Page 87 of In the Net
“Do I like it? Are you kidding? I’ve never seen anything like …”
“Sebastian?” she asks again, a grin slanting on her pretty mouth. “You’re not saying anything.”
Huh? Yes, I am. I’m …
Then I realize she’s right. I’ve just been weakly mouthing those words with my tongue and lips. I haven’t actually put my voice behind them, because there’s no air in my lungs.
I’m just standing here, eyes fixed on her, failing to even get a word out because this girl I hated just a few months ago has literally taken my breath away.
There’s no denying it anymore. I have very real feelings for my fake girlfriend.
35
HARPER
Aflyer catches my eye as I’m walking to my next class.
There’s a standing column for posting flyers and other advertisements about events, things for sale, or anything else right in front of the tutoring center on campus.
Something I spot on it out of the corner of my eye pulls my attention. When I do a double-take, I see there’s a picture of Sebastian on one of the flyers.
Approaching it, I see that there are pictures of a couple of the hockey players on it. Along with Sebastian, there’s Jamie, Veikko, Carter, Felix, and their hunky third line forward, Demetrius.
Win A Date With A Black Bear!The big, bold letters at the top of the flyer enticingly boast.
My brow furrows. I read more of the text. They’re holding an… anauctionwhere the prize is a date with one of the hockey players?
The event is a benefit for the tutoring center. Instead of bidding money, you bid volunteer tutor hours, and you need to have a certain GPA to be eligible.
A bunch of smart girls with high GPAs are going to be packing a room to win a date with Sebastian.
Jealousy unfurls in my chest, turning my shoulders stiff and pinching my brows.
I don’t like that image one tiny bit.
I envision a girl so utterly smitten with Sebastian that she gives updaysof her time just to score a date with him. In exchange for all that extra tutoring, I bet she’d want her money’s worth, so to speak …
My teeth clench, territorial feelings galloping through me. Another girl going on a date withmyfake boyfriend?
I have a very real problem with that.
Sebastian’s expressionlights up as I approach him after he steps outside the building where he has his last class.
For my part, though, my lips are flat, my brow is low, and negativity is swirling through me. I’ve been in a bad mood all day, ever since I saw that damn flyer.
“What’s this?” I demand, holding the flyer out to him in my hand.
He frowns, furrows digging into his forehead. He takes the flyer from my hand and examines it.
“This? Oh, it’s something the team does every year. The tutoring center never has enough volunteers to meet the needs of the students looking for help. This is a good way to help them get it.”
My nostrils flare. Sebastian’s explanation hasn’t done anything for the bitter, acidic taste coating my mouth.
“You don’t think it would look bad for the guy I’m supposed to be dating to be on a stage selling his body to the highest bidder?”
Sebastian looks at me with a blank expression for a moment, but then a big, toothy grin splits on his face.
“You’re jealous.” He says it with far too much satisfaction.
