Page 70 of The Pretender

I raise my brows. It may not, but, for a while, he had a flame taller than me he was trying to contain, so I had a valid reason to worry about the fate of my burger. “All I’m saying is I had doubts. Consider me pleasantly surprised.”

After the near snake encounter—that was probably a fish—Sebastian and I decided it was a good time to head back to the house and eat.

An hour and three MyView tutorial videos later, we have food.

And a blanket.

And bugs galore.

“Ugh!” I swat at another yellow jacket. “Why are there so many bugs?”

Sebastian leans around the perimeter of the blanket, unhurried and unconcerned that a violent winged creature is going to sting the bejesus out of him at any moment. In all actuality, they probably pick up the asshole vibe he gives off and steer clear. Me, on the other hand, they seem to enjoy taunting.

“I don’t see anything,” he says, his voice careful.

My eyes narrow. “I am not making this up. I promise they keep flying around my head.”

Again, he looks around, as if proving there is no flying insects and I’m merely being paranoid.

“Fine,” I say after a minute when, coincidentally, the yellow jackets disappear. “I swear they were there,” I add, pointing my finger around the blanket. He can make fun of me all he wants, but I know what I saw.

“I’m not arguing with you.” He shrugs, taking a bite of his own burger.

“I think you are,” I argue, sitting back down on my side of the blanket. The camera is still rolling from earlier when we documented Sebastian’s almost grill fiasco.

With his mouth full, he mumbles something I don’t catch, but then swallows and tries again. “Why would I argue about there being yellow jackets? If you say they are swarming around you, then I believe you. Stop trying to start a fight.”

He says ‘start a fight’ like we’re this married couple that gets bored and stirs up some drama just to bring back the spark in the relationship.

“Because you like to argue with me.” And clearly, I like to argue with him, because we’re basically having an argument over arguing.

A stupid grin, that should not be allowed, pulls onto Sebastian’s face. “If memory serves correctly, you are the one who enjoys heated debates. Wasn’t it me who had to step in front of you and that guy who was protesting recycling on the quad?”

Oh, wow.

He went there. He went back to that time that we promised never to discuss again. I shift and sit cross-legged on the blanket. “That dipshit was trying to get on the five o’clock news and you know it. There was absolutely no reason he couldn’t throw his plastic water bottle into a different trash can, which was sitting right next to the one he threw it in. He wanted a lashing.”

Sebastian chuckles. “And a lashing you gave him, right up until he shoved you and I had to step in between you two.

My lips quirk. “I could have taken him,” I say, only frowning slightly.

“I had concerns back then that you weren’t even tall enough to look him in the eye, much less land a punch. Knowing you now, I understand my instincts were right. He would have kicked your ass.”

We both know Sebastian would have never let that happen. Not then and especially not now that I’m his fake girlfriend.

“It was like little David and Goliath.” His rumbling laughter is not at all cute. Full transparency, it is really cute and I’m glad the camera is rolling, catching this rare show of Sebastian letting go.

“I was not David,” I mutter, in between his gasps for air. Have mercy. “It’s not that funny, dick. Stop laughing.”

But he doesn’t. Instead, he falls back onto the grass, holding his stomach. “If I would have known then…” Another bout of laughter. “I might have…” Seriously, this is getting ridiculous. “Just to see what he would have done.”

“Great.” I stand up, interrupting Sebastian’s good time and glare down at the hyena. “I’m going to put the food—AhhOww!”

I dart around the blanket, a stinging on the inside of my leg like I’ve never felt before. “Oh my gosh!” I’m swatting at an invisible attacker as my leg starts to burn.

“What’s the matter?”

Sebastian’s laughter comes to an abrupt halt as he stands, looking around for the threat. Which, he probably thinks is me, but I don’t have time to explain. Something is biting, stinging, tearing me from the inside out mighty close to my—

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