Page 143 of Fake Married to the Grumps

I sense he wants me from the way he looks at me, but he’s never going to let himself feel that.

“We aren’t,” I admit to Natalie, and her smile falters.

“And that’s a good thing, remember?” she reminds me. “Trevor’s not the kind of guy you want to fall for, right?”

I know she’s going to say he’s like candy, and that all I need is a taste of him, but to me, he’s not. Somewhere among the glitz and glamor of Trevor’s superstar life, there’s still the boy I knew.

There’s still a kid who’s hurt, too. One who needs love to heal.I desperately wish he would let me in, but knowing Trevor, I also know it might never happen.

“Yeah well,” I say to my friend. “It’s a good thing.”

“Good,” she says with a smile, then grins again. “Because I’d hate to see you get hurt, Gracie.”

After ending the call with Natalie, I decide to find Trevor, as I haven’t seen him all day.

I approach the door to his home gym and overhear the whisper of voices coming from inside that make me freeze.

“Thanks,” he whispers, grabbing my wrist. I lick my lips before meeting his gaze.

“Thanks for everything, Gracie,” he murmurs. “I mean it.”

There’s nothing I can say to him at that moment. My heart thuds so fast, and that swoony feeling that clouds my judgment each time he’s near intensifies.

“I’ll make us something to eat,” I say through the lump in my throat, then slowly peel my hand out of his.

Minutes later, while I’m in the kitchen, Trevor limps in slowly and pulls out a chair.

“You’re supposed to keep your weight off that leg,” I scold in a light tone, shaking my head when he flashes me a cheeky grin. “Don’t play cute with me. You should obey your doctor’s instructions so that you get better.”

He rests his chin in his hands and focuses on me again. I recall seeing the cute doctor blushing at him when I entered the hospital room earlier. Even a blind man would have noticed that she was flirting with him.

I roll my eyes, and Trevor catches my expression.

“What is it?” he asks.

“Nothing,” I lie through gritted teeth, then nibble on my lower lip a little as the sting of jealousy bites through me.

I don’t care about him flirting with her,I tell myself, even as the heated flush burns a path right through my chest.

“Doesn’t seem like nothing. You’re all flushed, and you’re glaring at that pasta like it pissed you off or something.”

My gaze snaps to him, and the flurry of words burst out of me before I can think. “Were you flirting with that doctor earlier at the hospital?”

Trevor’s jaw drops for a moment, but he recovers quickly. “Why? Were you jealous?”

My scoff is loud enough to silence him, and I deny furiously, ignoring the tingle racing through my body. “Why would I be jealous? It’s none of my concern if you were flirting with her. I mean … It’s not like we’re a couple or anything, so why would I be jealous?”

I avoid his gaze, even though I know there’s a cheeky smile on his lips. Sighing, I turn away to hide my embarrassing flush, then focus on making my pasta in silence.

Trevor doesn’t speak again, and the silence stays between us until dinner is ready. We start talking about his injury and how it affects the coming NBA playoffs, and Trevor gets really passionate as he talks me through the game.

“It’s crazy hearing the crowd comment and cheer each time we score a point. I live for that rush, you know.”

We share a laugh, and he lifts his head to look at me.

“You know what I would miss the most when all of this ends?”

“What’s that?” I smirk and tilt my head to one side. “My charm? My laugh? My very amazing personality?”

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