Grabbing a sweater from my closet, I put it on top of my PJ's and head downstairs, stepping out onto my front porch where Duane is already waiting.
"Hey," he breathes out, his cerulean eyes locking on mine, making my heart skip a beat.
This was a bad idea.
"Hey," I mumble, hugging my middle. "Interesting time to come over."
"I can't sleep. Not without talking to you. I need to clear things up. I need to make things right."
I shake my head and wrench my eyes away. "Duane, please."
"I didn't kiss Heather."
That has my gaze snapping back to him. "Seriously? I was there. I saw the two of you doing just that."
"You saw her kissing me, not the other way around." He shoves his fingers through his hair, messing it up. "I was heading to my car when she stopped me and asked if we could talk. So I indulged her, and then the next thing I knew, she was kissing me."
I just stare at him, my lips pressed in a thin line. Is that really what happened?
"Beanie, that's the truth. You have to believe me," he pleads, moving closer to me.
"How can I believe you when I've always known that getting Heather back was your end goal? You were desperate to get back together with her, remember? And now, you did it. Well done, Duane." My voice drips with sarcasm.
He cringes at my words. "That was before and you know it. I told you, I stopped wanting that to happen weeks ago. She's nothing to me now."
As much as I want to believe him—and I desperately do—I'm still having doubts, my fears and insecurities nagging at me. More importantly, I can't get their kiss out of my head.
"Let's go to Heather's right now."
I blink. "What?"
"We'll talk to her together. She will set things straight herself. When you left the parking lot, I told her I was officially done with her. That's exactly what she'll tell you if we go to her right now."
I gape at him. He looks so serious. "It's almost midnight. I'm pretty sure she's already sleeping."
"I don't care. I'll wake her up, if that's what it takes to make you believe me." Then he cups my face in his hands, as if he can't keep himself from touching me anymore. "Baby, I miss you. I haven't been able to sleep since last night."
I close my eyes and a tear falls down my cheek, making him groan as if in pain.
"I really screwed up, didn't I?" he whispers, gently wiping the tear away. "Beanie, please, give me a chance to fix this. Give me a chance to make things right between us. One chance—that's all I ask."
God, it's so hard to keep a stubborn ground when I see nothing but sincerity and determination in his eyes.
Maybe because you know, deep down, he's telling the absolute truth.
I guess I should finally admit it. The truth is I believe him. No matter how hard I've been trying to deny it, I just can't.
I'm such a sucker for this boy.
Swallowing the lump in my throat, I lift my eyes to his. "You know, ever since we stopped fake dating and started dating for real, I've been scared that you'd realize I'm not good for you. That I'm nothing compared to Heather. I'm scared that one day you'd go back to her and leave me behind." I take a shaky breath, my stomach a tight ball of nerves. Oh, boy, here we go—the biggest truth of all. "The thing is, I've been in love with you since we were kids."
Duane's mouth falls open in shock, his hands dropping from my face. "What?"
"Remember the day you stole my first kiss? I was nine years old and you were ten." I gulp again, my pulse now pounding hard in my ears. "Well, turned out, it wasn't just my first kiss you stole that day. You also stole my heart."
"Oh, wow," he whispers, a look of stunned wonder etched on his face. "Beanie, I had no idea."
I give him a wry smile. "Why would you? I never told you."
"You should have."
"Why? Would it have changed a thing?"
"Maybe. I don't know." He rubs the back of his neck, barking out a dry chuckle. Then lifts his eyes back to mine. "Maybe we wouldn't have wasted so much time away from each other. Who knows? We could have celebrated a few anniversaries already."
I laugh as I go to sit down on the front steps. "I'm pretty sure we would have been broken up by now."
"You don't know that," Duane argues, following suit, sitting next to me. "We could have been Nate and Blair who'd been together since they were kids."
Another laugh bursts out of me. I've made him watch Gossip Girl with me two nights ago. Now, he's using the characters as an example.
My lips pull to the side. "You know, they broke up, right? They didn't even end up together."
"That's because Nate is a dumbass. He let the best thing in his life slip through his fingers. I wouldn't do the same mistake," he says softly, his eyes caressing my face, making my heart stutter.
Ugh. This guy. His words wreck me all the damn time.
Biting back a huge grin, I roll my glistening eyes.
"So, uh, we're okay now, right?" he asks, giving me a puppy-dog look as if to convince me if I wasn't already convinced.
I nod.
"Thank God," he breathes out. Then he grabs my hand and engulfs it in his. "Okay, here's a truth bomb from me. Since you just confessed your deepest, darkest secret, it's only fair that I do the same."
I chew on my bottom lip to keep from smiling. "Hit me."
"I had a huge crush on you when we were kids," he says, his cheeks red under the glow of the porch light.
I blink at him. "What?"
"It was the reason why I kissed you. And, FYI, it was my first kiss, too." His cheeks are even redder now.
My jaw drops. "Seriously?"
He raises his fingers. "Scout's honor."
"Oh, my God." I throw my head back and laugh out loud, remembering the same gesture he made when we were kids. This is incredible.
"So you see, Beanie, you stole my heart first."
My smile disappears, humor leaving me at once. "Really?"
"Really, really." He rests his forehead against mine. "What can I say? Your beanies and pigtails were damn irresistible."
"Shut up," I laugh, pushing at his chest.
He captures my hand. "Shush. I'm not done with my confessions yet." He turns serious. "You asked me how I got Gray to forgive me and talk to me again, right?"
Yeah, I did. I nod.
He takes in a deep breath, as if drawing courage. "That's because I told him I'm falling for you."
"Y-You're falling for me?" I hear myself whisper, my heart galloping hard in my chest.
His mouth tips on one side. "Honestly, I'm quite sure I've already fallen."
I stare at him—at the boy who has always owned my heart. The boy who’s looking at me as if I’m the one who owns his. As if I'm the one who has every power to break it.
Flashing a huge grin, my chest near bursting, I nudge his shoulder with mine. "Good. Because I'm right there with you."
And as we kiss under the stars, I make a mental promise to myself.
Screw Heather. Screw all the girls who will dare take him from me. He's mine and I'm finally embracing that truth with confidence.
EPILOGUE
"Jesus, man, stop mauling my sister," Gray mutters in a frustrated voice.
I feel Duane smile against my lips before he pulls away. Making a face at my brother, I slide off my boyfriend's lap and sit beside him on the picnic blanket.
Picking up an apple from the basket Indie and I prepared, I watch the other kids swim and goof around in the lake.
The last time we were here, I was sitting in this very spot, putting up with Gray and Indie's PDA while watching Duane focus his attention on Heather. Now, a couple months later, he's sitting right next to me and giving me all of his attention. And Gray is the one putting up with our PDA.
Funny how things have changed.
It's been weeks since that night Duane and I confessed our love for each other on my front porch. A whole lot of time has been spent together as a couple. A do-over, he calle
d it—something I happily agreed with.
Being Duane's girlfriend is great. Being Duane's girlfriend without any baggage? Completely amazing. That late night talk helped me overcome my fears and insecurities. Telling Duane and putting them out into the open did wonders.
But mostly because I came to realize and accept the fact that I'm enough. And I'm more than enough for Duane—or anyone else for that matter.
It also helps that I've finally stopped seeing Heather as a threat. Oh, she still tries to get Duane's attention at school every chance she gets, and I often catch her glaring at me across the hall or cafeteria, but I don't care anymore.
Not that I'm not taking pleasure in witnessing my boyfriend openly reject her advances. That will never get old. If anything, it makes me wonder why I ever doubted him in the first place.
It's plain for everyone to see that he's all mine. That I'm the only one he wants and it won't change any time soon.
And Kendra—whose approval I managed to earn rather quickly—now likes me for her brother. She even wants to hang out with me every time I come over to their house. I always oblige, of course. So it's safe to say that she likes me a whole lot better than Heather these days.
I thought Duane and I spent a lot of time together before the do-over, but even more so in the "after." I quickly learned that my boyfriend can be so clingy—and still so jealous.
We ran into Justin a week ago at Jerry's. He's with his friends, and even though he has a girlfriend now, Duane still couldn't help himself. He glared in his direction every time Justin smiled at me.
I reprimanded him, but I'd been secretly pleased. I never told him this, but it felt like a small payback on my part—for witnessing him fool around with girls in the past.
"Let them be," Indie tells Gray, who still hasn't stopped complaining about me and Duane. Then she moves up to her feet and extends a hand to him. "Come on, I want to go for a swim. We've been sitting here for a long time."
Gray narrows his eyes at us before blowing out a breath and taking my best friend's hand, letting her pull him toward the water. But before they reach it, he throws her over his shoulder, making her squeal and cry out in protest. Which my brother ignores, mercilessly tossing her into the lake.
I whip my head back to Duane who's watching the whole thing with a huge grin on his face. "Don't get any ideas."
His eyes twinkle mischievously. "Are you sure? That looked like a lot of fun."
"Yeah. For you," I shoot back. Then my eyes find the rope swing at the end of the dock. "I think I have a better idea."
"Think you can beat me to it, Beanie?" Duane chuckles, already knowing what I'm thinking.
"Oh, I know I will," I say with utmost confidence.
"Fine," he sighs, admitting defeat. "I need a kiss for consolation then." He presses his lips against mine before I can react, deepening it for a long moment before abruptly pulling away. Then the next thing I know, he's already running toward the rope swing.
Brain still fogged by that kiss, I blink a few times before realizing what he just did. "You cheater!" I yell, running after him.
Duane is almost at arm's length when he suddenly spins around and grabs me. Then he tosses me over his shoulder just like Gray did with Indie and runs toward the dock, jumping into the water with me screaming bloody murder.
"I hate you," I sputter when we break to the surface.
"No, you don't," Duane laughs as he moves closer and snakes an arm around my waist.
He's right. I really don't.
Biting back a grin, I let out a sigh as my arms wrap around his neck. "I guess it's my turn to get a consolation kiss now."
"I guess it's only fair." He smirks then slants his lips over mine, kissing me for a long time until we can hear my brother yelling at Duane to stop "mauling" me.
This time though, we choose to ignore Gray.
THE END
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Turn the page for a sneak peek of Faking It, Book 1 in the Fake Boyfriend Duet.
SNEAK PEEK: FAKING IT
"I can't believe he did that." Allison Turner, my best friend since kindergarten, is gaping at me like a fish. Like she's waiting for me to yell "April Fools!"
But it's not April.
And I wasn't joking when I told her that Brad McNeely, my boyfriend of four months, just dumped me. Dumped me like a freaking hot potato.
I should have seen it coming—but how was I supposed to know? The jerk didn't even give me any hint that he wanted out.
So when he drove me home from school a couple hours ago and told me it was over, I laughed a good minute, thinking he was just screwing around. But when he didn't share my humor and simply stared at me somberly, I realized he was completely serious. And that was when the shock settled in.
"I'm not feeling it anymore," he said softly, his eyes pleading me to understand.
What a load of crap. He was definitely "feeling it" when we made out in the backseat of his car two days ago. What, did he suddenly have a change of heart in that small span of time?
I wish I could say I handled our breakup with dignity. That I acted cool and unaffected and uncaring of the fact that he didn't want me anymore. But my reaction was the exact opposite. I spent a good ten minutes screaming at him while tears ran down my face. If there was any consolation, Brad looked completely remorseful—and totally freaked out.
Now, I'm at my best friend's house and still bawling my eyes out. I probably look hideous already, what with my makeup all smudged up and running down my face. The large pile of tissues tinged with black on the coffee table practically confirms it.
Freaking Brad.
"I don't get it. Why did he dump you? You're a great catch."
"Right?" I sniffle, blowing snot into the tissue before tossing it on top of the pile.
Allie wrinkles her nose at it then turns back to me. "I mean, you're one of the prettiest girls in school. And popular, too. Did he hit his head while playing lacrosse or something?"
This is what I love most about Allie. She says the right words when I'm at my lowest. She knows how to lift my spirits up.
But it's true. I have one of the prettiest faces in Maple Grove High. I'm not even going to pretend to be humble about it. I'm well aware of my physical attributes.
I have long, silky reddish-brown hair that flows down my back. Naturally thick, curly lashes that frame my hazel eyes. Pink, soft lips with a peaked Cupid's bow, and small dimples on either side.
I wish I could say that I have curves to die for, but they're pretty average. No big boobs and hourglass figure on this girl—just your regular B-cup and slim waist and hips. I have a good height though, standing at five feet and nine inches, and topping at six feet with high heels on.
All in all, I'm happy and confident with the way I look.
But back to the real issue—Brad and I were good together. We rarely fought. There was little to no drama in our relationship. And I always made sure to be a supportive girlfriend. If there was a lacrosse game, I would be there to watch. If he wanted to go to some party, I was right there with him. And whenever he had a problem—like a difficult homework—I always provided help.
Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but it was great.
Which is why I'm completely stumped that he broke up with me. Had I been too demanding? Or maybe he found my kissing skills subpar? But he always complimented me for being an excellent kisser. But what did I really know? He dumped me.
"I gotta say, Red, this is the prettiest I’ve ever seen you," comes an amused male voice that makes me stiffen.
I lift my eyes and see Grayson, Allie's older brother, smirking down at me.
"Shut up," I snap, uncaring that he's seeing me looking like a raccoon. It’s just Gray.
I’ve known the g
uy since I was, like, five. I’ve seen him run around the playground naked, chasing girls and making them scream by showing them his tiny-size dick. I’ve seen him plucking booger from his nose. And I’ve unwillingly smelled his disgusting farts every time he farted in front of my and Allie’s faces back when he was at the obnoxious ages of eleven to thirteen.
He’s different from any other guys I've met. He's the one guy I’ll never be self-conscious with.
But I digress.
Because here’s the thing about Grayson Turner: he’s a senior like Brad and a year older than me and Allie. And again, like Brad, he plays lacrosse. In fact, he’s the captain of the team—which makes him the most popular guy in school. The title, which I know, my ex has always wanted for himself.
He’s also extremely hot. Right now, he’s in a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants, his thick, light brown hair damp like he just came out of the shower. Which is probably the case since I can smell the clean, cool scent of his shampoo from where I’m sitting.
Which does nothing to me because, again, it’s just Gray.
His deep green eyes flash a tad sympathetic as he stares at me. "Sorry to hear about McNeely.”
I freeze. What the hell? How did he know about that? It’s only been hours since the breakup.
“How did you find out?” Allie demands, beating me to it.
Gray cocks an eyebrow. "You two haven’t seen it yet? He already changed his status to ‘single’ on Facebook."
I gape. Is Brad for freaking real? "Are you kidding me?"
"Nope," Gray says, looking like he’s trying not to laugh.
Glad to see he finds amusement in my heartbreak.
"What a jerk!" Allie exclaims, eyes flared wide in disbelief.
I ball my fists on my lap. How could he do this? Was dumping me unceremoniously not enough, and he had to announce it to the whole world? It hasn’t even been a day. The asshole didn’t bother to wait. And the news should’ve come from me, damn him. Now, everyone knows he was the one who initiated our breakup.
"Rat bastard.” I angrily wipe the fresh set of tears rolling down my cheeks.
Risking It (Fake Boyfriend Duet Book 2) Page 8
