Page 71 of Faking Romance

“Let’s go find these ducks, then. See you later, Roxy,” Al says as Ava grabs his hand and they begin walking down the street.

I pause next to Roxy. I want to talk to her, but I can’t do that and babysit Ava.

“Have fun,” she says and quickly darts around me and into her store. I stare after her, filled with regret. Damn. I fucked up.

I hurry along to catch up with Al and Ava.

“What’s going on with you two?” Al asks.

“Nothing,” I mumble.

“That didn’t look like nothing,” he quips.

“It’s just a…misunderstanding,” I say, trying to remain vague because I don’t want to get into it.

He opens his mouth to speak again but my phone buzzes. It’s Pierce. “Can you take her down to the pond? I’ll be there in a minute,” I promise.

He nods but pauses as he steps toward Ava. Turning back to me, he says, “Don’t let a disagreement disentangle you from the best thing that ever happened to you. Whatever it is between you, it’s very real. Anyone can see that you belong together. Remember that.”

He gives me a knowing look and then he turns and the two of them continue down the trail. I sit next to the now-empty bench. Someone must have taken the flowers today.

“Hey,” I answer before the call goes to voicemail.

“So, how’s that piece coming along? I was hoping you’d be able to send it over tonight,” he says. “Wade and I want to listen to it.”

“Sure. I just have something to finish up here and then I’ll get it over to you,” I assure him. Carly better not be late.

“Great.” He pauses. Fuck, is this where he’s going to bring up the Roxy thing which I one hundred percent am sure Haven has told him about. “About Roxy,” he starts. Yep. Damn it. “I really don’t care if you were together or not. You could have just told me, man.”

I run a hand through my hair. “I’m sorry, Pierce. I sort of over-spoke and then it blew up into this thing. It’s my bad. I should have just been upfront with you.”

“Yes. You should have been.” He pauses again. “I hope this isn’t overstepping, but for whatever it’s worth, you two are perfect together. I sort of figured out that first night that you weren’t really together, but any idiot could see you both were attracted to each other. Don’t let that one get away, Grayson. She’s the real deal.”

OK, well, that wasn’t what I thought he’d say. And damn, is it that obvious to everyone that we were so good together?

“Oh, uh, right. Thanks, Pierce,” is all I manage to say.

“We’ll talk later,” Pierce says and he ends the call, leaving me sitting on the bench in total confusion.

“Now what?” I say to myself.

Hutch’s voice comes out of a nearby tree. “Now you need to figure out how to get the girl, you big dumbass.”

“Hutch?” I ask as I look around.

“I’m on this video monitor,” he says. “Freaking thing hasn’t caught anyone yet. It somehow got disconnected this morning.”

“Fuck, you need to let this go. Just let the flower thing be a mystery,” I say into a small camera I find tied to a nearby tree.

“No can do. Also, you need to win Roxy back. Pierce is right. She’s the real deal and you were so happy when you were with her,” his voice says.

He’s not wrong. And I sort of hate myself right now.

“How?” I ask.

I can practically hear him grinning. “That’s the spirit. No idea. But we’ll figure it out.”

CHAPTERTWENTY-SEVEN

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