Page 31 of A Whole New Trick

I snort.

She couldn’t be more wrong.

While I find Dane undeniably attractive, there’s no angst here. The hurt of his dismissal is too big of a hurdle for me to overcome. No matter how hot he is. Or how incredible he’s been by acting as a buffer between Aaron and me.

“Yes, he is.” Carlee’s lips lift into a knowing grin. “And he’s about to prove it.”

My forehead creases. “What do you?—”

“Hey, babe.”

My head snaps up, and I see Dane jogging up to us.

“Hey…” My eyes widen. “Um. What are you doing? Aren’t you about to play a game?”

“I am, but first, I wanted to check on my girl.”

Oh, brother.

The only reason I don’t roll my eyes is because we have an audience. The crowd of athletes and kids Dane left behind are watching us with a mix of impatience and curiosity.

“You can drop the act. Carlee knows the truth.”

“Oh.” Dane’s smile doesn’t falter. “Cool. Good to see you again, Carlee.”

“Good to see you, too, Dane.” Carlee turns her cheerful smile onto the hockey star. “Thanks again for agreeing to participate in today’s outreach program. A few people had family obligations come up. We were nervous we wouldn’t have enough players to interact with all the kids.”

“Of course. Happy to help.” Dane’s smile is nothing short of charming. And by all accounts, he seems sincere. Then, he turns to me. “What about Chen?”

I blink. It takes a moment to process his question. “Joshua? What about him?”

“Does he know the truth about us?”

“No.” I shake my head. “Of course not.”

Dane and I had agreed that the fewer people who knew this was a fake relationship, the better.

I insisted on telling Carlee because I neededsomeoneI could confide in. I considered being honest with my family, but then I’d have to dive into all the shitty things Aaron did to me during our relationship to explain. That wasn’t something I ever wanted to share.

But Carlee knows what I went through, and she didn’t ask for more information about me and Dane than I was willing to share. The Caldwell Clan would not be so accommodating.

As for Dane, he told me he only planned to tell Eli about us. From what I’ve witnessed and heard in the short time I’ve been around the brothers, they’re incredibly close despite their age gap.

“Interesting.” Dane’s features harden. “So, what was he doing flirting with you?”

Is he serious?

“Deadly serious.” Dane’s eyes flash. I realize I asked the question out loud.

I shake my head and paste on a smile for the watching crowd. “You’re being ridiculous.”

“Am I?” He crosses his arms, and his biceps bulge in his tight sleeves. “Does Chen know we’re dating?”

“Yes, he knows we’re ‘dating.’” I put air quotes around the word.

“Then, from my perspective, Chen is a guy who is flirting with another guy’s girl. Where I come from, that’s disrespectful.”

“He has a point,” Carlee says lightly.

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