Page 16 of Off The Rush
“Actually…” I hesitate for a moment, wondering how best to approach this topic. “Tess, I need to tell you something.”
“Sure, what’s up?” she asks, her hazel eyes filled with concern.
“I’m… fake dating Alec now,” I blurt out, feeling my cheeks heat up as the words leave my mouth.
“Wait, what? More than just the showcase?” Tessa exclaims, nearly choking on her tea. “How did that happen?”
“Long story short,” I begin, fiddling nervously with my hair, “when I asked him for help, he countered with the fake dating idea until the Spring Showcase. But you can’t tell anyone, okay?”
“Of course not,” she promises immediately, leaning forward with keen interest. “But how does that even work? Are you going to be seen together all the time or…?”
“I don’t have all the answers,” I admit, feeling somewhat lost. “But he asked me to go to a party with him next weekend.”
“Really?” Tessa raises an eyebrow. “Well, I’m coming too. I need to assess the situation and make sure everything’s on the up and up.”
“Thanks, Tess,” I say gratefully, knowing that her presence will provide some much-needed support in this strange new arrangement.
Chapter 7
I’m walking out of my evening class, halfheartedly flirting with the girl next to me. She’s cute, I guess, but it’s just another mindless conversation to pass the time. As we part ways, I turn the corner and there she is—Emma Delaney.
Her long, dark hair cascades down her back as she laughs at something her friend says. Her green eyes light up, and that sweet smile of hers sends a shiver down my spine. What is happening to me? I’ve never really paid attention to girls outside of sex, but something about Emma draws me in.
“Hey, Emma,” I say, quickly making my way over to her. She turns to me, her smile growing even brighter.
“Hi, Luka!” she replies cheerfully. “How was your class?”
“Same old, same old,” I shrug, trying to play it cool. My heart races as I rack my brain for something witty to say. Finally, I settle on, “You know, you’re so much more interesting than anything they teach us in there.”
She raises an eyebrow and smirks, but then her expression shifts into a grimace. That’s when it hits me—she’s dating Alec, my roommate and best friend. I love him like a brother, and the last thing I want is to betray him. Fucking hell, Luka, don’t flirt with her.
She. is. dating. Alec.
A twinge of jealousy springs up inside me, thinking about how Alec met her first.
“Right, well, I should get going,” Emma says hesitantly, taking a step back. “I’ll see you around, Luka.”
“Wait!” I call out before I can stop myself. Emma freezes, looking back at me with a mix of curiosity and caution. “I, uh, I just wanted to say… you know, if you ever need someone to talk to or hang out with, I’m here.”
That sounded so stupid. I mentally face-palm myself.
“Thanks, Luka,” she says slowly, clearly surprised by my offer. “I’ll keep that in mind.”
I know I should walk away. Spending more time with Emma is playing with fire, but I can’t help myself. Maybe we can be friends, at least. I rack my brain for something to say, some excuse to keep her here when a guy approaches her.
“Hey, Emma!” he says with a grin. “How did you do on that history test? I thought it was brutal.”
“Hi, Mike,” she replies, her green eyes lighting up as she talks to him. It’s obvious the guy is flirting with her, and it annoys me more than I want to admit.
“I managed to get an A,” she continues. “But yeah, it was tough.”
“Wow, that’s great! You must have studied really hard.” He leans in closer to her, and I can’t take it anymore.
“Emma,” I interrupt, “we should get going. Alec mentioned you were coming over today?”
She looks at me, clearly confused. “Oh, um, sure.” She turns to Mike. “Sorry, I’ll catch up with you later.”
“Sure thing, Emma. See you around,” he says, disappointment flickering across his face as she walks away with me.
