Page 59 of Fake It Till We Fall
“I don’t regret anything, Grayson.”
“Good,” I said. Her words loosened the knot in my chest. “Neither do I.” That was a lie. I regretted the fact that I hadn’t told her exactly how I felt. But I’d have to live with that particular regret, because there was no way I was going to tell her that my feelings were far from pretend. It wasn’t fair. To either of us.
We sat for another beat. I gestured to the pile of clothes still lying on the floor. “Although, I guess we should address our…well, our lack of planning. Are you…”
“I’m on the Pill,” she said. “It’s fine.”
I relaxed a little more. “Well, I guess this means I’m fully committed to the deception we have going here.”
“It would seem so.” She laughed. “I hope you know this wasn’t some big ploy to get you back into my bed.”
“I hope not.” I kept my voice light, going along with her teasing. “Because, for the record, there are easier ways to seduce me.”
She burst out laughing.
Careful not to spill either of our coffees, I wrapped an arm around her waist and pulled her close to kiss her. “Might as well fully embrace my role, right?”
Harper licked her bottom lip and nodded a little before kissing me back.
Fuck, yes. I’d fully commit to my role as her fake boyfriend for as long as she’d let me. Especially if these were the perks.
I should have left it there, but the words slipped out before I could stop them. “It does make me wonder, though…”
Her brows lifted a little. She pulled back. “Wonder what?”
“What’s the end game, Harper? I mean, what’s next for you?” I tried to keep the question casual, but there was a weight behind it I couldn’t deny. “When the holidays are over, I mean.”
Her smile dimmed, and for a moment, she didn’t answer. She turned to gaze into the fire as if the flames held the answers. “I don’t know yet.”
It wasn’t a lie, but it also didn’t feel like the truth.
Before I could push, she shifted the conversation. “What about you? If Ollie’s selling the store, what does that mean for you?”
I rubbed the back of my neck, grounding myself in the somewhat safer topic. “I don’t know yet,” I said. “There hasn’t really been much time to talk to him about it with the Christmas season and…well, everything.”
She smiled sympathetically. “So what does that mean for you? I mean, you’ve been there for so long and from what I can gather, you already run the place. If he sells…”
I blew out a breath. “Can I tell you something I haven’t told anyone else yet?”
“Of course.” She turned so she faced me head-on.
“I want to buy it.” Saying the words out loud concreted it within me. “I’ve actually been working on a plan for a while now.”
“Really?” Harper lit up with enthusiasm so genuine, I couldn’t help but smile. “That’s amazing. That would be so perfect for you. What did he say when you told him?”
The smile fell from my face. “I haven’t had a chance to tell him yet. It’s been…”
“Grayson! What are you waiting for?”
“I told you, it’s been so busy.”
“No.” She shook her head firmly and set her coffee cup down. “This is too important to wait. Text him right now.”
“What?”
She tilted her head. “I mean, why are you waiting?”
“Because…well…it’s Christmas.”
