by Paige Tyler
I lift up my phone, nestling into his side and giving Coco one little pat before counting down from three and starting the live feed.
The viewers instantly start rolling in, excited to meet this mystery man that I was spotted with the other day on the beach. The comments and questions are flying faster than we can even keep up, but I know we can handle this. In fact, I’m starting to think that as long as Boone and I are together, we can do anything.
Including fooling the entire population of LA into thinking we’re head over heels for each other.
CHAPTER TEN
The fire crackles, sending embers sparkling through the cool air from the blazing bonfire. A gray column of smoke slowly spirals up toward the night sky while the Coyotes celebrate their most recent win.
“So, this is the girl you’ve been talking about nonstop,” an athletic dark-haired guy says the moment Boone introduces me to his teammates and their significant others.
I grin from ear to ear as his buddies regard us. Boone loops his arm around my shoulder and flashes a smile at me, the glinting cinders reflecting in his beautiful eyes.
“You got that right,” he says proudly, turning his attention back to the group of people surrounding us. “You don’t have to tell me that Sutton is a catch. I knew it the moment I met her.”
His friends laugh and Boone tightens his hold on me. I sink into his side, head on his shoulder, arms around his waist. I try not to let myself get too excited that he’s mentioned me to his teammates. It was surely only in passing and only to drive home the genuineness of our supposed relationship.
When Boone told me that he wanted to take me somewhere special tonight, I had no idea it would be to a party with his teammates. Apparently, the Coyotes have this bonfire on their coach’s property every time they win a game. Their coach lives outside of LA in a beachy area dotted with tall trees that shift and cast dappled moonlight over our heads. Every one of the Coyotes is here tonight, along with several women whom I assume are spouses or girlfriends and some other friends. Everyone has been so kind and welcoming that I know I’m going to miss them when this whole fake relationship is over.
The reminder makes my chest ache and I force myself to ignore it.
“I’m going to get us some drinks, darlin’,” Boone whispers in my ear. Then he presses a soft kiss to my cheek before slipping away and heading around the bonfire.
As soon as he leaves, a woman in her mid-forties sidles up to my side.
“I’m Sarah, the coach’s wife,” she says with a smile. “Cody and I adore Boone so much. The whole team does. He’s never brought a girlfriend to the team bonfire before. You two must have something special.”
“Oh, I don’t know about that,” I say, laughing uncomfortably.
Boone only brought me here for appearances, which makes having this conversation with someone who obviously cares for him more awkward than I would have thought. In the verbal agreement we made, we’d listed that we needed to have a certain number of public outings, and what better place for one than this?
“I do,” Sarah insists. “Trust me. I see the way he looks at you.”
Before I can say anything, Boone returns with those drinks he promised. The coach’s wife winks at me, then scurries away to chat with some of the other Coyotes.
“Are you all right?” Boone asks softly, voice just barely rising over the crackle of the fire as he hands me a red plastic cup. “You look a little tense or something.”
I take a long sip of my drink, almost disappointed to find that it’s only diet Coke and not something a little harder. I’m suddenly feeling very nervous, even though I can’t explain why. I know that Sarah or Boone’s teammates hadn’t meant anything by their comments, but now my heart is skipping beats and my palms are shaking. The worst part is that I know I’m being ridiculous. This relationship is all for show, nothing more. And yet, I can’t seem to stop.
Chill out, girl. I silently chide myself.
“Never better,” I insist with a smile.
But Boone can see right through me. He regards me for a moment, then shakes his head. Taking my free hand in his, he tugs me away from the fire and across the sand until we’re near the trees, and the crowd and the blaze are well behind us.
“I think you might’ve breathed in too much smoke, darlin’,” he says worriedly. “Let’s sit here for a minute and get some fresh air.”
As we sit together quietly on the beach, my mind wanders of its own accord. Moonlight peeks curiously through the tops of the looming trees and leaves rustle and limbs creak. Being out here reminds me of that dream I had of Boone a few weeks back and it’s enough to make my face burn scarlet. Hopefully, it’s too dark for him to see. In the distance, the team continues chatting and their cheery voices are carried along the breeze.
“I love these bonfire nights more than I do winning games,” Boone muses softly. Even though we’re not right in the public eye, he’s still sitting close to me. That’s probably only because Sarah or his coach or one of the guys could come wandering over to check on us at some point and we don’t want to look like an awkward couple. To be convincing was one of our rules. “It always reminds me of home.”
“You miss Texas?” I ask softly.
He nods. His eyes are distant and far away, like he’s floated off and is someplace else entirely.
“Would you ever want to go back there?”
“Heck no,” he answers without a beat of hesitation.
His response catches me a little off-guard and I can’t help but laugh.
“It’s just that I’ve come so far,” he explains with a shake of his head.
Boone turns to look at me and takes my hands earnestly in his. The blue eyes that cut through the shadows are wide and serious in a way that I’ve never seen from him before. The sight leaves me astonished and more than a little breathless.
“I don’t just mean I’ve come all the way from Texas to California,” he says. “I mean I’ve come so far in general. Back in Texas my life was set in stone. I would have worked on my father’s ranch and I’d marry Lucy and we’d have kids way too young and a sleepy bloodhound guarding the porch. That was the person I would’ve become. I had no choice. When I found rugby, it was the first time I ever felt truly happy and strong and focused. I knew I could make a future that was all my own if I worked hard enough.”
“That sounds like when Kali, Liv, and I started G&G,” I muse wistfully. “We didn't know how viral we would go, but we loved it so much that it didn’t matter. It was exhilarating.”
Boone’s smile widens. “Exactly, darlin’. It was a whole new world. I’d never played a single sport before rugby, either. I was fourteen when I found a flyer at school announcing tryouts. I can still remember staring at that little piece of paper for what felt like hours. Something about the word rugby just called to me. When I got to the tryouts, I was so worried that I’d never be able to get a grasp of it because I was older than some of the other kids starting out. But my first coach never let me doubt myself for a minute. He saw something in me from the very first minute I stepped on that field.” He lets out a snort. “Dang, did my parents hate it, though. They said it was stealing me from them. I guess in a way they were right, but rugby gave me freedom and passion and everything I’d been looking for my whole life.”
I don’t say anything right away, too intent on absorbing his past. “Have they come around?”
It’s Boone’s turn to be silent. Then he slowly smiles again. “Yes. Or, at least, they’re trying. They found a foreman for the ranch who’s better than I ever could be. They’ve even flown out here for a game or two since I moved, and we talk every now and then. One day, I know I’ll make them proud. I’ll make them see that the man I’ve become is who I was meant to be.”
As he speaks, Boone lays his hand on top of my own. Our fingers lace and I’m left staring down at our intertwined palms. I’m afraid to even breathe, terrified that I might ruin the fleeting moment. There’s something
so fragile and delicate about the way he’s holding me now. If I wasn’t so scared to move, I would pinch myself to make sure I’m not dreaming again.
Every inch of my body quivers. I can’t even control it. Electricity surges through my veins instead of blood. I tip my head back, finding his face close to mine, and all I can think about is how little effort it would take to close the distance between our lips.
His eyes drift to my mouth and he clutches my hand a little tighter before abruptly pulling back. Still holding onto my hand, he climbs to his feet, then helps me up. His strong, broad-shouldered body is silhouetted by the moonlight.
“I should get you home, Cinderella,” he says softly. “It’s almost midnight.”
The last thing I want to do is leave, but I force myself to nod.
As we walk back toward the party, he wraps his arm around me, and I can’t help but feel like there’s something different in his embrace this time. It’s as if he’s somehow managed to travel a thousand miles away despite his presence at my side.
Where did this sudden distance come from?
And why is it so painful?
Every fiber of my being is screaming at me to stop walking, throw my arms around his neck and press my lips to his and drag him back to me. Not for appearances’ sake, but because I want him. I’m craving him, heart and soul. Everything I learn about Boone makes him more beautiful and wonderful and interesting, and yet, I know I’m not allowed to feel this way. I can’t. We agreed that things would be simple, but now my feelings are so complicated that I can hardly even contain them.
If I were to admit that I deeply care about my sexy, southern boyfriend, it would mean losing him forever. I’d rather my heart break into a thousand little pieces than say goodbye to Boone forever.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Music pulses through our beach house, filling every inch of the spacious home with perky Top 40 hits. The music is so loud that I can’t even hear my thoughts, which is exactly how I want it to be right now.
Boone and I are coming up on the two-month anniversary of our fake relationship, and I’d be lying if I said it hasn’t definitely been a ton of fun. We’ve been bouncing around all sorts of ideas about what we should do to memorialize the occasion for both our fandoms, but we can’t seem to come up with anything grand enough.
Or, should I say, I’ve been bouncing ideas around and Boone…
Well, Boone hasn’t quite been the same since the night of the Coyotes’ bonfire.
Things have simply been off with him lately. I’d thought after we had such a great conversation that we’d be closer than ever, but it seems like it’s caused him to drift away from me instead.
I’m sure it’s nothing. I mean, every relationship—even ones based in falsehood like ours—has a tide that ebbs and flows. That’s simply how life is.
But Boone doesn’t seem to joke with me as much as he used to, and he takes longer to respond to texts and calls. I haven’t brought it up because it felt like I’d be poking for drama—thus breaking both first commandments of our fake relationship. So, instead, I’ve been biting my tongue and trying to enjoy the ride we’re sharing. It’s not like Boone’s totally withdrawn. He’s always on time for G&G video shoots and our weekly dates, and I’ve still been accompanying him to the team bonfires.
I can’t even exactly put my finger on the change. It’s subtle, but it’s there.
At least my followers haven’t noticed.
At night when I can’t sleep, I stay up late skimming through all the comments on Boone’s and my latest posts and videos together. Just as I’d hoped, the Glammers are going wild over the torrid affair between my hunky rugby player and me. The G&G page’s engagement is through the roof. We’ve even had more sponsors and curious business owners reach out as of late.
So…
If I’m getting everything I wanted, why am I feeling so distraught?
And why is Boone acting strangely?
Could he be regretting ever fake dating me?
Groaning, I saunter over to the speaker and crank the volume higher and higher, moving and swaying to the music. Try as I might, I can’t seem to drown out my doubts.
“Sutton!” someone abruptly shouts from behind me.
Shrieking in surprise, I whirl around to spot Kali and Liv standing at the entrance of the kitchen. Liv bobs her head to the fun music and grins while Kali frowns and sets her hands on her hips.
“Hey, babes!” I call back, grinning at Kali and Liv. My two G&G besties were out doing some meetings related to Liv’s fashion designs. They’d left before the sun came up and have obviously been working hard all day long. They both look beat. It’s a good thing we don’t have any shoots scheduled today.
Kali’s lips move, but I don’t hear a thing over the loud music. Eventually, she rolls her eyes and stomps over to the speaker to turn it off. Even after silence descends on the house, my ears keep ringing. I tug at one of my earlobes and wince.
“We’ve been trying to call you, girl.” Kali sighs. “No wonder you couldn’t hear us. You’re going to lose your hearing if you aren’t careful.”
Giggling, I throw my arms around my bestie’s shoulders. “Aw, you don’t have to worry about me, Mom.”
Liv slides up onto one of the barstools around our kitchen island. “What’s for dinner?” she asks, kicking her legs back and forth. “We were so busy, we barely had time to eat anything today and I’m starving.”
Flashing a happy grin, I clap my hands together. “Actually, I cooked. And before you say it, you’re welcome, babes!”
Liv and Kali stare at me and then at each other. Their eyes are practically round as saucers. I’ve never seen my two BFFs at a loss for such words.
I can’t hold back the laughter for more than a few seconds until I start laughing. “Just kidding! I ordered us sushi from our fav spot. And of course, I got some vegan rolls for you, Liv.”
“Thank goodness,” Kali announces as Liv bursts into laughter.
I paw at Kali’s shoulder while a pretend pout forms on my face. “That’s not nice. Don’t make me eat all of your sushi.”
“It’s just that you’d find a way to burn cereal, Sutton. Even your coffee is…well…” Liv trails off and sticks out her tongue in disgust.
“It’s not my fault I have so many thoughts spinning around my head that I get distracted when I cook,” I huff playfully.
Grabbing the sushi platter from the fridge, I set it down on the counter while Kali takes out glasses and pours iced tea for each of us.
Kali takes a tuna roll and is about to take a bite when she lets out a startled yelp instead and drops it back on the platter. The sushi roll lands straight in the wasabi, sending green flecks flying. George scampers up and licks a green smear off the floor before any of us can stop him, then coughs and shakes his head hard. He stares at the rest of the spilled wasabi, debating eating it even after the uncomfortable first experience. Liv quickly leaps down to clean it up first.
“I just realized I never texted Grayson back this morning,” Kali groans. “He’s probably worried sick.”
She grabs her phone from her oversized purse and hastily types on it. I watch her quietly, biting the inside of my cheek.
“So, you two lovebirds don’t talk, like, constantly?” I ask hesitantly.
Kali laughs and shakes her head. “No way. We’re way too busy for that. We talk as much as we can though.” She looks at me sharply. “Wait a minute. Why are you asking? Are you and Boone all right?”
Suddenly, Liv’s pretty dark eyes and Kali’s bright blue ones are focused on me with laser-like intensity. I swallow hard, startled by the heat of my best friends’ spotlight.
“Of course, we’re all right,” I sputter with a fake laugh. “I was simply curious, that’s all.”
Before either of them can question me more, I grab a piece of the California roll and cram it into my mouth, focusing on the tasty combo of crab, cucumber, and avocado instead of Liv and Kali, who are both
eyeing me curiously.
If Kali and Grayson have periods where they forget to talk, then Boone and I are definitely fine.
Everything is fine.
Everything is fine.
Everything is fine.
If I just keep telling myself that enough, it must be true.
Right?
“Oh,” Kali whispers abruptly. She’s still staring at her phone, but I can’t tell if she’s still texting her handsome lawyer boyfriend or not. Her voice drops to an almost whisper, but it’s so strained that her voice squeaks out her throat. “Oh, no.”
Liv and I both immediately grow still at Kali’s clearly concerned tone. Kali doesn’t say anything else. Instead, she keeps gaping at her phone with glazed eyes.
“Kali?” prompts Liv.
She slowly lifts her gaze from her cell. She looks at Liv and then at me. Her mouth opens and closes, but no words come out.
“What is it?” I ask hesitantly. “Is it more photos of Boone and me? Or is it something else?”
Before I can even finish the question, all of our phones start chiming at once. Again and again, our cells trill and ring. The sound is almost more deafening than my music.
Immediately, Liv and I reach for our phones to find out what’s going on.
It’s usual for us to get quite a few notifications at the same time when we make a new post or announcement, but a storm like this only swells when something very, very bad has gone down.
But what could it be? The Glammers have been responding so well to our feed lately.
At first, as I scroll through the messages that we’re receiving on all of our various social media platforms, all I see are a blur of sad and angry emojis. My stomach twists so hard in my core that bile almost rises up the back of my throat. If we messed up and accidentally posted something our fans deemed inappropriate, the Glossed & Glammed ship could sink for good. Our place at the top of the influencer food chain is fragile, none of us can forget that.
