Page 22 of The Fake
“Sooo,” I mimic, and he grins.
“You said you wanted to talk to me or was that code for get naked because you’re still fully clothed?”
“Oh, right.” I walk around his room to avoid staring at him, taking in details about him. Detail one, his phone is on his desk so maybe he wasn’t ignoring me. Detail two, there are no less than five half-empty Powerade bottles also on the desk, but no laptop or books. “Sorry to just drop in. I tried to text.”
“It’s a party. No need to RSVP, sweetheart.”
“My roommates still think we’re together.”
“Yeah, I got that from the death glares they were sending me and Maureen.”
“Sorry if I ruined your date for the night.” I turn to face him so he can see I mean it. He’s dropped his jeans and only wears a pair of wet black boxer briefs that do nothing to hide… well, everything. I quickly turn back around, heat flooding my face. “I’ll go down there and tell them the truth. This whole charade has gone on long enough. You must think I’m crazy.”
His phone rings, cutting off any response he might have been about to say. He picks it up and looks at the screen, his brows pulling together as he says, “Sorry, I gotta get this. Can we talk later?”
“Of course.” I move to the door. “Is there a bathroom up here I could use?”
He points. “Across the hall.”
“Thanks.”
He nods as he puts the phone to his ear and answers.
I let myself out and find the bathroom. Inside, I splash my face and search for the words to try and explain this to my roommates, but I’m at a total loss. The little bit of ground I won tonight is going to be pulled out from under me when they find out I made the whole thing up.
Why couldn’t I have just owned up to my one night with Nathan? Looking back, I don’t think it’s possible that my roommates could have possibly disliked me any more than they already did just because I got drunk and slept with the first person who was nice to me. I think it’s because I could see it in their eyes—acceptance. They couldn’t believe he was with me and dammit, why wouldn’t he be? I’m pretty fantastic.
Acceptance.I sigh. Isn’t that what led me to sleep with him in the first place? He looked at me like I was just me and not the girl who was shrouded in scandal. I wasn’t lying when I told him I don’t do that. The blackout drunk or the one-night stand.
I’m so embarrassed I threw myself at him only a few hours after we met. And yes, Ithrewmyself at him. I remember that much very clearly. He kissed me and then I practically ripped my clothes off.
I stare at my reflection in the mirror above the sink. I look the same as the girl who was living in California, the girl who had very few cares in the world, but I can’t tell the real from the fake anymore. Who am I if I’m not the girl who was given a full-ride scholarship to Golden to play volleyball? Did I deserve that spot or, like everything else, was it bought for me by parents who love me maybe a little too much to see how doing such a thing could be worse for me than letting me fail?
Letting out a deep breath, I shake my head and decide that it doesn’t matter. All I can do now is focus on showing my new teammates that I deserve to be here. This is my chance.
Out in the hallway, I take a step toward the stairs, but Nathan’s voice grabs my attention. Even in a hushed tone, I can tell he’s upset.
“How could you be so fucking stupid?”
I freeze and press myself against the hallway wall. It sounds like something is thrown to the floor before he speaks again. “It’s stupid and reckless. You’re not Vin Diesel, bro. Quit tearing up the road like you’re auditioning for the next Fast and Furious spinoff. Fuck, Heath. You gotta help me out here, I’m doing the best that I can.”
I’m holding my breath, heart racing. I know I should stop listening, but I cannot make my feet move.
“Yeah, alright,” his gruff voice comes once more followed by silence like he’s hung up the phone. I start down the stairs when he calls out, “FUCK!”
I glance back just as he exits his room. He doesn’t see me, but I can’t miss the wild intensity of his blue eyes. He takes off in the opposite direction, and I follow after him. He looks like a man about to make very bad decisions.
I hurry to keep up, which is no easy task in these heels. He heads down the hall and enters another bedroom. This one is bigger and looks a lot more lived in. He doesn’t touch anything in the room, though. He moves to a slider and opens it to a small balcony that overlooks the backyard and the party below.
He’s pacing, running both hands through his hair. He looks like a caged animal. Finally, he lights up a cigarette and closes his eyes as he inhales. When he opens them, he glances over to me like he knew I’d be standing there, though I don’t think he saw me follow him.
“Wanna talk about it?”
“It’s fine.” He blows out a cloud of smoke and shakes his head. He doesn’t look like he’s going to be sharing his troubles anytime soon so I lean my hip against the railing and we stand like that in our own quiet bubble away from the noise and chaos below. We’ve got a bird’s eye view of the party, but Nathan stares straight ahead into the night. I don’t know what I expected by following him out here, but he looks like he could use a friend.
I’m starting to get cold and wondering how much longer we’re going to stand out here when he says, “I don’t think you’re crazy.”
It takes me a minute to realize he’s referring to our talk earlier. “That makes one of us. I don’t recognize myself anymore. Crazy is probably the nicest way to describe sleeping with you, freaking out, and then conning my roommates into thinking you’re my boyfriend.”
