Page 19 of The Summer We Played Pretend

“Well, you're in luck. I happen to be an expert tour guide.” I gesture grandly at the shop behind us. “Want the inside scoop on lug nuts and carburetors?”

Chloe rolls her eyes, but she's grinning now. “Tempting, but I'll pass.” She hesitates. “Actually, I came to ask you something.”

“Oh yeah?”

“Sara's having this party this weekend, and I was wondering if maybe...if you're not busy...you might want to come? With me?” The words tumble out in a rush.

For a split second, I picture us showing up hand-in-hand, laughing together, maybe even...No. Stop it. We're just friends. That's all.

I run a hand through my hair. “I wasn’t sure you wanted anything to do with me after the other day. I thought maybe I’d crossed a line.”

“No, of course not. You were just trying to help. And, actually—” Chloe stops and stares at her brown boots “—I was rather hoping you might be willing to keep up the pretense.”

I force my expression to remain neutral. “You want me to play boyfriend again?”

“Well, Brendan is going to be there, and I...” She lets out a long breath. “Well, I don’t really fancy going alone.”

“I think I can make it,” I say, even though my only plans were to watch a movie with Dad. She can’t know how desperately I want to spend every hour of every freakin’ day with her and how much I’ve been thinking about her since the other day.

“Great!” Chloe beams at me, relief evident in her voice. “I'll text you the details?”

I nod, watching her walk away. My chest feels warm, like sunshine breaking through clouds. Just friends, I remind myself firmly. But as I head back to work, whistling, I can't quite squash the tiny spark of hope flickering to life inside me.

The rest of the week passes by slowly, and I don’t even want to admit how many times I changed my t-shirt before picking up Chloe. We travel in silence, and I resist the urge to reach across and hold her hand. She’s probably nervous as hell, but I don’t know how to comfort her right now. All I can think about is how much I want to protect her from anyone and everyone tonight.

The bass thrums through my chest as Chloe and I approach Sara's house. Laughter and snatches of conversation drift out into the cool evening air, mingling with the soft glow of string lights draped across the porch. I glance at Chloe, in tight jeans and a floral strappy top, and my breath hitches.

“Ready for this?” I ask, trying to keep my voice casual.

She nods, her smile tight. “As I'll ever be.”

We step inside, and the party hits us like a wave. Bodies move to the music, red cups in hand, while fairy lights cast a dreamlike haze over everything. I spot Sara across the room, chatting with a large group of people.

“Wow,” Chloe breathes, taking it all in. “I told Sara I’d help, but you know what she’s like…she said I’d get it all wrong.” She laughs and rolls her eyes. “If I’d known she was going this big I’d have insisted.”

Without thinking, I reach for her hand. Our fingers intertwine, and a jolt of electricity races up my arm. It feels right, natural, like we've done this a thousand times before.

“C'mon,” I say, gently tugging her forward. “Let's make the rounds.”

As we weave through the crowd, I'm hyper-aware of Chloe's presence beside me. The warmth of her hand, the faint scent of her perfume. This is all just pretend. So why does it feel so real?

“Jackson?” Chloe's voice pulls me back to reality. “You okay? You seemed a million miles away.”

I flash her a reassuring smile, hoping she can't see the turmoil beneath. “Never better. Just...taking it all in.”

She squeezes my hand, and my heart does a backflip. “Thanks for coming with me,” she says softly.

“Anytime,” I reply, meaning it more than she could possibly know.

“Well, well, well! If it isn't the town's newest power couple!”

I turn to see Emma, another of Chloe’s oldest friends, approaching us with a mischievous grin. She's flanked by Tyler and Zoe. I know Tyler from playing football at school together. He was always a cocky idiot but a nice enough guy, though his girlfriend Zoe has only lived in the town for a few months.

“Took you two long enough,” Tyler chimes in, playfully punching my shoulder.

I feel Chloe tense beside me, her hand tightening in mine. I give it a reassuring squeeze, hoping to convey that I've got this.

“What can I say?” I shrug, pulling Chloe closer. “Sometimes the best things are right under your nose.”

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