Page 84 of Hoax and Kisses
She pins me with a look that makes my cheeks heat.
“It had nothing to do with you, I swear.” I tighten my hold on my blanket again. “If I had been open on why I came to Pine Falls before I got a chance to explain, I wouldn’t have gone very far. But…” I trace a finger along the countertop. “I felt awful about it. I was scared that I’d messed up our friendship before it could even properly start.”
“I was mad, yes,” she says. “But once I heard people talking about you and everything you’ve done for us in only a matter of days, I came around. I was just waiting for you to take the first step.”
I reach across the counter and rest my hand on hers. “I’m sorry. I won’t lie to you anymore. Promise.”
Giving me a small nod, she steps away, grabbing two mugs from a shelf. “So, back to you and Matt. I was surprised to see you two at Cooper’s last Saturday. And when I heard you weredating? It didn’t make any sense. I almost thought you were using him to get to us. I was ready to fight.” She laughs.
I laugh with her, in a “can you imagine?” way, but deep down, I’m freaking the fuck out.
You just said you wouldn’t lie to her again. What the fuck is wrong with you?
Cups filled, she slides one in front of me. “I don’t know what happened between you two since the town hall, but that chemistry outside?” she whistles. “That was piping hot. Can’t fake that.” Leaning against the counter, she nods to Matt. “You know, I never thought I’d see him this happy again. You’re good for him.”
“He’s good for me too,” I say without missing a beat.
Guilt swells inside me faster than the tiny speck of joy her words bring, and suddenly, the enormity of what we’re doing hits me.
We’ve been lying to these people since day one. It didn’t bother me much at first. I figured they liked him fine. That his business made him somewhat more influential than others, and that was the end of it.
But it’s so much more than that.
Theyadorehim. He’s a pillar of this community. Their lives are tightly woven together, bound by a genuine care for one another.
And they’re watching him “fall in love” again like he’s their son or their brother. And they aresoproud and relieved that he seems to have moved on from the hell Andie put him through.
I should have realized that before I let Matt rope me into this. Now, we’re too far gone. When we inevitably “split,” not only are they gonna think Matt is heartbroken, but they’ll be heartbrokenforhim too.
Fuck.
“Keep it PG in here, okay?” Rosie says. “There are kids around.”
Nose scrunched, I grab the coffees. “Guess I’ll save the R-rated stuff for later, then.”
“Tell Matt I’m terribly sorry,” she throws out as I shuffle toward our table.
At the sight of him, his hair tousled from the rain, his shirt plastered to his chest, my pulse spikes, the same way it did when he kissed me senseless.
That kiss turned my world upside down. Reoriented my north to my south, tipped my sense of gravity toward his. Even weaving between the chairs of the café is a challenge, because my mind is still spinning.
It wasn’t a casual kiss. I know it. He knows it. But now what?
“Rosie sends her apologies,” I say when I set our coffees down.
Matt frowns as I settle into the booth across from him, his mug already at his lips. “Why?”
“She cockblocked you.”
He chokes on his sip.
“Said our PDA was too graphic for the kids,” I add, amused.
“I didn’t think we had an audience.”
“The whole café, apparently.” I waggle my brows. Yes, I’m deflecting. If I don’t, I’ll spiral, replaying the admission he blurted out before he dove for my mouth.
That none of it has been pretend for him. It simply doesn’t make sense.
