Page 87 of Choosing You

“What do you mean? It’s not like we’re making out in the hall.”

Garret unfolds his arms and holds both my hands. “Jade, aside from you, everyone on the planet can see that I’m completely crazy about this girl from Iowa who runs constantly and is addicted to potato chips.”

“Have I met this girl? Because she sounds really cool. I think we could hang out.” It’s a dumb response, but I wasn’t expecting to him say such a nice thing and I got nervous.

“I don’t know what you do to me, but whatever it is, I guess it shows on my face because everyone knows how I feel about you. Not just Ava.”

“Is my face showing anything?” I turn it right and left.

He holds it straight again, his hand cupping my chin. “No, because you’re not into me yet. I haven’t won you over. But I’m working on it.” He gives me a quick kiss.

Garret has totally won me over. I’m just trying desperately to hide it and I don’t even know why. Maybe because I still don’t trust him.

I go over and open the drapes in my room, letting the light in. “When does this fake relationship start?”

He sighs. “Next week there’s a charity event we have to go to but it’s during the day and it’s just for an hour, if that. They’ll get some photos of Ava and me together and then I’ll leave. But I’ll probably be forced to take her to that political fundraiser at my house in a few weeks.”

“That sounds fun,” I say in my most sarcastic tone.

“Yeah, I know.”

I lie down on the bed and gaze up at the lights. They aren’t even on and yet they still make me happy because Garret went to all that work to tack them up there. “She’ll probably get you drunk and have her way with you.”

Garret joins me on the bed, staring up at the ceiling. “I don’t get drunk anymore.” He reaches over and holds my hand. “And the only person getting her way with me is the one who’s lying next to me right now.”

My lips curl into a smile and I get that strange feeling inside that I can’t quite explain. A feeling I’m still not used to, but one I crave to have again and again.

“Jade?” He keeps looking up.

“Garret?” I say, mimicking him.

“Just in case I haven’t made myself clear, I like you. I like you a lot.”

My smiles grows. “I like you, too.”

We lie there quietly. I know I should call Frank but I also know that doing so will take away how good I feel right now and I just want a few more minutes of this.

“I think we fell asleep.” Garret sits up and checks the clock by the bed. He nudges me. “We just slept for an hour.”

“Really? It didn’t feel like an hour.” I get up from the bed. “I need to call Frank. I can’t keep putting it off.”

Garret comes over to me. “Do you want me to stay here while you talk to him?”

“No, I need to do this alone.”

Alone. There’s that word again. It’s the only way I ever do things.

“Okay. I’ll be right upstairs if you need me.” He holds his arms out. “But first, practice time.”

“Ugh, not again,” I groan, slumping my shoulders and pretending to be annoyed.

He picks up my arms and drags them around him. “I think you’re getting worse at this, Jade. Now tighten your arms up.”

I hug him and keep hold of him because now I’m really getting nervous about talking to Frank. What if he knew about my mom and never told me? But he wouldn’t keep something like that from me, would he?

Garret waits for me to end the hug, like he always does, but several minutes go by before I finally let him go.

“Still needs work,” Garret says, kissing the top of my head. “Come upstairs when you’re done with your call.”

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