Page 25 of The Stand-In Boyfriend

“Jessy, are you up, baby?” Mom’s soft voice pulls me out of the darkness. I murmur something letting her know I heard her, and then snuggle deeper underneath my covers, enjoying the warmth as I try to hold onto the dream I’ve been having about sexy doctor Reynaldos fromNew Amsterdam.

Yup, I’m definitely not ready to give up on that just yet.

“Jessica Ann Bryant!” I jump up, knocking my head into the headboard in the process.

“Ouch!” I cover my head with my hands, rubbing the sting away.Dammit, this hurts.

“You better get your butt out of that bed, young lady, or you’ll be late.”

Instinctively, my eyes slide to the clock on my nightstand. Seven-thirteen. Dammit.

“Why didn’t you wake me up earlier?” I ask, jumping out of bed.

“Well, if you didn’t stay up late watching God knows what, you wouldn’t have overslept, now would you?” she chastises me. Thankfully, I’m already in my bathroom so she doesn’t see me rolling my eyes at her.

I quickly go through my morning routine, skipping a step here and there. Ten minutes later, I’ve done my business, my teeth are brushed, face washed, basic makeup—foundation, mascara and lip gloss—applied, and the braid I did after the shower I took last night once Evie left is undone, leaving my hair all wavy.

Evie didn’t let me leave out a single detail of what happened between Noah and me during lunch. And I knew if I didn’t give in while we were alone, she’d press further during dinner with Mom, so I told her everything in the privacy of my bedroom. I’m not sure why the idea of me fake dating Noah excited her so much, but for some reason it did.

Changing into a pair of jean overalls and a simple white tank, I grab my backpack and check that everything I need is inside before running down the stairs.

Mom is leaning against the counter in the kitchen, sipping her coffee. When she sees me standing in the doorway, she picks something up off the counter—a to-go cup and a little brown bag—and hands them to me.

She tilts her head, giving me a smile. “Since I know how you get if you don’t get your fix in the morning.”

I wrap my arms around her, giving her a tight hug. “Thanks, Mom.”

It’s been just the two of us for years, and although she drives me crazy sometimes, I love her to pieces.

A honk blasts from the outside, interrupting the moment.

She pulls back, her eyebrows raised. “A friend picking you up?”

Noah. I totally forgot about him.

“I…” I nervously push a strand of hair behind my ear. “Something like that.”

There is no way I’m explaining Noah to her. Jack visited a few times while we were dating, and I knew Mom wasn’t his biggest fan. She didn’t say as much, but I could see it on her face. When things blew up she comforted me, but a part of me always wondered if she was happy about it. I don’t think I saw her once look at a man with interest, not after her divorce from my dad. So yeah, there is no way I’ll tell her about any of this.

Grabbing my coffee and whatever is in that bag, I hoist my bag higher on my shoulder. “I’ll see you later, Mom!”

Not waiting for her response, I dash out.

A sleek black car is parked by the curb, the motor still running. I cross the short distance, open the door and slide inside.

“Drive.”

Noah quirks his brows in question. He looks almost too good to be real, fresh and totally awake. Unlike me. His hair is perfectly styled, his clothes hugging his broad shoulders and biceps without a wrinkle.

“Good morning to you too,” he says dryly, those crystal blue eyes taking me in.

“Morning, now can we go?” I ask, looking toward the house to see if Mom’s peeking through the window.

His brows shoot up. “Somebody’s in a hurry this morning.”

Thankfully, he does as I ask, and in no time we’re pulling away from my house. Only when we’re out of my street do I manage to breathe.

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