Page 116 of The Fake Date Agreement

He looks briefly surprised, then one corner of his mouth lifts in a half-smile. “You know what, I think I’d like to hear all about this ass whooping. You have any photo evidence?”

I shake my head. “Didn’t think to take a picture.”

“That’s okay. I have a vivid imagination.”

Neither of us lasts long in a room packed with flowers. Between sneezes and laughter, we soon gather up the lunch and take it to eat on the bench outside.

When I recommend taking some of the roses to the local hospital so the patients there can enjoy them before the flowers die, he’s not offended. I thought he would be given he spent so much money on them for me.

But he looks pleased and happy at my suggestion. “Yes.Gatinha. Let’s.”

And for what feels like the millionth time since we started this fake relationship, I remind myself that this isn’t real.

So why does almost every moment I spend with these three hockey players feel so real?

“There’s a fair tonight,” Javier says as I’m finishing up the most incredible couscous, mint, fresh pomegranate, and grilled halloumi salad I’ve ever tasted in my life.

“Is there?”

He wipes his mouth with a napkin. “Since I couldn’t take you out for the meal I planned, how about I take you to the fair tonight?”

“Me!” I squeak. I’ve loved going to the fair ever since my parents would take me to the big county fair when I was younger. It was always a ton of fun, a long day filled with laughter, too much cotton candy, and fairground rides I would want to ride five times in a row. “Is Marc going to be there?”

It must be in my head because he looks briefly disappointed by my question. “Do you want him to be there?”

I open my mouth to tell him yes. That tonight at the fair, where Javier wins me a big teddy bear, and I cart it around with his arm around my shoulder, would be the perfect opportunity to flaunt our happy pretend relationship in his face.

But I think of how much fun we had eating five-star food from containers on the floor in the one tiny corner of my room, not taken up by flowers, until the pollen chased us to the bench outside.

Three hours passed in the blink of an eye, and I learned so much about him and his sister and the dream he wants but is afraid will cost him his family.

“No,” I admit quietly. “I’d prefer if he wasn’t there.”

His smile is as soft as the kiss he presses on my forehead. “Let’s deal with these flowers, and I’ll leave you to get ready for tonight. I’ll pick you up.”

Chapter 29

Javier

“Doyou still have the vibrating egg I gave you?” I ask Tobie when I pick her up from her room to take her to the fair.

She blinks. “Yeah. Why?”

“Can I have it?”

She hesitates a second, and I can’t help but notice the slight disappointment she tries to hide. “You want it back?” Before I can respond, she’s turning around. “That’s probably for the best. There was a thing with Caleb and…”

I know all about that thing with Caleb. He seems determined to pretend he’s not into Tobie. Or. Maybe not. I can’t remember laughing so hard when Tobie told me about Caleb being taken down by a group of kids. And I wanted to kiss Tobie because none of us have seen Caleb’s playful side in years.

She moves to return it, but I shake my head. “I don’t want it back. At least, not in the way you think.”

She studies me. “Then in what way?”

I raise an eyebrow.

She blushes. “Oh, you want me towearit? Tonight? In public?”

“If you want.”

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