Page 19 of Fake It for Christmas

It had been about a week since I’d last seen him, and all week I’d been replaying how we’d kissed like it was a dream.

I thought I would have calmed down by now, but it seemed like the opposite was true.

“Yeah. My sister and I were looking at some… wine cork stoppers.”

“Ah, the butt plugs of fine dining,” Rowen said, and I couldn’t help but relax a little.

“Exactly,” I said.

“Here, I want to show you something that made me think of you,” Rowen said. He grabbed my hand and led me a couple of stalls down, to a guy selling fancy glass-blown objects. “Look.”

“Cups,” I said. “I get it. I know I need new cups.”

“These are beautiful, and not too pricey. Let me get you a few,” he said.

I made the mistake of turning to venture a glance back at my family, and instantly I regretted it.

Again, I was met by three wide pairs of eyes. My mom even freaking waggled her eyebrows at me.

“You don’t have to get me any cups, Rowen,” I said. “You’re too generous—”

“Already doing it,” he said, waving a hand. “Do you like the blue or the clear ones better?”

“Blue’s nice, I suppose, but you really don’t have to.”

He got the cups even though I felt like I didn’t quite deserve the generosity, and he handed me the little bag afterward.

“My gift to you,” he said. “We still have to edit our video and send it off, too.”

And I still have to ask you if you’ll be my fake boyfriend again for a whole different reason.

I bit the inside of my cheek. “We should do that soon.”

“You could come over tonight,” he said. “I’ll text you my address.”

I cleared my throat, shifting on my feet. “Sounds good,” I told Rowen.

“What’s up, Shane?” he asked me, narrowing his eyes. “You’re acting a little on edge.”

I’d never been much good at hiding anything.

“I’m fine.”

“Can’t bullshit me, unfortunately,” he said. “Are you okay?”

“Okay, don’t hate me when I say this,” I told him, and I saw a spark of intrigue in his eyes.

“Oh, this is going to begood,” he said. “Lay it on me.”

I pulled in a breath. “I may or may not have told my family this morning that… that I was seeing someone.”

His expression softened for a moment, and he looked surprised. “You’re seeing someone?”

My heart squeezed. Rowen seemed so genuinely shocked, and maybe even a little bit jealous, at the idea of me seeing someone.

Thatwas something I hadn’t expected.

“No, no,” I corrected him. “I’m notactuallyseeing anyone. That’s kind of the point.”

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