Page 104 of Play Fake
Her brows shoot up. “Thewholeday?”
I nod, choosing my words carefully. “We went off campus for a while. It was…a lot, but good.” I skip over the visit to his mom’s facility entirely—some things aren’t mine to share. “And then he invited me to dinner with his family.”
Ava lets out asound—somewhere between a gasp and a squeal—and grabs a pillow to hug. “You met his family?!”
“His stepmom, Caroline, his dad, and his little siblings,” I say, smiling at the memory. “They’re amazing. It felt like walking into a house that already knew how to make room for you, you know?”
She looks like she might actually combust. “And?”
“And…” I laugh, sinking onto the edge of the bed. “It was so good. Like I’d been there before. Joey wouldn’t stop talking, Alyssa made me promise to come back and play dolls with her. It was really sweet.”
Ava slaps my arm lightly. “You’reglowing.”
“I’m not glowing.”
“You areabsolutelyglowing,” she says, pointing accusingly. “And don’t think I didn’t clock that hand-holding moment outside. I was by the window. I saw it.”
My face heats instantly. “Ava!”
She squeals, clapping her hands over her mouth. “Oh my God, you kissed him again, didn’t you?”
I press my palms to my face. “Maybe.”
She tackles me with a hug, practically shaking me. “Sophie Prescott. You’rein it.”
“And then he walked me up to the dorm,” I finish, cheeks aching from smiling so much.
Ava is sitting cross-legged on my bed, wide-eyed, clutching a throw pillow like it’s the finale of a reality show. She just stares at me for a beat—then lets out a slow, dramatic exhale.
“You’re done for,” she declares. “Completely and utterlydone for. This isn’t fake anymore. Not that I thought it ever really was, at least from your end. My girl, you were basically all googly-eyed from the get go.”
I bury my face in my hands. “Ava?—”
“Nope. Don’t even try to deny it. He brought you to a familydinner. I don’t think someone that had no intention of pursuing a future with someone would do that, let alone Beck.”
I laugh, dropping my hands. “You’re ridiculous.”
“Ridiculouslyright,” she fires back, pointing at me with the authority of a gossip columnist who’s just broken the story of the year.
I shake my head, still smiling, and glance toward the clock on my nightstand. The numbers blink nine forty two. My stomach drops.
“Oh my God,” I whisper. “Movie night.”
Ava blinks. “What?”
“I was supposed to be here hours ago,” I groan, sinking onto the bed beside her. “You were waiting for me, weren’t you?”
Her face morphs from dramatic glee to exaggerated betrayal. “Youditched mefor a boy.”
“I didn’t ditch you!” I protest, laughing. “It just…happened. I lost track of time.”
She crosses her arms, feigning a pout. “Unbelievable. Here I was, sitting alone in my pajamas with snacks, ready to watch more terrible rom-coms, and you were out havingmain character moments.”
I nudge her shoulder. “You’re being so dramatic.”
“Iamdramatic,” she says proudly. Then she grins, all mock offense gone. “But seriously, if you ever keep me waiting like that again, at least text me a play-by-play. I almost started the movie without you.”
I laugh, leaning against her shoulder. “Next time, you’ll get live updates.”
