Page 92 of Just One Season
Eventually, Kellen starts running kisses down my neck again.
In the morning, I’m going to have to accept the fact that this thing with Kellen is no longer fake. If it was fake, we would’ve only had sex, not said all those things.
If it was fake, I wouldn’t be feeling this way about him.
I think I’m screwing this up.
CHAPTER 25
She’s Probably Already Convinced
KELLEN
Saturday, November 23
“Is this meeting really necessary?” Lucy says as Harley and Lachlan settle on the long couch in Atticus’s apartment. I’m next to her on the love seat, like last time, and Atticus is in the single chair clutching a beer. Raleigh is on Atticus’s phone, but no January as she’s seven hours ahead in London.
The adrenaline is pumping through my veins at being this close to Lucy.
After spending last Saturday night together at the retreat, we’ve continued to text daily. Little things about our days.
I told her about Ava’s new ballet class, where they’re learning a little kid version of the Nutcracker. She said she wished she was a ballet instructor as well as a soccer coach so she could spend more time with Ava, and my chest expanded uncomfortably with affection.
She told me about getting Mister Barky McBarkface a new collar, and how she considered getting him a name tag but isn’t ready to commit to his new name yet.
As if she’s not going to give her dog away.
As if she’s not probably moving thousands of miles from here in a few months.
As if what happened last weekend wasn’t a huge deal that changed everything.
There’s a knock on the door.
“Come in!” Atticus shouts.
The door swings open and Finn, Heath, and Romeo walk in.
“The fuck are you guys doing here?” I say.
“We’re here for the Kellcy Fake Dating Planning Committee meeting, obviously.” Finn heads to the kitchen. “Drinks in the fridge?”
“How the hell did you know about this?” These guys are a welcome distraction from my nerves, but really, why the fuck are they here?
“Lachlan spilled it all last Saturday night at the retreat when we ran into him after he left you and your fake girlfriend—hi, Lucy—in your pool. We’re all caught up.” Romeo smooths back strands of hair that escaped his curly ponytail—which we all mercilessly make fun of him for, not that he cares, and accepts a can of sparkling water from Finn. “Don’t worry, we won’t get in your way. We just want to be included, you know?”
No one knows Lucy and I slept together last weekend. When the boys all walked away from my hot springs pool, I was barely touching her. I even stepped away once they were gone. I wanted to respect her rejection from the night before.
But she’d changed her mind.
This isn’t fake anymore, but it sure is messy.
And maybe—just maybe—the boys suspect something. After all, we didn’t rejoin the group after they left us in the pool.
The newcomers scoot onto the kitchen stools and appear to wait for something. Heath doesn’t say anything. He’s a quiet guy, but Finn and Romeo do plenty of talking for the three of them.
“So you were telling me the truth?” Lucy looks at Atticus. “You guys really don’t go out partying on Saturday nights?” There’s a desperate edge to her voice.
Everyone’s heads swing toward her. Romeo stops mid-sip with a confused look on his face.
