“Yeah, a cold drink sounds pretty good right about now.”
“You got it.” He winks, hesitating for a long moment before turning and heading back up the beach.
“Boy’s got it bad,” Camila says the moment he’s out of earshot.
If only she knew the truth.
“Whatever, no he doesn’t,” I say, sliding back down onto my towel.
“I know guys, P. And I’m telling you, you’ve got him whipped and you haven’t even given it up. Just imagine how he’ll be once you do.”
“Well, that’s not happening anytime soon,” I tell her, relaxing back onto my back, adjusting my sunglasses as I do.
“I hear you. I think you’re in denial.”
I choose not to comment. Mainly because I know she’s right. I am in denial. But not about the way Callum feels about me, but rather the way I feel about him...
CHAPTER TWELVE
CALLUM
“WHY ARE YOU HIDING out in here?” I ask Ethan, lounging on his bunk when I enter the cabin to clean up a little. I’m covered in brush and dirt from lugging logs with Tripp for the last hour. But at least it’s done and we should have enough firewood to last us the rest of the trip.
“Man, girls are fucking weird.” He stares up at the ceiling, blowing out a hard breath.
“Oh yeah? Trouble in paradise?” I ask, trying to make conversation. Ethan and I have never been close. Sure, we run in the same circle and play ball together, but he’s not someone I would necessarily call a friend. The only reason we’re crashing in the same cabin is because I needed a place to stay after breaking it off with Annika. Luckily, Tripp had saved me a bunk. I guess he knew things were going sideways before I did.
“Heidi.” He groans. “I didn’t peg her for a girl that would get jealous. Have you looked at her? What could she possibly have to be jealous about?”
“Then what is she jealous about?” I walk further into the room, grabbing my duffle off the floor before dropping it on top of my bunk.
He hesitates.
“She thinks there’s something between me and Poppy. Which obviously isn’t true,” he quickly adds. “I tried telling her that Poppy is your girl, but she kept insisting that I was looking at her a certain way.”
My back goes ramrod straight.
I had also picked up on the extra attention Ethan was paying Poppy on our hike, but knowing that’s the whole point of this charade, I tried not to react to it too much. It was fucking hard though. Harder than it should’ve been given the circumstances.
Ethan is like a dog. Easily distracted. He likes the chase, the hunt. And Heidi was too easy for him. I knew it wouldn’t take long before his ass got bored. Now he’s got his sights set on Poppy. I knew it when we were down at the dock. The way he kept finding excuses to touch her.
Such a fucking joke.
He didn’t want her when she was standing right in front of him, but now that she’s unavailable he’s all about her. I called it, so I shouldn’t be surprised. Though I will say, it’s unfolding a hell of a lot faster than I’d anticipated. And for some reason that does not sit well with me. Add on Annika coming at Poppy earlier and I would almost say my plan is working a little too well.
“She’s wrong, of course,” he adds when my gaze swings to him. “Don’t get me wrong, Poppy’s a great girl, but she’s your girl.”
“That’s right, she is,” I answer curtly.
“Anyway, she flipped out. I ended things...”
“And now you’re in here hiding out.”
“Pretty much.” He chuckles.
“You want me to talk to her? Maybe try to clear some things up?” I offer.
“Nah. I think it’s best to leave it alone. It was fun, but it was never going anywhere. She was too self-absorbed. I need someone with more substance.”
Someone like Poppy, I think to myself.
I nod, turning back to my bunk. I grab my last clean pair of board shorts from the bottom of my bag before dropping it back onto the floor, the wheels in my head turning.
When I first concocted this ridiculous plan, I’m not entirely sure I thought it all the way through. All I knew was that Poppy needed me and I was all too eager to swoop in and save the day. I’m not really sure why I felt compelled to do so, though. We’d barely spoken in four years and we sure as hell weren’t friends anymore. Yet, standing there watching her, something came over me. Something I’m still not sure I fully understand.
I saw an opportunity. One that would ultimately benefit both of us. But I don’t think I realized what being close to Poppy again would do to me. There’s something about the girl. She’s intoxicating. Beautiful. Strong. Independent. Of course, these are all things I knew about her from when we were kids.
I can’t say when things started to change between us. But I do know that once I realized it, I absolutely fucking panicked. I can’t explain it. Hell, I don’t even understand it myself. I just knew I had to distance myself from her. Now, I’m left regretting that choice. Because Poppy is still the same incredible girl she always was and when I look back, all I see are the wasted years. And Ethan fucking Ripley, lingering in the background, ready to swoop in the moment I’m out of the picture.
I did this to myself.
And I’ll only have myself to blame when she rides off into the sunset with the guy she really wants to be with, and I’m left standing with my dick in my hand wondering what the fuck happened.
“HEY, ARE YOU OKAY?” Poppy steps up on the picnic table bench before taking a seat on top of the table next to me.
“Fine. Why?” I ask, tilting the cup to my lips. The cold beer slides down easily.
“You’ve been quiet tonight. Did I do something wrong?” She twists her fingers together, fidgeting the way she always used to whenever she was uncomfortable or nervous.
It’s funny how much I remember.
“No,” I answer her truthfully, because really she hasn’t. I’ve just been in my head since my conversation with Ethan earlier. I left the cabin with a sinking feeling and for some reason it’s only gotten worse.
“Then what’s up?”
“I’m just...” I let out an audible sigh. “Just feeling off tonight.” I take another drink of beer.
“Anything I can do?”
I can think of about a million things she could do to make me feel better, not that I would voice a single one out loud.
“You can sit here with me,” I tell her.
“Okay.” She gives me a soft smile, her eyes going back to the large group of seniors all broken out in various groups across the open landscape. “Look at them.” She points toward Camila and Tripp who are in the middle of an intense game of beer pong with April and Brock. “What a week it has been.” She laughs lightly. “Not only did I gain a fake boyfriend, but it would appear that my friends are now friends with your friends. Who would have thought?”
“What is this world coming to?” I chuckle.
“I know, right?” She knocks her shoulder into mine. “At least they make sense.”
“What do you mean?”
I glance over at Poppy, my eyes dipping down to where her dark hair is twisted in a side braid and left to drape loosely over one shoulder. Fucking beautiful.
I immediately take another long pull of beer.
“Look at them. It’s like clash of the beautiful people. They look so good together.”
“And we don’t?” I hitch a brow.
She gives me a look I don’t quite understand.
“No,” she answers with a soft shake of her head.
“Careful now, P. You might hurt my ego.”
“That’s not what I meant. It’s just, well, you’re out of my league. Look at you.” She gestures to all of me. “When people see us together, their first thought is probably what the hell is he doing with her? Sexy football player. Arguably the most popular guy in school who could literally have any girl he wants. And then there’s me.”
“Do you seriously not have any idea how beaut
iful you are?” I interrupt before she can say more.
“You’re just saying that to make me feel good about myself.”
“Like hell I am, Poppy.” I wait until her eyes come to mine before continuing, “I’m serious. You are... fuck.” I blow out a breath, not able to find the right words.
“Oh yeah. Well if I’m such a knockout, then why did I have to join forces with someone who doesn’t even like me in order to get a guy’s attention?”
“One, I do like you.” I hold up a finger. “I wouldn’t be doing this if I didn’t.”
I can tell she wants to say something, but for whatever reason she holds back.
“Two,” I continue on. “I already told you. Ethan is the type of guy that wants what he can’t have. It was clear you were into him. Hell, I could see it by looking at you. Hence, why he wasn’t interested. But now that you’re off the market, suddenly his outlook has changed.”
“Has it though?” she questions.
“He ended things with Heidi today.”
“He what?” Her eyes go wide.
“She got upset about the way he was acting around you. Accused him of being into you.”
“I didn’t get that at all.” She seems confused.
“Because you’re not very good at reading people, P. I think we’ve established that much already.” I snag her hand out of her lap and entwine our fingers together...for show, of course.
Fuck. Now I’m even lying to myself.
“So that led to him ending things?”
“Not surprisingly. He has his eye on someone else now. Someone he can’t have. Now it’s a challenge. A chase.” I turn my eyes forward. “I told you it would work.”
“So then what do we do now?” Her eagerness over Ethan is like a fucking punch to the gut.
“We play it out.” I shrug. “We can’t have him thinking that a little attention thrown your way is enough to make you walk away from me. He’s gotta work for it. We keep it up. Play it out. And then we end it at just the right moment.”
“Which is when?”
“I’d say a week before prom. Knowing Ethan, he’ll hold out until the last minute. So, if we play our cards right...” I let the statement hang.
“But that’s another three weeks,” she objects.
“Getting sick of me already, are you, P?”
“No, it’s not that. It’s... Do you think we can keep this up for another three weeks? It’s one thing being here, but at school. I don’t know.”
“It’s just three weeks, P. It’ll be worth it. Besides, just because we’re pretending doesn’t mean we can’t have a little fun along the way.” I wiggle my eyebrows at her.
“Oh. My. God.” Laughter rumbles through each word. “You really are something else, Callum Hanson.”
“Thank you.” I grin.
“That wasn’t really a compliment,” she quips, playfulness dancing in those big hazel eyes of hers. “What happens when this is over?” she asks after a few long moments of silence filter between us.
“What do you mean?”
“I mean, do we just go back to the way things were? You pretending like I don’t exist.”
“I’ve never pretended like you didn’t exist.” The lie falls so easily from my tongue. It’s true, though. I have spent the last four years avoiding her at every turn. But again, I’m not sure I fully understand why.
Sure, I was a stupid kid four years ago. A stupid, immature kid who couldn’t process what I was feeling. But I’m not that kid anymore. And now that Poppy is back in my life, I can’t imagine not having her here.
“Yeah. Okay.” She rolls her eyes.
“Okay, maybe I did a little,” I admit. “But things are different now.”
“Does that mean we can be friends again?” she asks, almost hopeful.
“Guess we’ll see what happens.” I shrug.
“Well that sounds promising.” Sarcasm drips from her words.
“It’s not that I don’t want to be your friend, Poppy. But we have a role to play. If we go from dating to hanging out as friends, people might think something is up. We have to remember, all this...” I hold up our joined hands. “It’s not for us. It’s for them.” My eyes scan the crowd of people congregated around us.
“Right.” Something about the way her expression falls doesn’t sit right with me.
“I thought this was what you wanted.”
“It was. It is.”
“Well, okay then.”
She falls quiet again, nibbling on her bottom lip as she loses herself to her own thoughts. I wish I could climb inside her head. Know what she’s thinking. What she’s feeling. But I lost the right to know those things a long time ago.
“Can I ask you something?” she asks after way too much fucking silence has passed between us.
“Shoot.”
“Why did we stop being friends? Did I do something to you?”
“You didn’t do anything, P.”
“Then why? It was like one day we were as close as ever and the next you were too cool for me.”
“I’ve never been too cool for you.”
“You’re not really giving me an answer.” She sees right through my blatant attempt to dodge the question.
“I wish I had one. I can’t explain to you what was going through my head back then. I was a confused kid.”
“What were you confused about?”
“You,” I admit, our gazes locking.
“Me?” The word is a whisper on her lips.
“You’re up, bitches!” The moment is broken when Camila comes skipping up to the table, interrupting what may be the first real conversation Poppy and I have had in a very long time.
Poppy turns, looking at her friend.
“We killed Brock and April. We need some real competition. What do you say?” Her eyes bounce between me and Poppy.
“Um...” Poppy hesitates.
“Fuck it. Let’s do it.” I release her hand, sliding off the table.
“Guess that means we’re in.” Poppy plasters on a smile, hopping down next to me.
“Yes!” Camila claps her hands together. “But I gotta warn you, Tripp and I make one hell of a team.”
“Oh, I think we’ll manage.” I smile, glancing down at Poppy.
“You say that now,” she grumbles. “But I gotta warn you, I’m not very good with anything that deals with balls.” Her cheeks burn red when she realizes how that sounded.
“Hmmm. Maybe I can teach you.” I wink, causing the color in her cheeks to deepen further.
“You two are just so damn cute.” Camila steps up next to Poppy and links their arms together. “Come on.” The girls walk ahead, leaving me behind to follow after them.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
POPPY
“CAN YOU BELIEVE IT’S over?” April asks, throwing the last of her dirty clothes into her suitcase before flinging it shut. “I feel like we just got here and we’re already leaving.” There’s an air of sadness in her voice.
“I don’t know about you girls, but I had one hell of a time.” Camila pops out of the bathroom, her toiletries bag in her hand.
“Yeah, you and Tripp really went out with a bang last night.” I give her a knowing look. I had the displeasure of walking in on not only April and Brock this week, but also Cam and Tripp last night. Because that wasn’t awkward or anything.
“And now we’re done.” She tosses the bag on top of her suitcase.
“Just like that?” April asks.
“I told you girls, neither of us is interested in starting anything. We had our fun. Now we’re just friends.”
“We’ll see how long that lasts.” I snort.
“Fuck you.” She laughs, throwing a dirty towel in my direction. “Some of us like uncomplicated, thank you very much.”
“And what about you and Brock?” I turn my attention to April.
“Well,” her smile stretches so big it takes over her entire face, “he asked me to be his girlfriend last n
ight... Officially.”
“Oh my god, April.” Cam jumps up and down excitedly. “You said yes, right? Please tell me you said yes.”
“I said yes! I have a boyfriend.” She holds out her arms, clearly not sure what to do with them.
“I’m so happy for you,” I tell her, stepping in to give her a quick hug.
“And you,” she says when I step back. “Who knew we’d be leaving here dating two of the most sought-after guys in school. It’s crazy.”
“Yeah, definitely crazy.” I shuffle my feet in place, the familiar guilt returning with a vengeance.
I want to tell them the truth. God, I want to tell them so bad. And I almost have a few different times, but something keeps stopping me. Maybe it’s because I’m afraid that once someone knows, it will drive home the fact that this whole thing with Callum is nothing more than a sham. And I’m not sure I’m ready for that just yet.
I’m also not sure what that means.
Does it mean I want this to be real?
I can’t deny that my interests have shifted. I went from obsessing over Ethan every chance I got to barely glancing his way. I went from thinking about him all the time to not thinking about him at all. My mind has been completely consumed by someone else and that excites me as much as it terrifies me.
My attention shifts to the door when it flies open and Callum steps inside.
“Ladies.” He smiles.
“What are you doing here?” I ask. “I thought you’d be headed home by now.”
“Actually, I want to see if you want to ride with me. I mean, we are going to the same place after all.”
“I, uh, well...”
“She’d love to,” Camila answers for me.
I glance at her and then back to Callum.
“I actually drove.”
“I can take your car home,” Cam buts in. “Seriously, I’ll just have my brother follow me to your house tomorrow and I’ll leave it in your driveway.”
“I don’t know. That seems really unnecessary.” I give her an apprehensive look.
“Seriously, it’ll be fine. Go. Ride with your man. You guys haven’t had much alone time.”
All the Pretty Lies Page 12
