Faker - Sarah Smith Page 0,91

you with me is like holding on to an anchor in rough seas.”

There’s a burst at the center of my chest. “Really?”

One half of his mouth curves up. I could live off the high that his brilliant crooked smiles give me.

“Really.”

With another squeeze of my hand, Tate keeps pace with me while we cross the parking lot. We head through the front door, the beat of a familiar mid-2000s pop song echoing through the halls. A table covered in name tags rests against the far wall. I peer ahead and see signs directing alumni to the reunion, which seems to be taking place in the gym. Round tables dot the floor. A long table against the wall holds snacks and a giant sheet cake. The roar of conversation hovers slightly above the volume of the music. It’s not a full house, but it’s close. The dim lighting is reminiscent of a high school dance. The only things missing are streamers and balloons.

I start to walk inside, but Tate holds me back, fixed on his phone.

“Hang on. Brendan and his girlfriend are about to walk in the front. Let’s go back and wait for them there.”

There’s a sizable crowd gathered at the front entrance of the school now. Brendan is the first familiar face we spot. He immediately pulls Tate into a bear hug.

“You made it!” he booms.

He releases Tate, and when I catch a side glimpse of his face, I notice he’s blushing.

“And you.” Brendan points to me. “You made it happen. You got this grump to show up. I owe you big-time.”

He stretches his arms open for a hug. I hesitate for a moment, before walking up to him. I’ve never hugged one of my doctors before. I press into him and laugh.

“Consider it a thank-you for performing my surgery.”

He lets out a jolly cackle and gestures to a woman standing behind him. Her light brown hair flows all the way to her elbows. “Emmie, this is my girlfriend, Jillian.”

I shake her hand. She beams a warm smile back at me and immediately compliments my outfit. She’s equally as friendly and welcoming as Brendan. They’re a perfect match.

After a minute of milling around the front while politely conversing, I spot a tall, slim woman walk in with the exact shade of white-blond hair as Tate’s. Her light skin glows, and her wavy hair falls just past her shoulders. As she walks up to us, I notice her eyes are soft gray.

She gently shoves her shoulder into Tate, who’s too lost in conversation with Brendan to notice her walk up to him. He turns around to hug her, and she giggles. The nervousness in his face disappears as he smiles. Just by their greeting, it’s easy to see how close they are.

“Of course you would shove me instead of saying hello. Punk,” Tate says, then turns to me.

“And this must be?” She gestures at me while staring knowingly at him.

“Emmie, this is my sister, Natalie. Natalie, this is my girlfriend, Emmie.”

Her face widens with a smile. Instead of shaking my outstretched hand, she pulls me in for a tight hug. Seems like everyone in Tate’s inner circle is a hugger. I like it.

“It’s wonderful to finally meet you,” she says, swaying back and forth with me in her embrace. “Tate’s told me so much about you.” She pulls back to glance at me.

My smile twitches. I can only imagine the unflattering and frustrating anecdotes Tate has shared with her.

I beam back what I hope is a sincere grin. “Oh God, I hope not.”

“Don’t worry. Everything he’s said about you has been glowing.” She turns back to him. “You did not do her justice, though. She’s stunning, Tate.”

I let out an embarrassed laugh and babble a thanks. Tate shoves his hands in his pockets, a flustered grin on his face.

“Jesus, you make it sound like I’ve been downplaying her. Of course she’s stunning.”

Inside I’m bursting. He was right. Natalie is most definitely Miss Congeniality.

“Shall we head in?” Brendan asks.

Tate leads me down the hallway, his fingers pressed gently at the small of my back.

“You ready?” I ask.

He peers down at me with cool clouds for eyes, nerves nowhere to be found. “Absolutely.”

twenty-four

We maneuver through the crowd of bodies into the gym.

“Told you my sister would like you.”

“She’s incredible. A total sweetheart. I love her, and I’ve only known her for two minutes.”

The gym is nearly full by now. Most of the tables have a handful of people sitting at them. Everyone