Risking It (Fake Boyfriend Duet Book 2)

by Madeleine Labitan

  "Uh-huh. Maybe next time," he chuckles, pulling me out of the kitchen.

  CHAPTER 13

  The Four Blondes are shooting daggers at me across the cafeteria. They’ve been doing that since I walked in with Duane. If that isn’t an open declaration of hostility toward me, I don’t know what is.

  Which makes Heather’s Instagram post a complete lie. As much as she wants to pretend that she isn’t affected, she can’t hold it for long. Her jealousy always shows.

  “Ignore them, Allie,” Indie says in a low voice, apparently noticing the girls’ glares as well. “Honestly, what can they do?”

  “I don’t know, torment me for life?”

  That makes her scoff. “Please. Those girls are harmless. They’re all talk, no action.”

  Clearly, she’s remembering Merritt’s empty threats to her. But that’s Merritt. I’m not sure Heather’s the same as her friend. She can be more vicious for all I know. Which means I have to avoid going to the bathroom alone.

  Grabbing fries off Indie’s plate, I peek another wary glance their way.

  Yep. Still glaring.

  “Don’t worry about them, Beanie,” Duane murmurs into my ear. So he notices, too. “I already talked to Heather.”

  My back stiffens. “You did? When?”

  “I called her the other night. I told her to leave you alone.” He searches my face. “She’s not giving you trouble anymore, is she?”

  I shake my head distractedly. What else did they talk about? How long did that call last? Did he call her after he left my house? And has he been calling her every night?

  As if hearing my thoughts, Duane tilts my chin with his fingers. “Don’t go there. It was just one call, it was nothing. It didn’t even last long.”

  “I didn’t say anything.” But I’m glad he cleared it up because I was already freaking out.

  Honestly, I still am.

  “You didn’t have to. I can see your wheels turning.” He leans his forehead against mine. “If there’s someone I’d rather be in a long call with, it’s you. Not Heather—not anyone else—just you.”

  I bite back a smile. “You don’t have to butter me up, you know. I’m already your girlfriend.”

  But damn if his words didn’t make my heart somersault. Why does he always say the right things?

  “Oh, I’d butter you up any time, any day,” he says in a low voice, making me shudder and blush at the same time.

  He chuckles, then turns serious. “Come over for dinner tonight. I want Mom to finally meet you.”

  I freeze. “But your mom already met me.”

  We’re neighbors and we grew up together. Hell, his Mom, Eden, is even friends with my mom.

  “I mean, officially. I want to introduce you to her as my girlfriend.”

  I swallow nervously. “What if she doesn’t like me?”

  “Beanie, my mom loves you,” he says with a chuckle. “You’ll see. She’ll be thrilled when you show up later.”

  Oh, I know Eden likes me as her neighbor. But as her son’s girlfriend? That’s a different thing entirely. And the possibility of her not liking me is giving me anxiety.

  “Relax, babe. It’s going to be fine, I promise.”

  I whip my eyes back to him. “Did she like Heather?”

  “No. She thought Heather was too-high maintenance.” He bites his lip, trying not to laugh.

  And it makes me feel better. Just a little.

  *******

  “Allie, I hope you like crock-pot ribs. Your mom's crock-pot recipes are better than mine, but I always try," Eden says, smiling at me from across the table.

  "Yours taste just as great as Mom's, Mrs. Hollis," I tell her.

  "Oh, sweetie, just call me Eden." Eden laughs. "And thank you."

  "She's right. Your crock-pot is fine, Mom," Duane assures her then winks at me, as if to say 'told you she loves you.'

  I just smile. I know.

  I shouldn't have doubted him. Eden was all smiles when I knocked on their door. She didn't seem surprised either. Which tells me Duane already told her I was coming over and that we're now a couple.

  I'm both glad and relieved that she seems to be genuinely happy for us. I was seriously terrified that she wouldn't like me. Since Albert, Duane's dad, is no longer living with them—he and Eden got divorced five years ago—I only have Eden to worry about. At least, for now.

  But, like I said, it turned out that I had nothing to be afraid of.

  "Heather's a lot prettier than you."

  The three of us freeze all at once.

  "Kendra!"

  "Kendra, what the hell?"

  I'd been so anxious to make Eden like me that I totally forgot to consider the nine-year old girl scowling across from me—Duane's little sister. I certainly didn't even think of the possibility that Heather had already won her over. Now, here we are—Duane and his mom are completely horrified while I silently wish for the ground to open up and swallow me whole.

  Awkward doesn't even begin to cover it.

  "What? It's true," Kendra insists, as if I'm not embarrassed enough. "Why did you even break up with her? She was awesome!"

  "That's it. Kendra, go to your room!" Eden orders in a stern voice, her face red.

  "Fine." Kendra rolls her eyes and shoots up from the table. Then in a low voice, she mutters as she walks away, "This is lame, anyway."

  Eden gives me an apologetic look. "Allie, sweetie, I'm so sorry. I don't know what got into that kid."

  Heather, obviously.

  Who knows? Maybe she's still communicating with Kendra and talking about me and poisoning her mind. I can totally see Duane's ex doing that.

  Or, maybe, you're just not good enough for Kendra. And she thinks you're not good enough for her brother.

  I tighten my grip on the spoon still in my hand, my heart dropping onto the floor in pieces.

  Funny how Heather always has the ability to knock me down without doing anything. It's like no matter what I do, one way or another, I'm unable to escape her.

  "You know what? I'll go talk to her."

  "Please do, Mom," Duane urges.

  Then I hear the scrape of the chair against the floor as Eden gets up from the table and walks out the kitchen, leaving me and Duane alone.

  "Beanie, I'm sorry." When I don't respond, he hurries on, "Please, look at me." I wouldn't be able to resist the pleading in his tone in a normal situation.

  Right now though, I simply shake my head.

  "My sister didn't mean what she said. It's just...she was really close with Heather. Kendra kind of looks up to her."

  "That's what I thought, too," I mutter, keeping my eyes on my half-eaten plate.

  Eden's crock-pot ribs recipe is so good, but I can't appreciate it anymore. My appetite is gone now.

  "She took the breakup hard."

  Finally, I lift my eyes to his and give a rueful smile. "Heather's that awesome, huh?"

  "That's not true. She sucks."

  "What?" I choke out.

  "No." His face flushes. "I mean...That's not...Shit."

  Despite myself, I can't help but laugh a little. Even when I'm feeling down, he can still cheer me up somehow.

  If only it's enough to drive my insecurities away.

  Duane smiles sheepishly. "Don't tell anyone I said that, okay?" Then turning serious, he reaches for my hands and envelopes them in his. "I'll talk to Kendra. I'll set her straight. She won't be rude to you again, I promise."

  He also promised that dinner would turn out fine, didn't he?

  I shake my head. "You have to stop giving promises you can't keep, Duane."

  His face falls. "Allie—"

  "I think I'm going home. Tell your mom I said thanks." Taking my hands back, I rise from the table and head out, tears glistening in my eyes.

  This isn't how I expected the night to end.

  CHAPTER 14

  I'm staring out the window as the teacher drones on in front of the class. I can't pay attention to the le
cture when my mind is somewhere else. It's still at that dinner, replaying the scene over and over, as if mocking me.

  Duane called me when I left his house and tried to seek me out this morning in the hallways, but I'd refused to answer and made sure to avoid him when I spotted him. After the disastrous dinner we had last night, I feel like I need some space.

  It's not that I'm blaming him. I just...really need some space. And maybe a little time to think of ways to earn the approval of his little sister. Because I'm not throwing in the towel just yet. I'm upset and feeling like my self-esteem has taken a hit, yes. But it doesn't mean that I'm already giving up on my relationship with Duane. This is just a bump in the road that I have to deal with.

  At least that's what I've been telling myself all day.

  "Gray and I are heading to Jerry's later," Indie tells me as we stroll down the halls after last period. "You and Duane should come join us."

  Yeah, I haven't told her what happened yet. She has no idea, especially since I skipped lunch and stayed at the library in the pretense of doing homework.

  "Actually, I have to catch up on some reading. So, maybe next time."

  She searches my face. "Everything okay, All? You seem off today."

  So, she did notice.

  "Yeah. I'm fine. Everything's fine. I'm just, um, thinking about stuff."

  "What stuff?" she presses, her brows furrowing. Suddenly, she grabs hold of my arm and draws me to a corner. "Is it Duane? Are you guys having problems? Is that why you didn't show up at lunch?"

  Yeah, she definitely noticed.

  I wave a hand. "It's nothing. Just a petty disagreement."

  It's not that I want to lie to her. I just don't want to make an even bigger deal out of it. Which will likely happen if Indie learns about it.

  But my best friend is very perceptive so she doesn't look convinced. "Are you sure?"

  "Of course." I force a smile. "Really, don't sweat it. Listen, I have to go. I need to catch up on those books, stat. See you later, okay?"

  "But, Allie—"

  But I'm already weaving through the crowd, pretending not to hear her. I feel guilty for lying, but I really don't want to make a big deal out of what happened. And I can't just go running to Indie every time Duane and I are having problems in our relationship—okay, just petty problems.

  And this current one is petty. Right?

  Yeah. Yeah, it is. In fact, I'm not even going to wait long to resolve this. Tonight, I'm going to call Duane. We're going to talk—and I mean really talk—about last night's dinner. I'm going to come clean about my real feelings regarding Heather and my insecurities about our relationship.

  Either I'm going to freak him out or he's going to appreciate my honesty. Either way, I know I have to tell him. Or it would keep eating at me like crazy until all my negative thinking destroys our relationship. So, really, do I have any other choice?

  You can do it. He's going to understand. You know Duane. He's the best ever.

  With a hopeful smile on my face, I cross the parking lot, spotting my car several feet away before something not far from it catches my attention.

  Not something—someone. And not just someone. A couple. Kissing.

  My steps move to a halt, my body going completely numb when recognition sets in.

  Duane and Heather.

  Kissing.

  My boyfriend—kissing his supposed-to-be ex-girlfriend.

  My head is spinning. My ears are ringing. My knees are threatening to buckle under me. Everything around me blurs to nothing until they're all I can see.

  Bile works up my throat as Duane pulls away, his eyes fixed on her as if she's the only thing that matters.

  "You feel it, too, don't you? This thing between us never really went away." Heather trails her hand down his chest. "So stop playing hard to get. I've learned my lesson, okay? Dump the geeky girl and come back to me."

  Duane grabs her hand and drops it abruptly, stepping back. Then as if he finally senses my presence, he flicks his eyes in my direction, his face paling when he sees me. "Allie."

  Hearing my name, Heather follows his gaze. Surprise crosses her features before a triumphant smile replaces it.

  I ignore her, focusing my tear-brimmed glare on Duane, whose face is filled with guilt and panic.

  He takes a step toward me. "Beanie, please."

  "No." I shake my head. Then I'm turning on my heel and running to my car, ignoring his calls as tears race down my cheeks.

  CHAPTER 15

  "There must be some kind of explanation for what you saw. I mean, Duane couldn't do something like that. He wouldn't dare cheat on you with Heather. She doesn't want her anymore." Indie tries to assure me as I cry my eyes out in my room. "Maybe you should try to talk to him first."

  After peeling out of the school parking lot, I called Indie during the drive home, asking her to come to my house. Which she didn't hesitate to do when she heard the sniffles through the line. And even though Duane trampled on my heart, I asked her not to say anything to my brother. They just started talking again—Gray can't go back to ignoring him.

  I blow my nose into the tissue and toss it into the growing pile of used ones in front of me. I don't care how gross I'm being right now. The clean freak in me is taking a break. Maybe even a long one.

  God, I can't believe Duane did that to me.

  But do you really? Deep inside, you've always known that he'd go back to her. And now you know you're not just being paranoid. The perfect couple are back together again, and you're once again relegated to the sidelines.

  I took a risk and look where it got me.

  A sob escapes from my lips, sending fresh tears running down my already soaked cheeks.

  "Oh, hon. Come here." Indie wraps her arms around me, letting me cry on her shoulder.

  And that's what I do. I let it all out—all the hurt, all the pain—hoping that it's nothing but a nightmare. But it's not. It's real, and it hurts so much.

  "I wish I never fell for him," I tell Indie when I pull away. "This wouldn't have happened. Maybe I even had a boyfriend who actually wanted me and no one else."

  Indie bites her lip. "I really think you should talk to him."

  As if on cue, my phone beeps on the nightstand, signaling another text message. It's been blowing up since I got home, and I've looked enough times to know that it's Duane.

  "Beanie, I'm sorry."

  "Can we please talk?"

  "It's not what you think."

  Bringing my gaze back to Indie, I snap, "So he can rub their reunion in my face?" I clench my jaw, shaking my head. "I don't think so."

  Indie is about to respond to that when Gray walks into my room, making me regret that I left the door open. At least, I think it's him. I'm not wearing my glasses and I can barely see past the tears in my eyes.

  "Indie is right. You should talk to Duane."

  I reach for my glasses and wipe my eyes before gaping at my brother. "He told you?"

  "Yep." He smirks. "He knew I'd kick his ass if I heard everything from you first."

  Indie scoffs and rolls her eyes.

  Gray winks at her, making her bite back a smile.

  I ignore the familiar stab of envy in my chest. "So because of that, you're taking his side?"

  He frowns at me. "I'm not taking anyone's side. I'm just saying, talk to him. You'll see that you got it wrong and it's all just a misunderstanding."

  Indie's eyes flare wide.

  My jaw drops. He thinks it's all just a misunderstanding? What. The. Actual. Hell. I feel my blood boiling even as I stare at him. "Get out."

  He looks taken aback. "What?"

  "I don't need you here. Get out!"

  "Are you se—"

  "Now!"

  "Fine." Gray glares at me. "Don't listen to me and make yourself miserable. Whatever." Turning to Indie, he asks, "Come on, babe. Let's get out of here."

  Indie shoots me a look. "No. I think I'll stay—"

  "Go with him," I cu
t her off, sniffling.

  She blinks at me. "But—"

  "Just go. I want to be alone." I lie on my back and turn on my side, my back facing them.

  A moment later, I hear my bedroom door close behind me.

  I know I'm being a jerk, but I just want to be alone and wallow in self-pity right now. I can be a pathetic mess today. Tomorrow, I'll try to be strong.

  *******

  I must have fallen asleep from all the moping and crying. Because the next time I open my puffy eyes and glance at my bedside clock, I see that it's already close to midnight.

  I missed dinner.

  Sighing, I turn on my night lamp and put my glasses on. My mouth is parched, I need a glass of milk.

  Just as I'm climbing out of bed, my phone beeps, making me frown. Who would text me at this time of night?

  Duane. Duane would.

  Why is he still texting me? I haven't responded to any of his messages. Can't he take a hint? What more does he want from me, anyway?

  "I'm just saying, talk to him. You'll see that you got it wrong and it's all just a misunderstanding."

  I pull my lip between my teeth. Could Gray be telling the truth? But I saw him kissing Heather with my own two eyes. I didn't just imagine it.

  Reluctantly, I reach for my phone. I'm just going to read his message. I'm not going to respond.

  Duane: Look out your window.

  I blink at the message. Huh?

  Another message appears: Please.

  My eyes pop wide. Is he outside right now? Tossing my phone onto my bed, I hurry to my window. And sure enough, there he is, standing in my front yard, looking up to my window with hopeful eyes.

  My traitorous heart kicks up a beat at the sight of him. "What are you doing here?"

  "Can we talk?"

  "It's already late!"

  "Please, Beanie. Just give me five minutes."

  I just stare at him, hesitating. Should I go downstairs?

  Duane blows on his hands, then stuffs them into the pockets of his pants. It's cold outside and he's just wearing a hoodie.

  Oh, who am I kidding?

  "Fine," I sigh. "I'm coming down."