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Harleigh
“Hello, girlfriend.” Nate grinned and I rolled my eyes.
“Please don’t say that in public.”
“Hold up, I’m confused.” He fell in step beside me as we headed for class. “Aren’t we supposed to give the illusion we’re dating?”
“I didn’t agree to this,” I said.
“But Max said—”
“Max?” I ground to a halt and turned my full wrath on him. “Max put you up to this?”
“He said… and I thought… wait,” Nate grew flustered, “you didn’t agree to this?”
I let out a heavy sigh. “No, I didn’t. But I didn’t exactly deny it either.”
God, why hadn’t I denied it? The last thing I needed was everyone thinking me and Nate were together. But Max had a point, it did provide me with a legitimate cover story.
It felt wrong though. Unfair to Nate and Nix.
Definitely Nix.
Which is why I hadn’t told him yet. I didn’t want to make something out of nothing.
Except, it didn’t feel like nothing.
“Well, it’s no big deal. I’m happy to help out.”
“Why?” The word fell from my lips, plunking between us like a stone in the ocean.
He dipped his hands in his pockets and shrugged. “Do I need a reason?”
“Nate…”
“Because I couldn’t help Penny, but I can help you, okay? I can do something. Besides, Wilder,” he lowered his voice, “seems like a good guy. I don’t have a scheme or some ulterior motive. I just want to help.”
“You’re really okay with this?”
“I wouldn’t offer if I wasn’t.”
“Okay, thank you,” I conceded. “While we’re talking favors, I have something else to ask you, but I’m not sure you’ll want to say yes.”
“Let me guess, Chloe…”
“She asked me for your number.”
His mouth tightened as he ran a hand through his hair. “She’s a nice girl, but I’m not sure—”
“Say no more. I’ll let her down gently.”
Damn. Chloe was going to be disappointed. But maybe it was for the best given that Nate’s family were just as uptight and entrenched in the traditions and expectations of Old Darling Hill than Michael and Sabrina.
I still couldn’t shake the awkward conversation I’d had with her Saturday. Not that there had really been a conversation. Sabrina didn’t converse, she talked at you. Michael had been nowhere to be seen all weekend, so I had yet to hear his thoughts about my ‘fake’ new relationship with Nate. But if it kept them from asking questions about Nix, I could endure it.
“It’s not her, it’s me. I’m just not ready to—”
“You don’t need to explain yourself to me.”
