Page 42 of Fake As Puck
“And here we are practicing.”
“Here we are.”
The song ends, and before I can say something, Marcus is cutting in.
“Mind if I steal her?” he asks.
“Go ahead.”
I watch as she dances with Marcus, then Hurley, then Colton. She’s laughing and joking with all of them, and they’re eating it up.
She fits in too easily.
She’s not supposed to fit in this well. She’s supposed to be awkward and out of place, making it obvious that this is all pretend.
Instead, she’s charming everyone, making inside jokes with guys she met three hours ago, and looking like she belongs here more than I do.
“Enjoying yourself?” Reed asks, appearing at my elbow.
“Yeah, this has been great. Congratulations.”
“Thank you,” he says and then he looks over at Liv. “How long did you say you’ve been together?”
“Four months.”
“Four?” he questions like I might be lying.
I nod. “Yeah. We’ve known each other forever.”
“That explains it.” He claps my back, eyeing his bride across the dance floor. “That’s a good foundation.”
I nod in agreement. “Yeah.”
“You planning to keep her around?”
I look at Liv, who’s currently being twirled by Hurley while “Don’t Stop Believin’” plays, her cheeks flushed and her hair falling out of the careful style she started with.
“I’m planning to try,” I say, and realize I mean it.
The night continues, and I stay close to Liv but not too close. A hand on her back when we’re standing together. Fingers brushed against hers when I hand her a drink. Small touches that look casual but feel electric.
Around ten, the DJ puts on a song and the entire reception becomes a sing-along. Liv knows every word, shouting them at the top of her lungs with her arms in the air.
She looks young and happy and completely unselfconscious, and I realize I’m staring at her like an idiot.
“You good, man?” Colton asks, following my gaze.
“Yeah. Just watching her have fun.”
“She’s great. Really great. You did good.”
“Thanks.”
“Seriously. Hold onto that one.”
“Yeah.”
But even as I say it, I know it’s not that simple. Because she’ll be on a flight, and this will all be over until the next wedding, and I’ll be back to pretending I don’t care about her more than I should.
