Page 78 of Faking All the Way
I was half-worried things might be weird between us after last night, that we’d be overthinking everything or dancing around what happened. But we’re just us. Same comfortable back-and-forth, same easy rhythm. It’s so much better than the stilted, awkward vibes yesterday morning, which only justifies our choice in my mind. This is working out great.
When we pull up to Edward’s house, he’s already waiting at the front door, balancing on his crutches and looking like he’s been running his hand through his hair repeatedly. He waves us over quickly, relief evident on his face.
“Thank god you’re here.” He steps back to let us in, gesturing for us to follow. “I can hear him meowing but I can’t get down there to help him. Been trying for an hour.”
We trail after him to the kitchen, where pathetic meowing sounds are coming from somewhere under the cabinets. Asher immediately gets down on his hands and knees to assess the situation, lying flat on his stomach to get the right angle.
“Come on, big guy,” he says, and his voice turns soft and patient in a way that does something to my insides. “I know you’re scared, but you’re okay. Just come toward my voice.”
It takes several minutes of coaxing, with Asher practically wedged under the cabinets himself, but eventually Murphy emerges looking thoroughly embarrassed. The cat immediately winds around Asher’s legs as if nothing happened, purring loudly enough to fill the entire kitchen.
“Drama queen,” Asher says affectionately, scratching behind Murphy’s ears while the cat practically melts with pleasure.
Edward watches the interaction with a small smile on his worn face, and I can see the love there. Pride too, watching his son handle the situation with such patience.
“Thank you,” he tells Asher quietly. “I know you’ve got better things to do than rescue cats.”
“It’s fine, Dad. Murphy’s worth it.” There’s something stilted about Asher’s tone, as if he’s not sure how much emotion he’s allowed to show around his father. “Besides, someone’s got to keep him out of trouble.”
While they clean up the small mess Murphy made in his panic, picking up scattered cabinet contents and wiping away dust, my phone rings. Samantha’s name appears on the screen, and I step out to the front yard to take the call privately, settling onto Edward’s front porch swing.
“Kat! Oh my god, finally!” Sam’s voice is bright and a little breathless. “I’ve been totally out of WiFi range for like three days. We were in this insanely remote area for work, away from the base camp. I literally just got back, and I’m dying. Tell me everything about the fake boyfriend situation.”
I bite my lip, realizing she has no idea how much has changed. “Um. You’ve missed a lot.”
“Ooh, spill. What happened?”
“We slept together.” I say it quickly, then rush to clarify. “But it’s just hooking up, okay? Like a side benefit of our fake dating thing. It’s not serious.”
There’s a pause on the other end. “Holy shit. I mean, first of all, go you. Get it girl! But also… are you sure that’s a good idea? It seems like it could get messy.”
“I know.” I kick lightly at a little pile of snow, admitting that truth to myself for the first time since this started. “It might not be as easy as I thought. But I’m…” I trail off, not sure how to put it into words.
“What? You’re what?”
“I’m having fun. Like, for the first time in forever, I’m having the best time. I feel like a better version of myself, you know?”
Sam’s voice softens. “Aw, babe. I’m so happy to hear that. You deserve to have fun.” Then her tone turns playful, teasing. “So what’s he like? In bed?”
I laugh, my face heating. “Sam!”
“What? I’m stuck in Antarctica with penguins and a bunch of scientists. I need to live vicariously through someone. Come on, give me something.”
I don’t go into too many details, but I admit, “It’s good. Really, really good.”
“Oooh. Okay, I’m gonna need a full breakdown when I get back to actual civilization. I want details.”
I laugh again, then ask, “How are things going with you? How’s the expedition?”
“It’s great, actually. The team is good. There was this one guy I thought there might be something with, but it totally fizzled. We had drinks one night and I thought there were vibes, but then nothing.”
“That sucks.”
“Eh, it’s fine. My dating prospects out here are pretty terrible anyway. It’s mostly middle-aged dudes and like three people my age. I’m basically going to have to live off your stories about this fling you’re having with your hot fake boyfriend.”
We keep talking, catching up on the small details of our lives. As we do, I see Asher come out onto the porch, watching me with a look that makes my stomach flip, his gaze focused and appreciative as he takes me in. When our gazes catch, he smiles, and something warm spreads through my chest.
“Yeah,” I find myself saying to Sam, still looking at Asher. “I’m going to be living off these memories for a long time too.”
