Page 26 of The Game We Played

I open my mouth but no words come out.

“I forgot.”

“Forgot what?” I ask. Are we still discussing the apartment building?

“You come from money.”

I scowl. “I don’t come from money.”

“Your parents are both doctors. And not any old doctors. Aren’t they neurosurgeons or something else super rare?”

I can only nod since I never discuss my parents or the rest of my family. The term family shouldn’t apply to them.

When Alaia doesn’t speak, I glance over at her. She’s studying me. I glance away before she has a chance to figure out the truth.

She pats my hand. “It’s okay. You don’t need to discuss them with me.”

“What are you? A mind reader?”

“Nope. But I do have experience interviewing people. Your entire face closed down on me. It couldn’t have been more obvious if you had a sign flashing ‘subject off limits’ on your forehead.”

“You’re not mad?”

“Why would I be mad? You don’t have to spill your entire life story to me. This is fake, remember?”

My stomach drops every time she says fake. But I refuse to consider why. This is fake. I don’t do real relationships.

“Our friendship isn’t fake.”

“True. It’s my duty to remind you not to tell a friend their apartment is a dump.”

I cringe. “I didn’t use the word dump.”

“But you were thinking it,” she sings.

I motion to the console. “Maybe you should switch on the radio and pick a station to listen to before I put my foot in my mouth again.”

“I’m on it.”

She reaches forward to fiddle with the radio. Relief fills me. She was obviously mad about my comment, but she’s not going to hold it against me. Not the way other women have in the past.

But this is Alaia. She’s not other women.

And we’re not actually dating either. I don’t date. But I think I could make an exception for Alaia.

Chapter 9

BREAKING: TANNER LONG SPOTTED WITH GIRLFRIEND AT HOSPITAL EVENT Relationship status confirmed?

Alaia

It’s crowded in the parking lot of the hospital. There are news vans parked willy nilly all over the place.

They aren’t what scares me. The drove of people who cheered and ran toward our car when we arrived are the scary part. What will they think of me? Will they believe this charade?

Tanner squeezes my hand. “Don’t worry. I won’t let any harm come to you.”

“Harm?” I gulp. I was worried about how his fans would react to me – the boring, small-town girl – as his girlfriend. Should I be worried I’m going to be mauled?