Page 80 of The Fake
“None, or well, technically, I guess one. I slept with him the first night I met him.”
I’ve thought about how to break it to my roommates that I lied about Nathan being my boyfriend so many times with no clear path, and this feels like my chance. “We didn’t really meet in the boy’s locker room. He found me hiding out at that athletic mixer and we got to talking and drinking and well, one thing led to another. Our first time was the night he slept over and Bri almost had a coronary that he was in our living room.”
“You two moved quick. See, that’s how it’s supposed to happen.” Sydney breezes right past the lies I told her like they’re inconsequential, and maybe they are. It feels good to tell her the truth, anyway. “I’m definitely getting rid of the five-date rule.”
Liv and Sydney end up wanting to stay out later, but at eleven, I hug them and send Nathan a text that I’m on my way.
Nathan: Left the front door open for you. Come on up, I’m in bed.
I’m grinning as I rush out the front of TKE and nearly collide with a group of guys just walking in.
“Whoa, sorry,” I say as I bob and weave between them.
My Uber hasn’t shown so I wait by the curb impatiently, pacing up and down the short stretch of sidewalk.
“Yo, Payne’s girl. Chloe, right?”
I turn on my heel to see Frank walking up to the house. He’s got an easy smile and friendly demeanor about him that has me walking toward him. “That’s right.”
“Where’s Nathan?”
“Home. He had late practice today.”
“Lame,” Frank says. “I never see him anymore. You leaving already, too?”
“Yeah, I’m gonna go see my lame man.”
He chuckles and scans the street. “Need a ride?”
I hold up my phone. “Waiting on an Uber. Should be here any minute.” I glance down and see the estimated time has increased and the driver’s Subaru has gone in the opposite direction.
“I could have you there and be back to the party by the time they get here.”
“That’s alright. Nathan’s probably sleeping by now anyway.”
Frank doesn’t move from his spot. His smile falls so that only one side of his mouth is pulled up into a half-grin. “Alright, well, it was good to see you again.” He starts to walk off and then turns. “Oh, hey.” He pulls out a cigarette, offers me one, and then lights it when I shake my head. He speaks again after he’s taken a long drag. “Could you give Nathan something for me?”
“Sure.”
He walks toward the curb and unlocks a black Jeep. He opens the back-passenger side seat and pulls out a Microeconomics textbook. “You’ll see that he gets it?”
I nod as I grab the thick textbook. “Sure. Did he leave it in class or something?”
Frank pauses a beat before nodding. I shove it in my backpack, and he closes the door and takes a step toward the party. “Thanks, Chloe, I appreciate it.” He motions toward the blue Subaru pulling up. “Looks like your ride finally made it.”
It takes forever to get to Nathan’s. Okay, it only takes five minutes but I’m so anxious that every second of the driver trying to make small talk feels long. The front door is open as Nathan said it would be and I hurry through, only pausing to yell hello to Datson sitting on the couch watching a baseball game.
Nathan’s room is dark, and I can just barely make out his shape on the bed. Quietly stepping out of my heels, I drop my backpack near the door and get in under the covers with him.
“Surfer Princess,” he whispers gruffly and pulls me into him without opening his eyes. “You’re a beautiful dream.”
I wake up sometime later plastered against Nathan. I lift my face from his sweaty chest and a deep groan from him startles me. His eyes are still closed, but his muscles twitch.
I move over a bit to give him some space and lie back down so I won’t disturb his sleep, but the tremors get worse until I’m not sure if I should wake him up or shut my eyes and try to sleep. I turn on my back and inch closer to the edge in case my nearness is keeping him from falling back asleep.
When his forearm connects with my forehead, I wince and then laugh. “Owww, Nathan,” I start, my voice laced with laughter that he’s hogging the bed and ready to fight me for space. I turn to him and fling his arm back.
“No,” he growls. “Stop.” At the last word, he jumps from bed and stares down at it with blind fury and torment.
