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I turned to face her and leaned down so we were eye to eye. “I’m not a cheater. I’m also not really a dater. You’re the first girl to call me boyfriend on campus.”
“Why?” I could see a cluster of freckles across her nose and when it crinkled in confusion, I watched them disappear like a cute magic trick.
“Why, what?”
“Why haven’t you dated anyone?”
I shrugged as I straightened. “I was having too much fun, I guess.”
Her mouth turned down as she studied me. “A good relationship can be fun.”
I raised my eyebrows at her.
“Okay, so I guess I don’t have a lot of personal experience, but I’ve heard that.” She ducked her head and the expression on her face when she looked back up at me made my chest tighten. “Thank you for going along with that, Fisher. You didn’t owe me anything and you could’ve really embarrassed me, but you didn’t. I just didn’t want to look like a loser in front of Billy. It’s just… It’s embarrassing, but he knows he was my first. Everything. I don’t want him thinking he’s still my only. Even if he is.”
Volunteering to make it real was on the tip of my tongue but a mental image of Vaughn’s head exploding stopped me from saying the words. Instead, I stepped closer to her and cupped the side of her neck. “After that kiss, I’m pretty sure he’s going to think he’s been thoroughly replaced, Ella.”
“Thank you.”
I should’ve been the one thanking her for that kiss. I smiled and took a deep breath that made our chests brush against each other. Her quick intake of breath was more proof that she was as attracted to me as I was to her. “We’re doing this. I’m your boyfriend, Ella. I’m committed.”
Her bubbling laughter was almost enough to make me kiss her again. “This is crazy. You don’t need to do this. What if you meet your dream girl tomorrow?”
Crazy was the quiet voice in my head trying to tell me that I already had. I ignored it. “It’s fine, Ella. I’m in. I’ll keep my dick in my pants until you’re ready to dump me.”
Ella shook her head and backed out of my hold. Planting her hands on her hips, she blew out a big breath. “No. That’s ridiculous.”
“Well, I’m not a cheater, Ella. So…?” I smirked and tilted my head at her while I waited for her to get my joke and punch me.
She laughed like I’d told the best joke in the world. She even reached out and gently slapped my arm. “Oh, my god. Vaughn would’ve hated that joke. You’re really going to give him a complex. I keep trying to tell him that you aren’t trying to make moves on me but he’s nuts.”
I didn’t think I could say a thing without bursting her bubble. If she thought I wasn’t making moves, the moves I made could be played off as just filling the fake boyfriend role. I was an asshole.
“Oh, no. He’s going to hate this, isn’t he?” She let her head fall back and groaned. “This is just the kind of thing to piss him off.”
“I’d be surprised if he hasn’t already heard that I was trying to dry hump you in the middle of campus.” Seeing her shocked face, I couldn’t help laughing. “I’ll handle him.”
“Oh, yeah… I think I was too surprised at hearing I’d been dry humped to even think about him.” Her eyes narrowed as she looked off in the distance. “Maybe we can make this work for everyone, though. Vaughn seems to think everyone is going to try to screw me, for whatever insane reason. If I’m publicly dating you, no one’s going to make a move on me. Vaughn will have one less thing to worry about.”
A sick sense of happiness settled over me. Even if it wasn’t for real, everyone on campus would know that Ella was mine. That would be enough to keep most assholes away from her. I felt like Vaughn in that moment, but I liked knowing Ella was going to be seen as mine and that no one would mess with her.
“You’re right. I’ll make sure to explain it to him in that way.” I wrapped my arms around her waist and pulled her close. Dropping my mouth to her ear, I smiled as I felt her shiver. “We’ve got to keep up appearances if we’re going to do this. Is that okay with you?”
She brought her arms up around my neck. “You know, not all couples are so touchy.”
The clean scent of her skin drew my lips closer to her neck. “That’s not my couple style, Ella.”
“You don’t have a couple style.”
I ran my nose along the curve of her shoulder before forcing myself to raise my head. “I know how I’d act as half of a couple with you, Ella.”
“Yo, Fish! You dropped your ball, man. That’s not how you get us to the championship game!”
Ella pulled herself free. “You dropped your nice football?”
I grinned. “And got my hands on something much nicer.”
15
