Page 64 of Faking Romance

“Gray and Lydia just took a walk to see my new rose garden,” his mother says as she notices me standing and looking around. She motions toward the path leading to a hedged area off to the side of the house.

“Oh,” I state because I don’t know what else to say. I step down onto the path and follow it, hearing some whispered words as I approach.

When I reach a clearing, I peer inside it and my heart stops. Gray is kissing Lydia.

I gasp and they pull apart. Gray turns to me, his face paling. “Roxy, it’s not what you think.”

Memories of Richard saying those exact words to me fill my mind and I feel tears threaten. I spin on my heels and head straight up the path and to the veranda.

“Thank you for a lovely evening. I’m not feeling well, so I’m going to duck out early,” I say to them.

“Oh dear,” his mother says but she doesn’t actually seem concerned.

“I’ll just see myself out. I can call a car. I don’t want to pull Grayson away from all of you early,” I say as I turn to the sliding wall that’s still open. I walk through it and pull up an app to summon a car.

“Ms. Benedict?” Leopold’s voice comes from the hallway.

“Not feeling well, I’m calling a car,” I say to him as I hurry to the front door.

“I’ll open the gate,” he says, referring to the black gate at the bottom of their driveway. He opens the door for me and I practically run through it.

“Roxy!” I hear Gray’s voice and I have to blink back tears.

Leopold holds the door for Gray and Gray runs out into the driveway.

“Wait! Please!” Gray yells as he runs to catch up with me.

I take a deep breath and turn to him. “Go back inside, Grayson. I’m going home,” I hiss from behind clenched teeth as I glance at my rideshare app to confirm the car is approaching.

“Roxy, it’s not what you think. Lydia kissed me. I didn’t kiss her. She thought she could reconnect with me tonight. But that’s not possible. Because I’m already with you, I’m falling for you,” he says, his voice pleading.

“No, stop. We arenotdoing this. I can’t do this again,” I whisper as I fight the tears that threaten me once more.

The car pulls up and I open the door. “We’re done,” I say quietly as I get inside.

“Roxy!” he calls out. I see him reach for his phone as the car pulls away and I block his number. I can’t do this. Not again. Not now. Not ever.

CHAPTERTWENTY-FOUR

Grayson

“Dude, come on! If I’m going to hang that trail cam high enough to make sure the trash pandas don’t get to it, I need your help,” Hutch pleads as he nurses a beer.

I sigh for the tenth time in as many minutes. “I don’t have time right now. Maybe next week.”

“Any word from Kasen?” Hutch asks Al.

“No.” Al pauses. “Where’s Roxy?” he asks, looking around at our neighbors who have slowly trickled upstairs for happy hour despite the rain.

Carly comes stomping toward me and pokes her finger on my chest. “You know, you’re a real jerk. I thought you were better than that,” she seethes.

I put my hands up in the air. “What are you talking about?”

She rolls her eyes and taps her foot. Bray looks at her and then at me. “You’re in big trouble.”

I glare at him and then look back at Carly. “Roxy told me what you did.”

“I didn’tdoanything,” I mutter. “It was a misunderstanding.”

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