Page 57 of The Stand-In Boyfriend

“I’m just asking! Things looked pretty heated at that party.”

I take a deep breath. “There wasn’t any nakedness, but…” I guess now is as good a time as any. “He said he doesn’t want to be fake anymore.”

“What?” Evie asks, turning to look at me.

“Keep your eyes on the road, will ya? I don’t want to die!”

“Yes, sure.” She grips the wheel tighter, returning her eyes to the road. “Tell. Me. Everything.”

So I do. Well, a short version anyway, because soon we’re at school, car parked.

“So, what now?” Evie turns to look at me, finally able to give me her full attention. “You guys aretogethertogether now. Does anything change?”

“I don’t know.” I shrug and open the door to get out, and Evie does the same. I didn’t even think about it. I was too stuck thinking about the way Noah kissed me before he left my house to think about anything else. “Just roll with it, I guess? I mean, how different can it be from before?”

I grab my crutches from the backseat and together we walk to school. The familiar chatter surrounds us as soon as we’re inside. People talking, chimes of phones, slamming locker doors. All so familiar.

“There’s that.” She elbows me and gives me a sly smile. “I was right though. There was more than what you admitted.”

I’m not sure what to say to that. Did we really look like a real couple all this time? I know we tried to pretend, but there was so much tension between us, so many things left unsaid. Until now.

But I can’t deny the chemistry between us. The way my heart would stop when he was near, only to go into overdrive in the very next moment. The way my stomach clenched every time he leaned in or the way my lips would tingle after he’d kiss me.

“Sometimes it seemed like it was,” I murmur quietly, more for myself than for my friend.

I lift my head and look around, only to find people staring at me and whispering. I frown, an unsettling feeling steering in my gut.

“What’s going on?”

Evie steps closer to me, looking at the people around us as we stop at my locker. “I have no idea.”

I give another wary look around. Some people keep staring at me, snickering, while others look away when they’re caught. It’s all just so weird. I try to shake it off, unsuccessfully.

“I’m going to get my books and go to class. See you later?”

Evie forces a smile out. “Sure thing. Catch you later.”

She waves goodbye and goes in the other direction. I make quick work of grabbing my books and go to my first class. When I turn the corner, I see Lisa and a few girls talking and laughing about something.

“Hey, Lisa. How was practice?” I ask when I get closer. All the girls turn around to look at me. They give me a long once over, and snicker.

“Look who’s here. The faker.” The fine hairs at the nape of my neck rise at her words as they all snicker.

“W-what are you talking about?” The question comes out as a stutter. But all the weirdness is getting to me.

Lisa looks down her nose at me. “Did you really get injured or is this just another thing you did to get attention?”

I grit my teeth, now getting pissed. It’s not my fault my teammates didn’t catch me in the pocket as they should have, and I fell. “You were there, you know it’s not fake. What the hell?”

She flips her hair over her shoulder. “All I know is that you have a tendency of lying. You know, like you lied that you’re dating Noah.”

My blood turns to ice as everything around me stills.

No. They can’t… How?

“W-what are you talking about?” I ask, taking a step back.

“About your little sham. Did you really think nobody would find out?” She gives me a disgusted look. “Please, be real. As if a guy like Noah would be interested in somebody like you.”

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