Seattle Super Spies' shenanigans. I lost hundreds of dollars betting on random things on the trip to Michigan and I was suggesting rom-com movies for Henry to watch to win Sawyer’s heart.

To make matters worse, I have not dated a single person since I ended my engagement. More specifically, I have not kissed a single person in five years.

It’s why one single kiss has my head all messed up. She had me in knots with her teasing andgod, her dress. I’ve seen it in my dreams the last three nights.

“That good, huh?” Jack chuckles, re-racking the weights. “You’re pretty tangled up for someone who says he doesn’t date.”

I open my mouth to defend myself when a phone rings. My head darts to the sound, where Declan scrambles to answer.

“Hello?” I tune out the conversation until he says the one name that lives rent-free in my mind. “Nathalie, slow down. I can’t understand you.”

I drop the barbell in my hands onto the rack. Declan grimaces as I reach him, collecting his things while he balances the phone between his ear and shoulder.

“Just breathe,” he says, “It’ll be fine. You can stay with me until it gets fixed. No, I won’t make you sleep on the couch. We can buy an air mattress.”

Air mattress?

With a more forceful grip than I intended, I grab Declan’s bicep, forcing him to face me. I’m struggling to pull air into my lungs, my heartbeat racing in my chest.

It’s not from the exercise.

“What happened?” I bark out, a deep-rooted fear twisting my chest. “Is Nathalie okay?”

Thoughts of Nathalie hurt or in trouble flood my brain, followed quickly by images of her in Declan’s home with her lacy underthings pepperinghisfloor until an ugly jealous haze falls over my vision.

“She’s fine. Her apartment flooded.” Declan lifts a brow. “Are you okay?” His chin jerks to the hand at my side, trembling. I clasp my fist.

Jack stands by my side as I fight to control my reaction. She’s my fake girlfriend. This shouldn’t warrant a physical fear response.

“What’s going on?” Jack asks.

“Nathalie will stay with me.” The declaration tumbles out. Jack and Declan blink. The idea of her staying with Declan is wrong.

She’s mine to take care of. My fake girlfriend, not Declan’s.

Staying with Declan goes against every fake dating scenario I’ve created in my mind.

They all end with her dress on my floor. They’re not realistic dreams.

Declan smiles conspiratorially. “Hm…okay. Do you want to pack up her apartment, too?”

“Did you want to ask Nathalie if she agrees with the arrangement?” Jack asks.

I scoff. Of course, she’ll agree.

“It’ll be fine,” I say. It’s difficult to describe the tightness in my chest, knowing she chose to call Declan instead of me when she needed help. It shouldn’t bother me. I’m not that kind of person to her. It’s something I should be okay with. Unfortunately, I am not.

I was never that person for Savannah. When I had a bad day, she was the only person I wanted to see. Being with her could settle whatever was floating around in my mind. She always chose her friends when she was upset. We were supposed to be each other’s shoulder to lean on. Instead, I leaned on her, and she slept with someone else.

---