Page 54 of The Fake
I fidget nervously at her kind words. Nathan plays the doting boyfriend well, looking down at me with a smile on his lips, his eyes still troubled.
I glance at my cell, eyeing the time.
“You have early class tomorrow?” he asks quietly.
“No, early morning workout.”
“You ready to go?”
I nod, partly because of the guilt I feel for sliding into their group under false pretenses and in part, I want to give him an easy out. “Yeah, I should get to bed early tonight.”
“Gotta cut and run, guys,” Nathan announces. “Need some time with my girl.” He drops a kiss to my temple.
“What? You just got here!” Gabby protests.
Joel and Wes come back with the pitcher and cups.
“Catch you guys in the morning,” Nathan says without meeting anyone’s gaze.
We stand, and I give Gabby a genuine smile. “Thank you for inviting me out. I had a really good time.”
“Of course. Consider yourself invited for every future girls’ night. I’ll text you.”
When we get outside, Nathan asks, “Need a ride?”
I glance at my car but know I’ve had too many to get behind the wheel. “Yeah. I was going to call an Uber though if you want to stay.”
He shakes his head. “Nah, I don’t really wanna be here.”
He leads me to his car and opens the passenger door for me. I give him a rueful smile at the unnecessary gesture until he adds, “Handle sticks.”
He closes me in and rounds the car to hop in the driver’s seat.
“This isn’t what I pictured you driving,” I tell him, glancing around the car and noting the hot pink flower-shaped air freshener hanging from the rear-view mirror. I tap the flower and I catch a whiff of the fruity smell—strawberries, I think.
“Are you suggesting a handsome, rugged guy like myself can’t also enjoy a pale red hue?”
“Pale red?” My lips turn up at his description. “That is Barbie-vomit pink.”
“Don’t play Barbie like that.”
“Like what?”
“Like you didn’t have the dream house, the convertible, and the portable closet.”
“Did you?” I ask, amused at his knowledge of Barbie accessories.
“Nah, this was Gabby’s car. She wrecked mine last semester and then Zeke bought her a new one, soooo she gave me this.”
“Wow.”
He nods, and we fall silent for the rest of the ride.
“Do you want to come in?” I ask when he pulls into the parking lot behind Freddy.
He searches my face before responding, “I don’t think so.”
I’m slow to move, delaying leaving him. Despite not wanting to get too involved, I really enjoy being with him. “I’m sorry if it was weird to have me hanging with your friends. Gabby is…”
