Page 110 of Faking It With the Small-Town Bad Boy

longer fighting the rough terrain that I equate to being drunk twenty-

four hours in the day.

But in reality, the fight is still difficult, and that’s proven when Mare

hands out beers, setting down a little cup of ice water on the top of

the speaker for me. I tip my head, and when the song is over,

everyone flocks to their drinks, mine the only one not funneled

through a bottleneck.

“Okay, can we talk about it now?” Julius asks, panting between sips

while he looks at Storm and Reggie.

I lean back a little, setting my guitar on the stand while I wait for

someone to say something.

I’ve been waiting for them to mention it for hours, ever since they

came by Leah’s house this morning to pick me up. While I’ve been

trying to avoid the idea of Ryan being alone with the woman I shared

a passionate night with last night, I’m happy to field questions about

my abrupt engagement to a woman these guys know damn well I’m

not actually dating.

“Bring it on,” I hum, waving for them to hurry it along. “Let’s hear

it.”

“What the fuck happened?” Storm asks, the bravest with his mouth,

and yet he’s the weakest of the crew. “You were talking about Leah

not too long ago like she was just some anomaly in town. Now she’s

your fiancée? I had to find out she was your girlfriend from the guy at

the printing shop across the street. But here you are, and you’re

going to act like nothing is going on. I’m confused.”

“Yeah, besides. You never talked to that chick before she came in

here that one day, and even then, she didn’t look like she wanted

anything to do with you,” Reggie adds.

Julius seems just as perplexed, his arms crossed over his chest while

he eyes me carefully. “I didn’t say anything because we just had the

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