Page 18 of The Stand-In Boyfriend

With eyes still locked on Noah’s, I say with more confidence than I feel, “Because he’ll be taking me. Hisgirlfriend.”

Chapter Eight

JESSICA

Girlfriend.

My heart is racing, the beat in perfect synchrony with the word I just uttered.

Girl-friend.

Ta-thump.

Girl-friend.

Ta-thump.

Girl-friend.

Ta-thump.

The same word echoing in my head over and over again, like some kind of curse. But there’s no going back now.

“What the hell are you talking about?” Evie asks. Her hands are propped on her hips and she’s panting since she ran after me.

“Evie…”

I can hear Lisa snort behind us, but thankfully she doesn’t stay to listen. She rarely does when she isn’t the center of attention. Letting go of Noah’s hand, I go to my best friend.

“I’ll tell you everything later,” I promise in a hushed tone. Her gaze goes over my shoulder where I can feel Noah looming behind me. I shake her a little, to get her attention, only then saying, “It’s not how it looks.”

She looks at me for a long moment before poking me in the shoulder. “Oh, you better be prepared to give me some answers, missy!”

I sigh in relief. The last thing I need right now is to fight with my friend over my fake relationship I didn’t tell her about.

It sounds even more stupid when I say it like that.

“I guess I’ll let you guys be. See you later?”

“Sure.”

She waves goodbye. I watch her go toward our table—a table I apparently won’t be sitting at today. Our friends are still staring in my direction. Three grim pairs of eyes observing my every movement, just like the rest of the cafeteria.

“Are you planning to grab something to eat?”

I guess I’m done stalling. Slowly, I turn around to Noah, my new boyfriend. At least for the time being. He has a smug, knowing smile on his lips. A smile that earns him a glare. Which thankfully nobody can see because my back is turned toward the cafeteria.

“We’ll need to set some rules,” I say quietly as we start to grab our food. I can feel the weight of hundreds of eyes on me. Watching. Observing. Listening.

“Like what?”

“Like how to make this seem real. I don’t need anybody finding out the truth.” An icy shiver runs through my body just at the thought.

If anybody were to find out, I’d never hear the end of it.

“Might start by smiling and acting like you actuallylikeme.” Noah throws his arm over my shoulder and pulls me closer, balancing his tray with one hand. “Besides, didn’t you hear that rules are meant to be broken?”

“Not these rules,” I grit out, irritated with him. How can he take this lightly? Oh right, it’s not his ass on the line. I’ll be the one who’ll be considered desperate, and he’ll be the knight in shining armor who swooped in to save me. Seriously, guys have it so easy.

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