Page 64 of Not Fooling Anyone

Now my brows raise. “You’ll actually go again?” She said she hated it last time.

“Amber invited us. You made me be nice to her.”

Yeah, I did, didn’t I? “Well, we’ll make sure we have enough chairs for everyone this time.” Though I wouldn’t mind a repeat of her on my lap.

“And if not,” she says, sickly sweet, “I’m sureSavannahwould be happy to sit on your lap.” She makes a noise of disgust, and I don’t blame her. The girl had been a total bitch to her.

“You know I’m not interested in her, right?”

She looks up at me, holding my gaze for a moment before looking away. “Lots of guys would be.”

I shake my head. “The way she spoke to you… Putting down others for no reason isn’t attractive to me.”

“I put you down the first time I met you,” she whispers. “I called you a meathead.”

Yeah, but she said it about all the guys in the gym, not just me. “That was different. I took it as an affectionate term.”

She smiles again, biting her lip. “And because you knew it wasn’t true. I’m sorry I judged you wrong, by the way.”

“Wow, an apology? Who are you?”

She playfully smacks my arm. Touching me is good, right? “I’m being serious here. You’re not—” She takes a deep breath, looking back up at me. “You’re not like I expected.”

“Is that good? Or bad?”

“It’s… good. Even though you drive me crazy half the time.”

“That’s what fake boyfriends do.”

She rolls her eyes again, the relaxed vibe leaving her as someone approaches us from the basement level steps.

It’s her dad.

His steps slow as he nears us, rubbing at his wet hair. He must have come from the showers. “What’s going on?”

Lexie shrugs, sticking her hands back in her hoodie pocket. “We’re just talking.”

He glances between us, trying to figure out what our connection is. I don’t blame him. Lexie’s not the talkative type.

“Did Lexie mention we have a class together at school?” I ask him, attempting to put him at ease. “We realized it after that first day we met here.”

He looks at her, brows pinched. “No, she didn’t.”

“I don’t tell you everything, Dad.”

I wonder if she’s talked to him at all about those things from her childhood I suggested. Knowing her, probably not.

She moves away from her spot against the hood, pulling out her keys. “I’ll see you in class tomorrow, Ethan. See you, Dad.”

We both watch her as she gets in her car and speeds off, Lawrence looking at me after she leaves. “Are you guys…” He trails off, leaving the question open-ended.

“We’re friends,” I clarify. I don’t think trying to explain our fake arrangement will go over too well.

He nods. “That’s good. She could use some more friends. The only one I ever hear about is her roommate.”

She has a roommate she’s friendly with? This is the first I’m hearing about it. Then again, have I talked to her much about mine?

“How’s she doing in school?”

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