Page 14 of Faking It Right
“How long have you been betting on us?” I shot back, trying to salvage some dignity.
“Since about a month after you brought Harley home for the first time,” Dad replied, folding his newspaper with surgical precision. “Your mother was convinced from the get-go, but the rest of us took a little bit longer to catch on since you’ve never shown any interest in dating men.”
My instinct to deny any interest in guys died in my throat. I couldn’t very well claim that and have a boyfriend. “Ugh, I can’t believe this,” I groaned, sinking deeper into the couch as if it functioned as inter-dimensional escape pods.
“Believe it, biscuit,” Mom chimed in, settling back down beside me. “A mother always knows these things. With the way you two gaze at each other, it was only a matter of time before you realized sexuality is a spectrum, not a light switch.”
“And how do we look at each other?” I challenged, genuinely curious despite my mortification.
“Like you’re the only two people in the universe,” Gia offered with a soft smile.
“Like you’re constantly trying not to jump each other’s bones,” Sawyer added with all the tact of a honey badger performing dental work with a chainsaw.
“Like you belong together,” Mom concluded, her eyes misty with maternal pride.
When Harley smiled at me, I forgot everything was pretend. My heart did a shocking impersonation of a hamster hammered on espresso shots doing the electric slide against my rib cage.
“Well, now that the cat’s out of the bag,” Harley said, breaking our eye contact to address my family, “I hope you don’t mind if I do this.” He leaned over and pressed a quick kiss on my cheek, his lips warm against my skin.
The innocent gesture sent my cheeks into a full-on blush, but the collective “Aww” from my family made it even worse.
“Who made the first move?” Sawyer asked. “I’ve got another twenty riding on it being Harley.”
“Another bet?” I groaned.
“Of course. We’ve been invested in this romance longer than you.”
Before I could respond, Mom interjected again. “Oh, this is so much better than you dating Maylin! Not that she isn’t a peach, but Harley is perfect for you. He already knows all your annoying quirks and loves you, anyway.”
“Gee, thanks, Mom,” I muttered.
“It’s true, though,” Harley said, his hand finding mine and interlacing our fingers. The casual intimacy of the gesture sent another jolt through me. “I adore all his annoying habits.”
Sawyer snorted. “Like leaving his socks everywhere?”
“And talking during movies?” Gia added.
“And getting grumpy when he’s hungry?” Mom joined in.
“Yes to all the above,” Harley agreed with a laugh. “Plus, he’s downright adorable when he’s irritated.”
I shot him a glare. “I’m sitting right here, you know.”
“We’re aware, biscuit,” Mom said, giving my knee a supportive pat. “We’re thrilled for you both.”
Warmth spread through my chest at my family’s delighted faces, chased by a shot of guilt. It was supposed to be a “get out of a blind date free card” ruse, not an excuse for them to break out rainbow flags. I was the world’s biggest, most clueless fraud.
“So,” Dad said, breaking into my thoughts, “how long has this been going on? For the official record.”
I opened my mouth to respond, but Harley beat me to it. “About a month ago, during the cinematic masterpieceSlaughter House Party 2: Greek Week Nightmare. Ryker practically crawled into my lap during the jump scares, which was a game changer. He finally succumbed to my undeniable charm.”
My sister snickered. “Yeah, that sounds about right. Ryker’s always been a scaredy-cat with horror flicks.”
“Afterward, we went for ice cream,” Harley continued, tracing circles on the back of my hand with his thumb. “And he couldn’t take his eyes off me while I licked my cone.”
“Someone please put me out of my misery,” I muttered, mortified by the direction this fabricated tale was taking.
“It was incredibly romantic,” Harley concluded.
