Page 59 of Foul & Fake
“I know,” Eli says solemnly, and I know he’s no longer joking about our mutual jealousy. Those dimples are gone, and I realize that brief flash of them is all I’m going to get from him tonight. Maybe ever. “Is someone picking you up?”
“No, I actually have a car here,” I admit with a soft chuckle. “Just haven’t had much of a need for it.”
“You have a car?” he asks incredulously. “This whole time?”
Nodding, I lean down to kiss him. “Yes. You never asked.”
“Damn. Roadhead is on my bucket list, y’know?”
He stands up and kisses me again, nearly sweeping me off my feet.
There’s no one around, the season is over, and we’re damn near at the end of our agreement. We don’t need to act like this anymore, and yet… I can’t stop myself from reaching up to touch his face. “Well, who knows. Maybe you’ll still get it.”
“Maybe. Want me to walk you to your car?”
His face tilts into my palm and his eyes flutter closed like he’s savoring this moment, and I realize with a jolt that if I don’t say goodbye right now, I’m going to shove him in my trunk and take him home with me.
“It’s okay,” I say gently. “I don’t have a heavy bag, I can make it.”
Elias frowns, glancing at my luggage and then back at me like he can hear the clock ticking down. “Alright. I-I’ll miss you, Riley.”
“Shh.” Rocking up on my toes, I kiss him one more time and then back up to grab my bag. “We still need to have our very public break-up, remember? I’ll see you soon, soccer boy.”
His jaw tenses as he drops his gaze, his feet finally moving toward the door like he couldn’t bear to leave if he was still looking at my face. “Be sure to break my heart, cupcake.”
When he leaves without looking back, I glance down at that stuffed cupcake and hold it close to me.
He can ask me to break his heart all he wants, but something tells me I won’t be able to.
I’d rather not break my own in the process.
Chapter 24
Twilight Goes Frosty
RILEY
Christmas with my family feels hollow for the first time in my life. My parents are pulling out all the stops and my brothers have been wearing matching pajamas for days, but I keep checking my phone. Eli has only texted me a handful of times since we said goodbye and that video is burning a hole through my phone.
I need to see it.
I can’t watch it.
It’s put me in quite the little pickle.
“Paging Riley Dattner,” Eddie says into his hand. “Paging my dorkass little sis?—”
He cuts himself when Jake smacks his shoulder. “She’s heartbroken, douche. Don’t call her a dorkass.”
Heartbroken? Me?
Is that what this is?
“She’s not heartbroken, what are you talking about? She doesn’t even have a boyfriend.”
Jake rolls his eyes so hard, I think they’re going to run away. “This is why no one tells you anything. You’re an idiot.”
“I’m not?—”
