Page 55 of Perfectly Faked

I bite my lip. “His mom said he’s interested in a sponsorship... but only if we come as a package deal.”

Leo blinks. “Because I’m your skating partner?”

“No...” I answer, glancing at the floor. I might as well rip off the bandage now. “She assumed we weremorethan that.”

He frowns. “More?What kind of more?”

I rub my head, wishing I wasn’t dealing with all of this right now. “She assumed we were dating. And I didn’t correct her. Then you kissed me after that, which probably sealed the deal. She said Robbie’s had this idea to have two high-profile athletes who are dating become the face of the brand. I don’t know what he wants, but I was planning to tell him no.”

He stares at me. “Why would you do that?”

“Because we’re not dating.”

He pauses. “I think you should take the deal.”

I shake my head. “Wait... I don’t understand. Why would you want me to take the deal and make peoplethinkwe’re dating? It’s not like you need this sponsorship.”

“Butyoudo,” he says. “And people already think we’re dating—because of this.” He holds up the picture of us kissing. “You said it yourself—you need more sponsorships.”

I frown. “But what’s in it for you?” It seems like a big sacrifice to ask of him.

“Don’t look at me like I’m a saint—I’m not,” he admits, rubbing the back of his neck. “People are blaming me for taking advantage of you. If we tell them we’re dating, it’ll stop the comments.”

So maybe he’s not as altruistic as I first believed, but it makes sense. “Okay, so we fake that we’re dating, then what?”

“Hopefully by then, you’ll have another partner, and I’ll be playing hockey again.”

I sink onto my pillow and stare at the ceiling. “I don’t know. What if this doesn’t work?” It seems too risky, especially since I’m terrible at pretending. With the way I feel about Leo, pretending wouldn’t even be necessary. The real challenge will be figuring out how to pull away when this is all over and go back to being just friends—if that’s even possible.

“How could it not work?” he says. “We dated before. It’s the perfect solution to this social media messand for getting you out of that terrible apartment.”

“Wait a minute,” I say, sitting up. “Is this why you want me to say yes? You want me to move?” No wonder he’s so gung-ho about the sponsorship. It’s not just his reputation he’s worried about. It’sme.

He gives me a pointed look. “There’s a reason it’s called Hellgate, Victoria. It’s not because it’s paradise.”

“Okay, fine,” I finally say. “As long as you find two apartments.”

“Two?”

“I’m not leaving unless Delilah and Big Bertha have a place too.”

He rolls his eyes. “Fine. But that stupid bird had better appreciate it.”

TWENTY-ONE

leo

When I arrive at the rink, Victoria skates toward me, her ponytail bouncing, and a light in her eyes that seems hopeful. Her smile is softer today too, like she’s actually glad to see me, which feels like a step in the right direction.

I wave at her, then sit on a nearby bench to lace up my skates, a goofy grin tugging at my lips before I catch myself. Agreeing to be Victoria’s pretend boyfriend sounded easy enough a week ago. But what I didn’t anticipate was how impossible it would be to shut off my feelings every other moment I’m around her—especiallyat practice.

With Eugene watching from the stands, I know Victoria won’t cut me any slack today.

“Alright, Leo,” Victoria says, stopping close enough for me to catch the faint scent of her strawberry bath gel. “Eugene told me we’re going to try something new—side-by-side skating with a dance hold.”

I raise an eyebrow. “Dance hold? Like ballroom dancing?”

“Of course,” she says, as if that’s the easiest thing in the world. “It’ll help with timing and rhythm.”

---