Page 130 of Faking It With the Small-Town Bad Boy

“Are you okay? You seem upset, Leah.”

“I’m good,” she says.

We both know that she’s no better at telling that lie than I am.

She stepped up to be straightforward with me, so I owe her the same.

“Fine, don’t talk. Listen.” We both sit on the edge of her bed, her legs

curling to her chest like she needs a barrier over her heart. I rest my

hand on her thigh and watch her sing with relief when I do. “I’m

sorry if I upset you downstairs, Leah. It wasn’t my intent.”

“You didn’t even upset me,” she says in frustration. “It’s just, I

thought you’d be around a while longer. When this whole thing is

over. Plus, Ryan just said the wedding is moved up by a few weeks, so it’s not like it matters. You’ll be around for a while when it’s over.”

I tilt my head slightly, watching the battle that plays out on her face. “And what about after that?”

“What do you mean?”

“What happens if I go on this tour, Leah? What happens to you? Will you be okay?”

She struggles to nod but forces it anyway. “Yeah, I’ll be fine. I’ve just… it’s only that I…”

“Shh, relax,” I urge.

Her body deflates after a long, hesitant breath.

“Alright, tell me now.”

“I’ve never been alone, Percy.”

Her words sting me more than I thought they would. We’ve grown

close in the last week, and while it hasn’t been more than three weeks

since we started this charade, I feel like we’ve already bonded so

much. It’s as if she and I are on a train that’s about to crash. If we

manage to limp away from it, we could be bonded forever.

Or we could let the train take us both into oblivion with it.

“You’re never alone, Leah. You have Ainsley.”

“She’s my sister, and we talk on the phone sometimes. But she has a

life in New York now. She’s not here. Neither are my parents. It’s

almost been a little normal with you here in a way. I’ve never had to

live by myself, and I thought it was hard enough being single when

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