Page 66 of The Pucking Fake Boyfriend

“You’ve been binging over the past week.”

“Only when we don’t have practice.” My words are coming out louder than I intended. “Now get the hell out of my way.”

Blake doesn’t budge. “I’m not being a pain in the ass because of your practice.” He pauses for a few seconds, and I can tell what he’s about to say is difficult for him. “I saw Britney yesterday. She looked a mess.”

“Thanks for the information,” I spit at him. It makes little to no sense that I’m angry at Blake. But I do have good reasons, I remind myself. He’s in my face now with this stupid intervention. It was his brilliant idea that I should fake date Britney in the first place. And because of it, now I cannot bear the idea of a life without her.

“You know she’s moving soon, right?” he says.

Yes, I know that, genius. It’s all the masseuses are talking about.

“Get out of my way,” I growl, my voice thick with warning.

He ignores me for the third time. “I know I gave you a hard time after that kiss,” he says. “But I have to say something.”

I fold my arms. “Well, I’m dying to hear it. Is this the sequel to trying to rip my head off because your sister might have touched me? You should be glad that’s never going to happen now that she’s moving, right?”

“No.”

“What?”

“No, I’m not glad she’s moving,” he says. “Not if it means you guys are going to be miserable forever.”

Blake clears his throat, looking more awkward than I’ve ever seen him. “I never thought I’d say this to a guy about my sister. Or that you would be that guy. So just keep quiet while I get this out.”

I turn to him and nod.

“Brit has never shown as many sides of her as she did while she was with you. And you? I’ve never seen you happier than in these past few months. Even if it was a fake relationship. The both of you complete each other. And if you’re staying apart because of me for any reason, I need you to stop right now. Go and get her back.”

“Get the fuck out of my way, man.”

Blake raises his brows. “Not exactly the response I was expecting.”

I raise an arm and push him heavily out of the way. Blake staggers, but he stands his ground. He reaches out and grabs me by both shoulders.

“What the hell is wrong with you, man?” he says, his face red. “What the fuck else do you want to snap out of it? For me to walk her down the aisle to you? I fucking said you could go for her.”

I try to throw off his hands, but I’m much too bleary to manage that.

“How generous of you,” I say, meeting his gaze squarely. The one thing I owe Blake is to finally tell him the truth after months of lying. “But I wonder how generous you’ll still be with that damned offer when I tell you that I’ve been lying to you about Brit. I’m not just in love with her. She’s also pregnant with my baby.”

The color drains from Blake’s face. “Wh-what?” His hands fall off my shoulders as he staggers backward. “You cannot be serious.”

Hopelessness surrounds me like a cloak. I am right. Blake giving me the go-ahead to date his sister was surprising enough, but there’s no way in hell he’s going to get past my betrayal.

“I am,” I say, grabbing a bottle of water and taking a big sip. “If you weren’t so pissed at your dad, maybe you’d have figured this out. He’s been giving me the stink-eye all week. She must have told him.”

Blake stares at me for a few more seconds. And then, without saying a word, he turns and walks out of my apartment.

I let out a sigh, not bothering to turn around and watch him leave.

There goes that friendship.

I pick up the cans from the floor and toss them in a bin, the void in my belly growing. All along, I presumed I’d be able to keep at least one of them in my life. I never imagined this ending.

But maybe this was what I needed. Now that I’ve lost both Blake and Britney, maybe there is a chance that I can rebuild my world.

I hear footsteps growing louder behind me.

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