Page 55 of That Kind of Guy

Hannah was the kind of person who was anxious to enter social situations but often had fun once she was there. She just needed a push. That’s where I usually came in. Sometimes I worried that if it weren’t for me, Hannah wouldn’t leave her bookstore. She often joked that she felt more comfortable around fictional men than real ones.

“I’m happy you showed up, too.” I squeezed her shoulder.

She bit her lip, and her expression shuttered while she looked at the road. She swallowed.

“What’s up?”

She shook her head. “Nothing.” Her voice was light.

“No, it’s something. What is it?”

Her gaze cut to me and then back to the road. “I guess I’m surprised you didn’t tell me about Emmett. He said you were unsure about the two of you and that’s why you didn’t want to tell anyone but…” She winced. “I thought we were better friends than that. I wouldn’t have told anyone.”

My heart sunk in my chest. Fuck. I was such an asshole.

“I asked you a couple months ago if you were interested in dating anyone in town,” she continued, worry written on her face. “And you said no.”

The biggest asshole in the world. Hannah was so sweet, so kind, so selfless, and so thoughtful. She was my closest friend in this town and here I was, making her feel like total crap.

“It’s all fake,” I blurted out.

Shit. My head fell back on the head rest, and I sent her a tentative glance.

She gave me a strange look. “Huh?”

“The whole thing with Emmett, it’s all a big lie. We aren’t engaged, we aren’t even dating.” My words tumbled out. “I don’t even like the guy.”

She blinked at the road, lips parted. Thankfully, we were on my street, so she pulled into the driveway of my place. She parked the car without a word and sat staring up at the old house. I could hear music playing and people talking in the backyard.

Hannah finally looked at me. “Um. Can you explain, please?”

I started talking and couldn’t stop. I told her everything. How he approached me and told me about his low poll numbers, how he wanted to win the election but being single was hurting him, how he agreed to cosign on my loan if I’d pretend to be his girlfriend, how he convinced me to get fake-engaged and then fake-married, all of it.

To Hannah’s credit, she listened and didn’t say a word, she just let me blab all my secrets to her while she wore a curious expression. Finally, when I was finished, I slumped back in my seat.

“Well?” I lifted my eyebrows. “Am I destined for the lowest levels of hell for lying to an entire town?”

She tapped her chin with narrowed eyes. “Maybe not the lowest level.”

I snorted, and she grinned at me.

“A new deck and new windows is a pretty good deal,” she mused.

I winced. “Elizabeth is so excited.”

“And you really don’t like him? Like not even a little bit?”

I hesitated. I didn’t. I knew I didn’t. But those kisses, they were so good. I felt them down to my toes, to the ends of my hair, to the tips of my fingernails. I swallowed, thinking about his fingers against my scalp and his tongue slicking against mine. A shiver ran down my neck.

I didn’t want to lie again to Hannah.

“It’s Emmett Rhodes. Of course, I have a little crush on him.” I shrugged. “But it’s nothing serious. Really. It’s all fake, it’s all for show.”

She looked dubious.

“It’s all fake,” I emphasized. “And I’m really sorry to do this to you but you can’t tell a soul.”

She rolled her eyes. “Who am I going to tell? I spend my days with Oliver Twist, Harry Potter, and Daisy Buchanan. My second-best friend, besides you, is Jane Austen. Your secret is safe.”

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