Page 105 of The Fake Out

“Wow…you guys sure do know how to compliment a girl,” I said with a roll of my eyes. Did I mention Ayden was kind of an asshole?

“Stop being mean to my girlfriend,” a deep voice spoke up behind me.

I turned around and came face-to-face with the man I had been heartbroken over. Blaise’s blonde hair was getting longer, but he styled it so it was out of his face. His muscular frame was bulging out of the classic black suit he wore. People said men in suits were to women what women in lingerie were to men, and I had to agree. Because I wanted to tear the clothes off of him, even if I didn’t deserve him.

“Blaise…” I started but then stopped because I didn’t know what to say.

“C’mere you,” he ordered in that soft voice that made me melt.

“What?”

“Kiss me already,” he whined and pointed at his lips. He was cute when he was all pouty, and I had missed those puppy dog eyes.

Dinah barked out a laugh next to me at his whining, but I ignored her while Blaise bent down and slanted his mouth over mine. I melted into the kiss and probably would have been in a puddle underneath my barstool if I wasn’t already sitting down.

He pulled away slowly and rested his forehead against mine. “Hi.”

“Hi,” I breathed back at him.

“Can we talk?”

I nodded.

“Finish your beer.”

Dinah plucked it off the bar and handed it to Noah. “Problem solved!” she cheered.

“Go on you two,” Noah urged.

I grinned at them, and Blaise helped me out of my seat and into my coat. He took my hand as we walked outside, and it was so nice holding this man’s hand as we walked on the sidewalk together. This time not faking it for the people around us.

“Where do you want to go talk?” I asked.

“My place.”

“Okay.”

He led me to his car, where we lapsed into an uncomfortable silence. We had a lot to say to each other, but I wasn’t sure where to start.

When I asked Rox to get me a ticket to the game and explained why, that was as far as I thought it through. My brother said I had to make a big gesture, but now I wasn’t sure if showing up to Blaise’s game wearing his jersey was enough. I didn’t know how he was feeling, but he had called me his girlfriend in front of his dad and younger brother, so that had to count for something.

I let myself get lost in my thoughts that I hadn’t realized we were heading into Center City. Wait…

“Blaise, I thought you said you wanted to go to your place?”

He ran a hand through his hair. “We are.”

I cocked my head at him.

“I moved out of my dad’s.”

“You did?”

He nodded. “Yup.”

“When?” I asked.

“Um…two days ago?”