Page 85 of In the Net
Despite that, neither of us has made a move to cross the line into getting physical like we did last week.
I ask myself why I haven’t been the one to do so, and the answer explains why we’re in this strange sort of limbo right now.
This thing still has an expiration date. Sebastian agreed to pretend to be my boyfriend for Sophia’s wedding. The day after that, when we come back to Cedar Shade, is the obvious finish line for this charade.
If I let myself get too used to kissing Sebastian, too used to his hands on my body, too used to the way he feels between my legs, I could be setting myself up for a rough landing when our arrangement expires and he’s free to date or hook up with any girl he wants again.
While I’m walking home from class, I suddenly stumble to a stop as warm hands cup around my eyes from behind me, turning my vision black.
“Guess who?” Sebastian’s voice sounds from behind me.
“Jason?” I ask, being sure to put a twang of excitement in my voice.
A low, possessive growl from Sebastian vibrates against my back. I giggle, even as the sound gives me a twisty feeling in my stomach.
I don’t know how Sebastian is so good at sneaking up behind me like this. A guy as big as him shouldn’t be so stealthy.
Sebastian’s hands slide away from my eyes and fasten onto my shoulders, turning me around to face him.
His blue eyes gleam behind his glasses. “My girlfriend still likes to tease me, I see.”
Warmth curls through my insides, and I try to keep blush from spreading to my cheeks. I tilt a shoulder. “Someone has to do it.”
I used to tease him out of malice, now it’s just a fun game we play. A strange feeling pinches in my chest. Will we tease each other at all after the wedding, when this arrangement of ours expires?
Sebastian shrugs his bookbag off one shoulder and zips it open. “Present,” he says, reaching inside.
My interest piques. “Present?”
He hands me a book.The Talented Mr. Ripleyby Patricia Highsmith. We were both talking about how we’d been interested in reading it a couple days ago.
“I thought we could read it together,” Sebastian says. A soft, comfy feeling spills through me. “For the next two weeks I’m going to be gone at away games more often than usual. We could sync our reading while I’m gone and talk about it on video calls.”
Another thing we’ll be doing to spend more time together that we can’t excuse as necessary for selling this fake relationship.
Sebastian takes out his copy of the book. With a big, cheesy grin, he says, “Look, we’re book-twinning. Isn’t it cute?”
With the way my heart patters in my chest, it really might be too cute.
I leapoff my living room couch in excitement, leaning with pinched shoulders toward the TV screen as Sebastian skates the puck to University of Maine’s goal on a breakaway.
“Come on, come on,” I chant, locked into the action of a game that one year ago you’d have to pay me to watch.
And it’s the player I haven’t taken my eyes off since the puck drop who’s the very reason I used to so studiously ignore it.
I suck in a sharp gasp as Sebastian dekes past a defender—I can’t believe I even know that word,deke—and fires off his shot … but then I let out a disappointed groan as the puck ricochets off the frame of the net.
“Booo,” I dejectedly wheeze, plopping back onto the couch cushion I occupy next to Scarlett.
“You’re really leaning into method acting, huh, Harper? Pretending to be excited for your fake boyfriend even when no one’s watching.” Scarlett’s voice is a sarcastic tease.
I slide a guarded look at her. “What can I say? It’s an exciting game.”
She smiles as if no matter how guarded my look is, she can see right through it. “Uh-huh. And what’s your excuse for why the two of you are video chatting every night he’s away and reading a book together?”
The knowing glimmer in my best friend’s eyes has me desperate for a change of subject.
“Oh, look!” I exclaim, pointing at the TV. “Veikko just stole the puck!”
