Page 23 of Fake Dates and Home Plates
“United front,” I say with a wink.It’s the first time we’ve held hands, and I struggle to hide a smile when her fingers interlock with mine.
When I land a quick knock on the apartment door, I feel Henley lean into me.
She doesn’t seem nervous. She probably knows at least a few of the people here anyway, having met them at previous parties or gone to high school with them, like me.
“Theo Fucking Barlowe,” my teammate says as he throws open the door.
“Bash,” I say with an eye roll as I lead the way through the doorframe, “this is Henley.”
“You mean your girlfriend?” Bash asks while wiggling his brows up and down.
Henley laughs at his antics but doesn’t let go of my hand or deny it. I guess she’s a pretty good actor.
“Sebastian, can you try not to overwhelm our guests? Maybe you could try being a little more hospitable and offer them a drink instead of teasing them like it’s middle school,” his sister says as she joins us.
Without breaking my hold on Henley, I give Sunny a side hug with my free arm.
“Hi, I’m Sunny. Sebastian’s way prettier, more talented, and definitely smarter sister,” she introduces herself to Henley before diving in for a hug. “Thank fuck there’s another girl joining this crowd on a full-time basis.”
Henley does break our hold to hug Sunny back, but I quickly reach for her hand as soon as it’s over.
“I’m Henley, Theo’s girlfriend.” She smiles up at me before returning her attention to Sunny.
I see the way Henley relaxes almost instantly, like she put on a mask for a part she’s way too comfortable playing.
Bash studies Henley before asking, “Have we met before?”
Sunny pretends to puke. “Oh no. Please tell me you two haven’t…”
Her voice trails off, but we all know what she’s implying. A sour taste fills my mouth at the implication of Henley sleeping with my teammate.
But it’s gone just as quickly as it arrived, because I know Bash would never. He’s known about my crush on Henley since we roomed together freshman year. It’s the only time Sunny and Bash didn’t share a living arrangement, as the campus rule required freshmen to live on campus. Their parents prefer to pay rent on one apartment; it makes it easier to see both Bash and Sunny when they visit.
“Nope. Not me.” Henley shakes her head.
Sunny squeals. “Good. Because we’re totally about to be best friends.” She grabs Henley’s free arm and drags her away, once again disconnecting my hold on her, leading Henley into the kitchen.
I watch as she goes, her laughter traveling through the room. My hand feels empty now that it’s not holding hers. Without her next to me to concentrate on, I can finally hear just how loud it seems to be in here.
“You okay?” Bash asks, giving me a normal look.
I nod. “Great.”
He eyes me suspiciously. “So what magic hat did you use to pull out your dream girlfriend?”
“If I told you, I’d have to kill you,” I say, deadpan.
“Don’t worry, I’m not looking to steal it,” he says with a laugh. Bash means it, though. He’s not interested in settling down with one girl any time soon.
“It’s not real,” I tell him.
He takes a pull from his beer before he looks at me, his eyebrows crinkled in confusion.
Taking a look around, I double-check no one can hear us. “Me and Henley. It’s not real. She wanted to get back at Dakota, and I volunteered to help.” Technically, it was all my idea, but I don’t want to hear about how much of whipped loser I am right now.
Bash looks at Henley talking with his sister in the kitchen before looking back at me.
“Dude,” he says with wide eyes. “That’s genius. But are you sure that’s a good idea? I mean, you’ve been making heart eyes at her since I’ve known you.”
