Page 72 of Check & Chase
More of her. All of her. Real, not pretend.
As I drive home to my empty house, I acknowledge what I’ve been avoiding: I’m falling for my physical therapist. My fake girlfriend who’s only supposed to be pretending until the Bears-Wolves game at the end of the month.
After spending years avoiding entanglements, keeping relationships casual and uncomplicated, I’ve managed to develop feelings in a relationship that was designed to be anything but real.
And I’m not ready to let it go.
Emma
Chapter Fourteen
“So, are we going to talk about it, or are you just going to keep scrubbing that already clean mug until it disintegrates?”
I look down at the coffee mug in my hands, realizing I’ve been washing the same cup for almost five minutes.
“Talk about what?” I reply, feigning ignorance even though we both know exactly what she means.
“Oh, I don’t know. Maybe the fact that you came home last night with swollen lips and that dazed look people get after really good sex.” Maya tilts her head as she leans against the counter.
Heat rises to my cheeks as I rinse the mug and set it on the drying rack with more force than necessary. “It was just a kiss.”
“Uh-huh. And the Titanic was just a boat.”
Something clicks in my brain. “Wait a minute. Why were you out anyway? I thought you couldn’t come with me last night because you had an early shift today.”
Maya freezes mid-reach for her coffee. “Oh, um, I just went to… to the gym.”
“The gym? At ten o’clock at night?”
“Twenty-four-hour fitness centers exist for a reason.”
I stare at her, but her poker face is surprisingly good. Still, there’s something she’s not telling me.
“Fine. We kissed. In his car. It doesn’t mean anything.”
“Doesn’t it?” Her expression softens. “Em, I saw your face when I pulled in. That wasn’t a ‘fake relationship’ kiss. That was a ‘holy shit I’m falling for this guy’ kiss.”
The accuracy hits too close to home. I grab my travel mug, needing something to do with my hands.
“The lines are getting blurry,” I admit quietly. “Between what’s real and what’s for show.”
Maya nods, unsurprised. “What are you going to do about it?”
That’s the million-dollar question. What am I going to do about the way my heart races when Chase enters a room? About how natural it felt to wear his jersey, to taste his lips in the darkness of his car?
“Nothing. We have an agreement. PT sessions stay professional. Public appearances maintain the charade. And it all ends after the Bears-Wolves game next month.”
“And you’re okay with that?”
I shrug, avoiding her gaze. “It’s the smart move. Anything else would be complicated.”
“Life is complicated, Emma. But avoiding real feelings because they’re inconvenient doesn’t make them go away.”
“It’s not just about convenience. There are ethical considerations. Professional boundaries. Not to mention that I swore off hockey players after Tyler.”
“Chase isn’t Tyler.”
“I know that.” And I do. From the way Chase respected my space on Halloween night to how he let me handle Tyler at the bar instead of jumping in to play the hero.
