Page 76 of Make Her Mine

“He’s my fake boyfriend,” I say.

“But the cats are real,” Margot says.

“And he’s the guy you were really kissing the hell out of in the parking lot last night,” Sasha says.

I look at her. “What? How do you know that?” She wasn’t there.

“Ginny’s video.”

I turn wide eyes on Ginny. “Ginny’s what?”

Ginny swipes over her phone screen, then holds it out.

I lean in, watching the video play of me and Jefferson next to his truck. Kissing.

It’s…very hot.

I look up at her. “You recorded us?”

She grins. “Of course. Because I’m a very good friend.”

“How is that being a very good friend to me?” I demand. “That was a private moment.” But even as I say it, I hear a voice in my head telling me not to be ridiculous. The whole thing was to be seen by other people. Zach in particular.

Ginny laughs. “I’m a very good friend to Mia, Margot, Sasha, Sloan, Graham?—”

“Okay,” I cut her off, jabbing my finger at her phone screen to stop the video that started over.

I narrow my eyes. “It’s not weird for you to watch me and your brother kissing?”

She gives me a genuine smile. “No. I love you both so much. Why wouldn’t I want you to love each other?”

I feel a swirl of…something…ripple through my belly. Love? Love?

“We are faking this,” I say on a sharp whisper.

“Uh huh,” Ginny says.

“Yeah, that kiss was very real,” Sasha says.

“The kiss was…” I blow out a breath, then relent. “Good.”

“Good?” Margot asks.

“Okay, really good. And we’re getting along better now. And yes, he made me lunch. And yes, we’re fostering three cats. But, at most, this is becoming a we-don’t-hate-each-other-every-second friendship. Don’t be getting all weird about this,” I tell them.

Mia is the one to finally smile, nod, and link her arm with mine. “Okay. Whatever you say.”

“Are you being sarcastic?” I ask.

She shakes her head and shares glances with the other girls. “You and Jefferson are the most confident, self-aware people any of us know. If you say you’re just friends, we believe you.”

Ginny, Margot, and Sasha all nod.

We start off across the square again.

Jefferson is already here somewhere. Since he had to come down and help with some things early, I walked over by myself to meet the girls. He did tell me to come find him when I got here though. And, for just a couple of charged moments, I thought he was going to kiss me goodbye.

And then for a couple more seconds I was disappointed when he didn’t.

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