Page 26 of Dear #47, You're the Worst
“Yeah, but I definitely remember her being a hockey girlfriend. She was always on the arm of that dick. What’s his name?”
I grunt. “Patrick.”
Jett gives me a slow smile. “You liked Juliet back then. What are the chances that you two would reconnect?”
I want to murder him, but I just give him a tight smile.
“I doubt she even remembers me from U of W.”
“Yeah, right.” He snorts. “It’s good to see you two together. She softens your whole I’m going to murder you in your sleep vibe.”
I grunt. “Maybe that’s the vibe I want to give off.”
He arches a brow, shakes his head, then goes quiet for a moment. “Mom’s been leaving voicemails again.”
I go cold. “I don’t want to hear anything Mom says. She’s dead to me.”
“I’m not planning to. Just thought you should know.”
Fixing him with a stare, I make it clear. “Talking to her is like opening a vein.”
I don’t care how sorry Mom says she is. I’m not bleeding for her again.
Jett nods. “Fine. Just watch yourself.”
When Juliet returns, I catch her fidgeting with her emerald engagement ring. Without thinking, I cover her hand with mine. Camera bait, but also something else I don’t want to name.
Flashes go off. In the back of the room, I see Jimbo Greene and Coach Cross smiling at my little display of supposed affection. If fans had any idea what my relationship with Juliet was really like… the constant bickering, the stubbornness for no reason… they would stop showing up to my games with Chainsaws.
It would be one way to shake off the dreaded Chainsaw act.
“Smile for the cameras,” Ivy calls, her grin smug. “You two get close now. Let’s see a kiss.”
“I hate you,” she whispers under her breath, smiling for the photographers.
I lean in like I might kiss her and murmur, “Sure you do.”
Then I lay a kiss right next to her mouth. She gasps for half a second before falling into step with me. Her fingers tense against my shoulder. She’s playing along, but I can feel the uncertainty in her grip. We’re off-script now.
I dip her back, my mouth against her cheek. We’re pressed tightly together and I can’t help but notice how neatly her small, sleek body fits against mine. She digs her fingers into my shoulder and smiles, showing her perfect white teeth.
This is our first genuine attempt at faking our relationship, and I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t nervous. Not that I’d admit that to anyone, especially not her.
Juliet moves her hand closer to my neck, attempting to draw her ring into the picture. The emerald glints in the light.
When she first saw the ring yesterday, her breath hitched. That’s how I knew I picked well. She isn’t very flowery and dresses extremely modestly most of the time, but I just had a feeling she would like this antique ring.
Smug male satisfaction fills my chest thinking about her reaction to seeing the dazzling emerald.
I can’t help but laugh. She smiles up at me with pure malice radiating from her every pore. “What’s so funny?”
I stick out my tongue, staring down at my beautiful fake fiancée. That’s right. I can admit that her dark curls, brown eyes, and olive skin make her a knockout.
Not that it should matter to me, I guess.
“Oh, that’s the headline grabber!” Ivy crows. “Wow, you two have chemistry coming out of your asses, don’t you?”
I cock a brow at Juliet. But she just rolls her lovely brown eyes at me.
