Page 58 of Come As You Are

The beginning of a snort sounds from Sabrina’s direction, and she quickly covers her nose and mouth in a bad imitation of a sneeze. “Bless you.” I nod serenely in my future sister-in-law’s direction.

“Oh, Sammy hasn’t told us nearly enough,” says Mrs. Grayson, and I’m pretty sure she’s looking at my ring finger, trying to figure out my size. “Just that—”

“—we met in English on the first day,” Salem fills in, squeezing my hand hard enough to break bones, and I realize I’m not to let on to his parents that I live in Rumson. “And that we started studying together every night—”

“Wedostudy together every night,” I confirm with a bob of my head. “He takes studyingsoseriously. But you of course already know that.”

“We, er, didn’t until now,” says Mr. Grayson, rubbing a hand over his dark, close-cropped hair, “but it sounds like Camden’s been really wonderful for him. I don’t know if he told you, but he was a bit of a troublemaker back home.”

“Oh, yes, he did tell me.” I rest a head on his shoulder, knowing full well he’s getting a mouthful of curls. “So hard to imagine, when he’s such a good boy here.”

“Stop making me sound like a puppy,” he growls into my ear.

“Oh, you are in no position to make demands,” I remind him through gritted teeth.

We all shut up for another speech, and then they bring out the main course, which is a buffet that actually smells pretty good. But when Salem’s parents get up to take food, Itell them we’ll be there in a minute, finally seeing an opportunity to get some answers.

“Okay, you have likeone minuteto explain this to me before your mom definitely comes back here and grabs us to make sure we’re eating well enough,” I hiss. “And you know I’m serious because I’m not even having us dwell on how hilarious it is that your parents call you Sammy.”

“I knew this was a mistake,” Salem tells Sabrina with narrowed eyes.

“I’msorry,” she says to him before turning to me. “It was stupid. My parents were on me about dating and how I need to move on et cetera et cetera and I was trying to deflect, so I kind of accidentally mentioned that Salem has a girlfriend so I could get the heat off me.”

“And how didIbecome the girlfriend in this scenario instead of, you know, his actual girlfriend?” I demand, posing the question to Sabrina but narrowing my eyes at Salem.

“Jenna’s parents took her away for the weekend, but even if she were here, uh, you just met my mom; you think Jenna would’ve managed so much as a fake smile for her? Besides”— he slides his finger under his knife and pops it up, twirling it seamlessly before carving lines into the tablecloth I don’t think he realizes he’s even drawing—“Jenna’s not my ‘girlfriend.’ It would’ve been weird.”

“Okay, but I’m evenlessyour girlfriend. This is much weirder.”

“Exceptyouhave a vested interested in making me lookgood to my parents,” Salem reminds me in a low voice, his gray eyes flashing silver. “Remember?”

That stupid pact. God. It feels like a million years ago.

“And why’s that?” Sabrina asks.

Crap. I’d forgotten that she was even here, and that she has no idea what we’re talking about. “Just a stupid bet,” I mutter, and I guess we’re just weird enough for that to be sufficient. “Anyway, what happens when Jenna finds out?”

Salem shrugs. “She’ll probably think it’s funny. Or stupid. Or both. You really do not have to worry about Jenna London.”

Every girl on campus has to worry about Jenna London,I think, and then Mrs. Grayson is calling to us, gesturing for us to get in line. We stand to meet them, but as Sabrina moves forward, I grab Salem’s elbow and hold him back. “I’ll play along this weekend,” I tell him, “but that’s the end of this pact. All right?”

He opens his mouth, and I brace myself for mockery, but instead, he lapses into a flash of a smile. “Deal. But you better fill up your plate. Mama Grayson likes a girl with an appetite.”

It’s a weirdly good weekend, all things considered. My parents do text to say they’re sorry they couldn’t make it, and I send them pictures and videos of random stuff they’re missing. Meanwhile, the Graysons take me in like a triplet, insisting I join them for breakfast, at which Mrs. Grayson—“Please!Call me Naomi!”—urges Salem to heap a thousand things on his plate I know he’ll never eat, and suddenly that first breakfast together makes sense. I beg off for the orientation and accompanying seminar, and I’m still trying to decide how to spend the rest of my day when Sabrina swings by and tells me we’re going to lunch.

“Okay, I think there’s a limit to just how much Grayson family time I’m gonna horn in on,” I tell her as she stands tapping her foot in my doorway. “Seriously, you do not need a fifth wheel. Just go.”

“Ew. Did you just imply Salem and I are a couple?”

I roll my eyes. “I feel pretty confident you know what I mean, and you two have been more than implying that Salem andIare a couple all day.”

“Yeah, that part’s pretty damn funny. I keep waiting for Jenna and her parents to show up; Salem doesn’t even know how long they’re gone for.”

“And what exactly is the plan if we bump into them?” I press.

“That’s Salem’s problem,” she says with a shrug, flicking a piece of dust off herISN’T IT NECROMANTIC?sweater. “Now, come on—you don’t want to offend Ted and Naomi, do you? Their children do that enough already.”

“Don’t you think the more time I spend with you guys, the likelier they are to figure out that Salem and I aren’t a couple?”

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