He chuckled and shrugged. “Just to talk. Is that okay?”
I shook my head. “Last time we just talked, I was plastered all over social media.” I reached out and pressed my hand to the doorframe, effectively creating a barrier between him and the inside of the house. “So forgive me if I’m a little hesitant to let you in.”
His smile faltered as if I’d hurt him. Which was ridiculous. Why would he be bothered by what I said?
He dropped his gaze, and when he glanced back up at me, there was something there. A raw openness in his eyes. “I’m sorry about that,” he said. His tone sent shivers down my back. Was Cayden Rivers being real with me?
Had he let down his cocky persona and let his true self show?
I blinked a few times as the thought that he was playing with me floated through my mind. But it contradicted the look in his eyes and the inflection in his voice. I couldn’t help but think that he was being honest.
Wow.
When I didn’t answer, he leaned forward with his eyebrows raised.
I wasn’t ready to just lower my walls and trust him, but I nodded and dropped my hand. I didn’t trust my voice, so I kept my lips shut as I waved him in.
He smiled and winked as he stepped into the front entryway. He kicked off his shoes and then spun around to face me.
“Wow. Nice digs,” he said.
I shrugged as I shut the door behind me. “It’s my dad’s.” And then I felt like an idiot.
Of course it was Dad’s. Why did I say it like that?
He smirked as he glanced up to the huge chandelier above us and then over to the kitchen, where he stopped to smile at Michelle. She was standing with a starstruck look on her face.
I cleared my throat as I stepped toward her—but Cayden beat me to it. In a few long strides, he was over to her, holding her hand in his. His smile was wide as he peered down at her. “You must be the president of my fan club,” he said, stooping down to press his lips to the top of her hand.
She giggled in a high-pitched, only dogs can hear kind of way. I stared at her, wondering if she was serious, but she didn’t seem to notice.
Instead, she batted her eyelashes as she stared up at him. “It’s so nice to meet you in person.”
I sighed, tired of standing there and watching them flirt. I walked over and grabbed her hand, dragging her into the kitchen. “Let’s get Cayden some water.”
Michelle stumbled after me as she tried to keep her gaze trained on Cayden. I was officially the only sane person in the room. I led her over to the barstool and ordered her to sit. She whined but turned giddy when Cayden came to sit next to her.
Desperate for something to do, I moved around the kitchen, looking for cups. When I finally located one and moved to the sink, Cayden tsked at me.
He pointed to the fridge. “Bottled. Tap water here is lackluster at best.”
I scoffed as I shook my head. “Dad doesn’t…” My voice trailed off as I pulled open the fridge. And wouldn’t you know it, bottled water was stacked in the back.
I returned the cup to the cupboard and pushed the bottle across the counter toward Cayden.
He took the bottle and winked. Then he twisted off the cap and took a sip.
Desperate to get this meeting over with, I leaned both hands on the counter and stared at him.
“Is there a reason you’re here, other than being persnickety about your water?”
He chuckled. “Persnickety?”
I clenched my jaw and narrowed my eyes.
He raised his hands as he nodded. “Okay, okay. Fine.” He sighed. Then he glanced over at me. “I need a favor.”
Michelle gasped. “You’re dying and you need an organ,” she said, reaching out and resting her hand on his arm. She looked genuinely worried.
“I, um…” I wasn’t sure how I was going to address his request if that were true.
Cayden shook his head and smiled. “Trust me, there’s plenty of people who would give me an organ. That’s not what I’m talking about.” He twisted the bottle of water around on the counter as he fell silent.
Right before I could yell at him to just spit it out, he said, “I need you to be my fake girlfriend.”
Chapter Six
My ears began to ring. I wasn’t sure if it was from what Cayden had said or from Michelle’s ear-piercing scream. But whichever it was, my brain was having a hard time keeping up.
“I’m sorry, what?”
Cayden took another sip of water as he stared at me. Then he set the bottle back down and cleared his throat. “I’m in sort of a predicament.”
“Predicament?” I asked. What sort of problem had he gotten himself into that he needed to fake having a girlfriend?
He nodded. “Earlier, when we first met, I was in a meeting with your dad. Apparently, if I don’t get my image cleaned up, I may lose this gig. There’s only so much your dad will take, and I hit the limit.” He peeked up at me through his ridiculously long eyelashes.
Like, it was unfair they were so long.
I shook my head slightly. That was not what I should be thinking about right now.
Michelle let out a laugh. “Of course, she’ll do it.”
I glanced over at her with my eyes wide. Was she serious?
“I will?” I asked.
She nodded. “Of course. It’s Cayden Rivers.” She waved her hand in his direction like I needed help remembering who Cayden Rivers was.
I shook my head as I stepped back and leaned against the counter. I folded my arms, my brain still reeling.
“Why me?” I asked and then winced. Out of all the things I could ask, “why me” was the best I could come up with?
He studied me for a moment and then shrugged. “Well, the fact that you’ve blown up on my social media has something to do with it.” He took another sip and then set the bottle down. I could tell from the look on his face he wasn’t done speaking.
“And?” I asked.
He glanced between Michelle and me.
“And, you are probably the only girl who won’t fawn over me. Which is good. You’ll help keep me in line.”
I stared at him. Was he serious? So I was like his buzzkill or something? “I know how to have fun,” I said, though I didn’t even believe what I was saying.
“Scar,” Michelle said, her eyes wide. She knew I was lying.
That was the downside of begging my best friend to come with me on a summer vacation, I guess. She knew all of my tells.
I pinched my lips together as I took in a deep breath through my nose. Then I sighed and leaned against the counter.
Why was I freaking out about this? I mean, Cayden was hot and famous. Why did I want to say no?
And then I realized I knew exactly why.
I’d never had a boyfriend before. I’d never kissed a guy. And I was pretty sure once Cayden got to know me, he’d realize just how crazy I was. The last thing I needed was to have Mr. Popularity going on his social media talking about “the crazy girl.”
‘Cause he would. I’m that bad.
“Wow. I’ve never had to convince a girl to go out with me before,” Cayden’s teasing voice filled the air.
Michelle scoffed. “Right? I’m sure there are a million girls who would line up to help you.”
Cayden chuckled. “Yep.”
“Well, Scarlett is the perfect girl. No one sweeter.” Michelle’s comment made me wince. I didn’t need her to sell me too much.
I mean, I’m nowhere near as hot as the girls I’d seen on his arm. I’m quirky, nerdy, and am terrified of everything that I can’t control. I didn’t need him to have unrealistic expectations.
In the real world, he would never want to date me.
I needed to stop thinking about this like we would be dating. We wouldn’t. He was asking me to fake a relationship with him to help boost his PR. I could do that. I mean, what else did I have going on this summer?
Before I could gather my thoughts enough to form a coherent sentence
, Dad’s voice carried in from the garage. He was talking to someone, and I straightened up, my ears straining to hear who it was.
“…we’ll be fine. We’ll find a solution.”
“Well, if anyone can fix this, it’s you.”
Ugh. I literally felt vomit rise in my throat. It was that woman. The one that Dad had picked over Mom and me.
Trinity.
Their footsteps grew louder until they entered the kitchen. Hurt pulsed through my veins as I peeked over at Dad and his fiancée. They were standing next to each other. Dad with his arms full of paper bags, and Trinity with a case of soda in her hands.
Their gazes ran over us, and Dad’s expression turned into an instant scowl.
“What are you doing here, Cayden?” Dad asked as he walked over to the counter and set down the bags. The items inside must have shifted because the bag tipped to the side.
Cayden slipped off the stool and stood, pushing his hands through his hair. “Hey, Mr. Lamoroux, I was…” His voice drifted off as he glanced over at me as if he were hoping I’d say something. Or maybe he was just trying to come up with an excuse.
“Cayden?” Dad’s voice was lower now and more threatening.
Cayden sighed. “I was asking Scarlett for a favor,” he finally said.
Dad’s gaze fell on me. “He was? What favor?”
I chewed my lip. “He, um…” How do you tell your dad that the one guy he can’t stand wants to fake a relationship with his only daughter? Are there words for that? A Hallmark card?
Cayden shifted his weight. Then he shook his head. “I was asking if she would pretend to be in a relationship with me.”
Dad’s jaw dropped so fast, I was worried that he might have caused permanent damage.
“I don’t think so,” he said.
“What? Why?” Cayden’s shoulders tightened and his posture became rigid.
Dad scoffed. “Are you serious?”
Cayden stared at him and then pushed his hands through his hair again. “I know what you think of me, Mr. Lamoroux, but I promise that this will be beneficial for your daughter.”
Dad narrowed his eyes as he folded his arms. “And what benefit might that be?”
Cayden stared at Dad and then over to me. I could see the defeat in his gaze as his jaw muscles twitched. “You’re right. It was a stupid idea.”
“That’s what I thought,” Dad said in a tone that said he’d won. In a way, it really bugged me.
Cayden moved away from Dad and toward the front door. I hated how dejected he looked. A feeling of frustration rose up inside of me. And it wasn’t about Cayden. It was about Dad.
I was mad that he’d barreled in here and dictated what I could or couldn’t do.
“Hang on,” I said, finding my voice and stepping toward them.
Dad’s gaze snapped over to me. “Scarlett,” he warned.
I didn’t care. I wasn’t going to just sit back and let him determine my life for me.
“I think the only person this affects is me, and I should be able to be the one to say yes or no.”
Cayden turned slowly, his bright blue eyes had a hint of curiosity to them. His lips tipped slightly into a smile. I hated how good he looked no matter what was going on in his life. It wasn’t fair.
“I’ll do it,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. I wanted him to know it had nothing to do with him and that if he even thought something might happen between us, he was dead.
He held up his hands as he nodded. Good. At least our nonverbal communication was on point.
“Scarlett, maybe you should listen to your father,” Trinity piped up.
Oh, that was a mistake. I glanced over at her, and I couldn’t help the glare I cast her direction. I wasn’t okay with any of this, and I most certainly wasn’t okay that this stranger was weighing in. I’d just met the lady.
“Trinity, I’ve got this,” Dad said, sensing my death stare. “Scarlett, you have college to think about. Your future. I can’t have you mixed up with questionable people.”
“Cayden is questionable people?” I hated how Dad was acting all high and mighty about Cayden. Sure, he was a playboy who lived his life carefree. And sure, that thought scared the crap out of me. But at least I knew what I was getting. There were no false pretenses with him like with Dad. Cayden was the what you see is what you get kind of guy. With Cayden, I expected heartbreak.
Which was exactly what I’d come to expect from my father—no matter how much it hurt to admit.
Cayden was going to leave. Dad should have stayed.
So who was Dad to determine what was right or wrong for me?
I shrugged. “I’ll be fine. Plus, I’ve got Michelle.”
Michelle walked over to me and slipped her arm around my shoulders. “She’s right, Mr. Lamoroux. I’ll help keep her in line,” she said, though her high-pitched tone made it obvious that she was very much on board with what was happening between Cayden and me.
I smiled over at her, grateful for her support. She nodded and smiled back.
Dad sighed. It was heavy, and he struggled to get his words out. “I’ll think about it.”
Trinity sputtered but didn’t say anything. I had half a mind to shoot an I dare you look at her, but when she pinched her lips together in a straight line, I squashed the urge.
Cayden’s smile was one of relief as he nodded and slipped through the front door. The room fell silent after the door clicked into place.
I glanced over at Dad, whose jaw was set and his gaze focused on the white marble countertop. He was not happy, and I felt a bit bad about that. I mean, I was supposed to come visit with him this summer.
It was my last few months as his teenage daughter, and I was choosing to spend it on the arm of a movie star he didn’t seem to like.
And maybe that should have bothered me enough to tell him that I’d call it off. That I wouldn’t fake date Cayden Rivers.
But my stubborn, broken-hearted pride surfaced, and I linked arms with Michelle and led her up to my room. Once we were inside, I collapsed on the bed and stared up at the ceiling. I took a few deep breaths as she flopped down next to me.
“Wow,” she whispered.
I nodded as I wrapped my arms around my chest. Then an impulsive, nervous laugh escaped my lips. Michelle joined in seconds later, the two of us lying there, laughing like we’d lost our minds.
We turned towards each other, propping our heads up on our hands. Michelle’s face was tear-stained and her cheeks were pink from exertion. I could only assume I looked the same.
“You are dating Cayden Rivers,” she whispered as if she were worried saying it out loud would make it disappear like a waking dream.
“Fake dating,” I corrected.
She shrugged. “Potato, potah-to.” She traced her finger along the lines of the purple paisley comforter. She sighed as she glanced back up at me. “This is crazy, you know that?”
I nodded, pinching my lips together.
It was very crazy.
I felt like an alien had invaded my body and taken me over. I didn’t do this. This wasn’t me. And yet, I had agreed to fake date the Cayden Rivers.
What had I done?
Chapter Seven
I managed to get three hours of somewhat restful sleep that night. When I wasn’t worrying about what I’d done, I was worried about what Cayden thought he was going to get from me.
What did fake dating entail?
Would we be talking, kissing and hand-holding? Or was this just a show up and make me look good, but please don’t touch my body parts kind of relationship?
The thought of having this discussion with Cayden made my whole body heat. I could imagine the winks and smiles he would send my way when I brought up kissing or body parts.
Michelle, of course, spent the night in a blissful, relaxed sleep. I was jealous when she woke up the next morning without bags under her eyes. Her skin was luminescent when she walked out of the bathroom with her hair pulled up into a t
owel and wearing a tank and shorts.
One quick glance in the mirror confirmed what I already knew—Cayden was making a mistake choosing me. My oily and ratty hair was falling out of the messy bun at the top of my head. The bags under my eyes accented my pale skin, and I was pretty sure I was getting a pimple right on the tip of my nose.
Nothing about my appearance screamed girlfriend to a star. I looked like the ugly bag woman that you crossed five lanes of busy traffic to get away from.
I groaned as I folded my arms on the vanity and buried my face in my elbow.
“Oh, no,” Michelle said. Her voice grew louder as she approached me. “You’re spiraling. Why are you spiraling?”
I sighed as I straightened and glanced up at her. “I made a huge mistake,” I whimpered.
She furrowed her eyebrows. “What? Why?”
I waved at my face. “I’m not girlfriend material. Not for Cayden Rivers. What was I thinking?” I lifted up my forefinger as I stuck out my thumb and placed the “L” on my forehead.
Michelle swatted my hand away. “You are not a loser and knock that off. There is absolutely no reason you couldn’t date Cayden Rivers for real.” She pushed me until I was staring at myself in the mirror again. She glanced over my reflection and then shrugged. “So you look like crap when you wake up. Everyone does. I’m sure Cayden himself looks like crud when he rolls out of bed.” She squeezed my shoulders. “Congrats, you’re human.”
I tried to tuck a chunk of hair back up into the bun, but it just floated back down to my shoulders. “I don’t think Cayden is human,” I muttered, trying to disprove what she’d said. “I mean, have you seen the color of his eyes? It’s like Poseidon decided to grant a mortal ocean-colored eyes.” I blew out a breath as I stared at my murky brown eyes.
Michelle chuckled as she pulled her hair out of the towel. “If I didn’t know better, I’d say you like Cayden.”
Heat rushed to my cheeks as I whipped around. I stared her down. “I do not,” I said a bit too fast.
Michelle studied me. “It’s just that you’ve been talking about him a lot. Saying you’re not good enough to date him or that his eye color was given to him by the gods.” She clicked her tongue. “It sounds like you have a little crush on him.”
Rule #6: You Can't Fall for Your Fake Summer Fling: A Standalone Sweet High School Romance (The Rules of Love) Page 5
