Page 41 of Would You Rather
“You little liar,” he says with a laugh. “My answer isn’t going to be some elaborate date I had planned since I was five, Madeline.” My eyes drift to his, and he breathes out a sigh when I look at him. “The truth is, I’ve never had a girlfriend.” My eyes widen at his admission. “I don’t have the slightest clue what I would do if I ever did get one.”
“What about all the girls before me?” I ask him.
He smirks sheepishly. “You should know the answer to that. They were all hired by Ana. A kiss here, a picture there, and I’d never see them again.”
“Never?” I ask, my brows knitting together.
“Never,” he repeats. “You’re the first girl I’ve dated.”
My throat closes with that information, and I force myself to swallow. “But it’s not real.”
“Regardless,” he says with a shrug. “Real or not, hate me or don’t. This is the first relationship I’ve had.”
Silence bounces between us at his confession until he leans forward and flashes me a smile. “Can I ask my question now?” I nod, unable to form any words, and he settles back into the couch. “Have you had any luck with auditions?” he asks.
I frown. “Not yet, why do you ask?”
He shrugs. “This deal was about the both of us. I want to make sure you’re getting something out of it, too.”
It’s only been a few weeks since we started doing this, so I don’t expect to be hired already, but it would be nice to know that it’s going somewhere. “I haven’t even had time to apply for auditions. School takes up ninety percent of my time,” I tell him. “And the other ten percent has been taken up by you.”
His brows bunch together, but before he can say anything, our phones go off at the same time. He reaches into his pocket and I reach for mine on the table.
Ana:
CelebCentral Tonight Interview Thursday 10:00
I look up, and Lucas’ eyes meet mine. “Ana?” he asks.
My brows furrow as I grab my planner from the table and open it up, letting out a sigh. “I have class.”
“But you’ll be there, right?” he asks, narrowing his eyes. “CelebCentral is one of the biggest media outlets.”
“I’ll be there,” I assure him, jotting down the information. “I guess I’ll just have to skip that day.”
The door opens and Gabi walks in, singing to herself with her earbuds in. When she looks up and sees us, she pulls one out of her ear, her eyes widening. “Oh shit, sorry.” She looks toward me. “I didn’t know you had anyone over.”
“It’s ok,” Lucas says, lifting himself off the couch. “I was just leaving.” He gives Gabi a smile.
“You don’t have to leave because of me,” she tells him, a smile on her lips. My eyes narrow at her. What the hell is she doing? “If you want to hang out with yourgirlfriend, then go ahead.”
Lucas glances at me, and I force my face to remain still. Gabi knows we aren’t dating, whereas Lucas is under the impression that Gabi thinks we’re dating, which makes this whole situation a little complicated.
“No,” Lucas says, shaking his head and ripping his gaze away from mine. “It’s late, I uh…” He rubs at the back of his neck. “I should get going.” He nods toward me and heads toward the door.
“Aren’t you going to give her a kiss goodbye?” Gabi’s voice stops him, and I narrow my eyes at her, but she just grins.
Lucas turns around, and his eyes lock with mine. I watch his throat move as he swallows, and then, his lips lift in a smirk as he heads back toward me. “Of course,” he murmurs, grabbing my face in his hands, and leans down until our lips are a few inches apart. “How could I forget?”
“What are doing?” I whisper, my eyes widening.
He just smirks, leaning in closer. “Necessary,” he says before he leans in and presses his lips against my cheek, a couple of inches away from my lips.
One second. Merely one second that his lips were on my skin, but it still felt like an eternity. My chest rises and falls as I breathe hard, trying to keep some control, but when he pulls back, his hand still on my face and grins, my core grows hot, need pulsing through me.
“See you next Thursday,girlfriend.” Then he narrows his eyes and whispers, “And don’t be late.”
“I won’t.”
