I’d never been good at dealing with anger, so I’d walk away for now, and hopefully, by tomorrow, I’d be over it.
But she wasn’t getting to spend one minute with my dick tonight.
I’d never been one to withhold sex, but I sure as shit wasn’t gracing her with his presence tonight.
“Okay. Well, let me know if you need anything.” Her green gaze searched mine.
“Nope. I think I just need some space tonight.”
Yeah, that ought to get her thinking. I wasn’t just some fake boyfriend she could use and then go back to Dr. Lame-Ass and use all her new mad sex skills on him. Hell, no.
None of it would work without me because we were just that good together.
Her gaze narrowed. “Some space? I see. Take all the space you need, Chewy.”
And with that, she loaded the dishes into the dishwasher like they’d committed a crime against her. Handling the utensils aggressively as they banged around in the sink, slamming the door closed to the dishwasher with force, and then stomping through the room to get her coat.
“Where the fuck are you going?” I hissed.
She glanced over her shoulder. “I’m going out and getting some space.”
She was not going to pull the reverse pissed-off tantrum on me. I had two sisters. I knew this game better than anyone.
I was the one who was pissed.
She didn’t get to be pissed.
“Don’t let the door hit you in the ass,” I growled as I stormed down the hallway to my bedroom.
I took a hot shower and came out to see if she was home, but the house was dark. I peeked in her room, and she wasn’t in there.
The fuck?
I glanced out the window, and her car was still in the driveway.
Did she have that bastard come pick her up?
Was she going to cry on his shoulder about her fight with her fake boyfriend?
I was fuming as I sat up on the couch, waiting for her like some lovesick fucker.
That was exactly what I was now, wasn’t it?
I was in love with my best friend.
My fake girlfriend.
Here she’d worried about her falling for me, and I’d been the one to fall.
I reached for the blanket my mom had brought over for me and Reese yesterday and shook it out to cover me while I sulked on the sofa. My mom had come over under the guise of bringing a present. I knew her well, and she’d come to see what was going on between us. She and Jenny were both suspicious. They’d been asking a lot of questions, and we’d denied all accusations that our fake relationship was anything more than that. We’d both acted offended that they’d think we’d do anything to risk our friendship.
They’d apologized, and we’d both felt pretty shitty for lying.
But now I was starting to wonder if I was the only one that thought this relationship wasn’t fake anymore.
I scratched at my arms and looked down to see red spots covering my arms.
Motherfucker.
Could this night get any worse?
I texted my mom as I glanced at the clock and saw it was after ten o’clock at night, and I didn’t want to call and risk waking her.
Hey. I have hives. I think it might be the new blanket. What do I do?
Mom
Oh, Finny. I’m so sorry. Check the tag. Is there wool in that blanket? I didn’t think to check it.
I glanced down and found the tag, and sure enough, it was almost all wool.
Yep. It’s wool. And now my hands are covered in spots.
I sent her a photo.
Mom
Take two Benadryl right now. I’m so sorry. I’m going to burn that blanket.
This is what happens when you buy a phony gift to come spy on your kid.
Mom
Very funny. Also true. I’m sorry. Do you have Benadryl?
Yeah. And that’ll be good because it always knocks me out.
Mom
Warn Reese that you’re taking it. It always makes your sleepwalking worse.
I wouldn’t warn Reese because she was out partying with her ex. One day of Carl being single, and she couldn’t get out of here quickly enough.
You got it. Love you.
Mom
Love you, honey.
I tossed the blanket in the laundry room and went to the bathroom to find the medication. I popped two pink pills in my mouth and fell face down on my bed.
I hoped that sleep would take me fast because I couldn’t get my mind off where Reese was and what she was doing with him.
And I fucking hated that I cared so much.
twenty
Reese
I came back to the house close to midnight after sitting out in the stall with Millie for a few hours and reading on my Kindle. I was pissed at Finn, and I had no right to be angry. The way he shut down the minute I told him that Carl was single had pissed me off. I didn’t say I was going back to him just yet, and he looked disappointed. Like he’d hoped the minute Carl ended things with his girlfriend, I’d just call off this sham of a relationship and crawl back to him.