Page 43 of Good Girl's Guide to Love
“Oh, I like this one, Ainsley.”
God, does this woman go five seconds without blushing? It’s adorable. And it also makes me wonder: if she blushes that easy in her cheeks, does the rest of her body?
No, Linc. Stop. Stop that right the fuck now. She’s your fake girlfriend, emphasis on fake, and you’re meeting her fucking family. Mind out of the goddamn gutter.
“Can we back up a second?” Maeve asks. “Didn’t you two just meet last week? How the heck did you go from strangers to a couple in a week?”
“You want to take this or me?” I ask. To them, I hope it sounds like a simple question. In reality, I need to know if I’m making this shit up or she is.
I see her square her shoulders, and I suddenly feel a wave of pride that she’s going to go out on this limb. Though it’s probably for the best, since I have no idea what she’s told her family.
So I sit back and listen, interested to hear our origin story.
“You’re right, we did just meet at the hospital visit,” she says. “I didn’t think much of it, but then the next day, this guy shows back up again.”
I pick up my cue with a smile. “I did. I didn’t have a chance to get her name or number after she mowed me down and ran away.”
She gasps. “Excuse me?Youran intome.”
“If I remember correctly, you were looking everywhere but ahead. I had the right away.”
“Awwwwww.” I look up to see Stella and Quinn with hearts in their eyes, clear approval of our not-so-fake meet cute. I think we’re halfway to convincing them. Maeve is still keeping an even face. And I wonder if at any point her brother is going to stop scowling at me.
I turn my attention back to Ainsley, who’s now going on about how I asked her for coffee that day.
“Which is when I learned she doesn’t drink coffee.”
My interruption earns me a smile from Ainsley. “Which is also when we pivoted and went to get smoothies.”
When I was young, I’d make up elaborate stories. More for entertainment than anything. As I got older, those stories became me trying to create alibis for myself, or reasons why itreally wasn’t my fault for what I clearly did. When you’re that kind of liar, it rolls off the tongue, sometimes too easily.
But with Ainsley? I would bet my contract that this woman has never told a lie in her life. Yet, right now, she’s making up our first date, and the days after, like it’s nothing.
I don’t know whether to be proud or frightened.
“So we ended up texting and talking all week. Then last night, he asked if I wanted to meet up with him and some of his teammates. I was a little nervous, obviously, especially when he said they were going to a karaoke bar. But then he said I could bring Mia, so I agreed. Things were fine until Jonathan showed up, and then…yeah. The rest, I’m pretty sure the whole world saw.”
“Wow,” Stella says with a shake of her head. “I feel like that was quite a whirlwind.”
“The best things are,” I say, putting my arm around Ainsley for a little emphasis. It clearly works with Stella and Quinn. But I still can’t crack Maeve or Simon.
“That’s all well and good, but this makes zero sense.” Maeve focuses on Ainsley, who I don’t think is breathing. She must be the family lie detector. “I mean, I know it’s not like you were in some sort of recovery program, but in all the years I’ve known you, there’s not been one time where you’ve evenwanteda drink. And suddenly last night you’re drinking, singing—which might’ve been more shocking than the drinking—and have a pro football player boyfriend. I’m sorry, it just all feels like a lot. And it doesn’t feel like you.”
I start to reply, suddenly getting the feeling like I did last night when Dr. Dipshit was berating her. I don’t know why I have this overwhelming urge to protect Ainsley, but I do.
“Maeve’s right, Ainsley,” Simon says. “You could’ve put yourself in a dangerous situation. You aren’t used to?—”
“She’s a grown woman,” I interrupt, because they need a reality check. All of the siblings eyes turn to me, which is good. “She wanted to blow off some steam. She was in a safe place with me, Mia, and ten other professional football players, who weren’t going to let a thing happen to her. Despite the night of debauchery you think you saw, we had fun.Shehad fun. So maybe back off a little, considering you guys just blew in here and bombarded her after a very stressful morning of processing the consequences of dating someone like me.”
It’s silence for a few seconds, including Ainsley, who out of the corner of my eye I can tell is slack-jawed. This is also how I know that I have no clue how to be a boyfriend, because I’m pretty sure you don’t tell your girlfriend’s siblings basically to fuck off after knowing them for twenty minutes.
“Well, damn,” Quinn says, breaking the silence. “Ainsley’s got a live one.”
“She does,” I say. “This wasn’t the way we wanted to tell people. Things got out of control last night, and for that, I do apologize. But your sister is a grown woman and one of the most responsible people I’ve ever met. She can make her own decisions. And we’re in this now. Together.”
I look over to Ainsley, who’s smile about knocks me out of the chair. It’s the same smile she gave me when I saved her from Dipshit. It’s the same smile she gave me so many times last night, thanking me but without saying the words.
And it’s a smile that I need to make sure I don’t let break through to my heart. Because if I did, I’m pretty sure it would ruin me.
